Kōmyōzen-ji
光明禅寺
A small Zen temple in Dazaifu. Kyushu's only karesansui stone garden, 'One Drop of Sea', is especially moving in the autumn foliage season, and the temple is nicknamed the 'Moss Temple'.
Kōmyōzen-ji lies near Dazaifu Tenmangū. It was founded in the Kamakura period by Tekkyū Enshin and belongs to the Tōfuku-ji branch of the Rinzai school. The temple has two gardens. The front Buddha-Light Stone Garden uses fifteen stones arranged to form the Japanese character for 'light'. The back 'One Drop of Sea' garden uses white sand to represent the ocean and moss to represent the land, and it is Kyushu's only karesansui stone garden. In deep autumn, red maple leaves reflected on the white sand and moss make it Dazaifu's most beautiful spot for viewing maples. The view from the indoor veranda is especially famous. Photography is prohibited in some areas. Entry costs about 200 yen, and some areas are open only at certain times. Getting there: about 8 minutes' walk from Dazaifu Station on the Nishitetsu line.
Opening hours
Approx. 08:00–16:30 (closures possible)
Nearby sights
- Dazaifu Tenmangu
- Kyushu National Museum
- Kamado Shrine
- Nanzoin Temple
- Sumiyoshi Shrine (Fukuoka)
- Yanagibashi Rengo Market
- Tōchō-ji
- Canal City Hakata