Visiting Sumiyoshi-jinja, Fukuoka

On September 28, I went to Sumiyoshi-jinja (住吉神社), a Shinto shrine in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka. Along with Sumiyoshi-taisha in Osaka and that of Shimonoseki, it is known as one of the three major Sumiyoshi shrines in Japan. There are over 2000 Sumiyoshi shrines nationwide, and in general Sumiyoshi-taisha of Osaka is considered as the head of shrine. But it is seems to be like that it is the origin of the all Sumiyoshi shrines in Japan.

Let's take a walk to the shrine.

Before going to the main shrine, I washed my hands at Chozuya.

Going through the Shinmon (神門) gate, I got into the main shrine.

The main shrine, built by Kuroda Nagamasa in 1623, is the only architectural style of Sumiyoshi-zukuri that is unique in Japan. It has been designated as the important cultural properties of Japan by the Government.