Tenchizan Park


This park is one of Japan's chosen 100 urban parks and includes an adventure plaza and an outdoor music auditorium. It extends to 20 hectares. There is no rubbish bin in here to keep clean. Neighboring kabuto shrine is a good place to take a walk.





Mount Inugatake

Height 1131m. This mountain is famous for the Horsetail Alpine Roses which spread countless blossoms over 30 hectares. This flower is designated as a Special Natural Flower of the Nation. They will enchant your eyes in the month of May. Mt. Inugatake is great for hiking, too.


Mount Kubote


Height 782m. This Tendai sect training facility was opened in 526 A.D. Over 500 mountain ascetics lived on this mountain at the height of Tendai's influence. Many relics are located here. Otaue Matsuri(rice planting festival) has been held at Kunitama Shrine by mountain ascetics on March 29th, for over 1000 years. It is a very humorous ceremony and is said to bring with it rain or wind every year. It announces the coming of the spring season.



Hata Cold Spring


Spouting from the root of a big camphor tree, the water helps relieve prickly heat and other skin disorders. It contains Ion and calium. Many people visit the spring during July and August. The water temperature is‚P‚TŽ throughout the year.


Ohtomi Shrine


The oldest shrine in this area. According to shrine history, its origin dates back to Emperor Suijin, 10th sovereign in the first century B.C.
Kannou-Gaku festival is held here every other spring. This year falls on it.
The festival,(to ask blessing from the local deities), features a traditional display of religious banners and drumming.




Big-leafed Cedar

It is called "Koyo-zan" in Japanese.
This tree is over 200 years old and is 25 meters high. The famous silent movie actor Denjiro Ohkochi was borne here.
Once her family brought seed from Nagasaki.
Now his house didn't remain. Only tree knows the old times.








Mural Painting


"Gan-Do-Kutsu" in Japanese.
"Gan" is rock, "Do" and "Kutsu" is cave or hollow.
Fukuoka Prefecture designated site.
Once, this area called Inuka-Iwaya.
Iwaya district takes its name from this. Look up and you will find Karyo-Binga¦ dancing on the ceiling.
Someone says it is Hiten(flying angel). It is supposed to be drawn 9 or 10th century.
It remains some colors. Takushi-Nyorai(healing Buddha) is deified here. Details of its origin are unknown.
¦She has a beautiful voice and lives in paradise. The upper part of her body is that a bodhisattva, and the lower part is that of a bird.

Big Camphor Tree


"Ohgusu" in Japanese.
"Oh" means big and "gusu" is camphor tree.
Usually we say "kusu", but putting Oh in ahead change into voiced sound.
Fukuoka Prefecture designated Natural monument. Ohgusu means big camphor tree.
A religious ceremony is held here everytime when second pavilion of Usa shrine is rebuilt or repaired. This type of tree originated in China.





Kannon Statue


We call it "Senjyu-kannon" in Japanese.
This statue of the Thousand-Hands-Goddess of Mercy, is made out of one single camphor tree, 211cm in height.
It is also known as "Chichi-no-Kannon"(Goddess of Mercy), because drinking from the rockwall fountain here is said to increase the production of mother's milk.
Unfortunately you can't see it except special day.

Hofukuji Temple


This temple is noted for its thousands of azaleas.
At the beginning of May each year, an azalea festival is held.



Tengu Spa


Chatting Palace, as its name would suggest, is a place to meet and chat with people.
Equipped with a spa, sauna, and an open-air bath.
It is a welcome new addition to our city.



Zoshun-en


During the Edo period, Seiso Tsuneto studied under Tanso Hirose of Hita(Oita) for five years.
Later, Tsuneto opened a private school for adults where he taught about 3,000 students.
Many eminent social, political, and cultural figures graduated from this school.