Jotenji Temple
Fukuoka Prefecture · Japan
Duration: [2025] 15 mins [2026] 30 mins. On the way to Tocho-ji Temple, customers will take a stroll through the Hakata Old Town area. The tour will stop at Sennen-no-Mon, a welcome gate in Hakata Old Town where many historical cultural heritage sites remain, as well as Joten-ji Temple which is the birthplace of Hakata Gion Yamakasa, the iconic summer festival of Hakata.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation
Welcome to Jotenji Temple, a serene haven of Zen Buddhism nestled in the heart of Fukuoka's historic Hakata district. Founded in 1242 by the priest Shoichi Kokushi, this temple is part of the Rinzai school and serves as a vital…
Listen in the app2The Shoichi Kokushi Monument — Birth of Noodles
As we walk into the courtyard, look for the stone monuments dedicated to the temple's founder, Shoichi Kokushi. This priest traveled to China in the 13th century and returned not just with Zen teachings, but with the knowledge of…
Listen in the app3The Yamakasa Origin — The Purification Route
Observe the open space leading toward the temple's main hall. This area is critically important to the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, held every July. …
Listen in the app4The Zen Garden — Sentai-niwa and Raked Sand
We now approach the 'Sentai-niwa' stone garden. This is a classic Zen 'Karesansui' or dry landscape garden. …
Listen in the app5The Main Hall — Architecture of Mindfulness
The Honden, or Main Hall, of Jotenji is a masterpiece of understated Rinzai Zen architecture. Notice the heavy tile roof with its elegant, sweeping curves and the unpainted wood of the structure. …
Listen in the app6The Temple Gates — Shingon and Zen Intersections
The gates of Jotenji serve as a symbolic boundary between the 'profane' world of the city and the 'sacred' space of the temple. As you stand here, you may notice signs and markers referring to nearby temples like Tochoji. …
Listen in the app7Cultural Relics and Hakata Port History
Our final stop on the grounds is a reflection on Jotenji's relationship with the sea. Hakata was once Japan's largest port city, a gateway to the rest of Asia. …
Listen in the app8Closing
As we conclude our walk through Jotenji Temple, I hope you leave with more than just photos. I hope you leave with a sense of the 'milling' of history that occurred here—how ideas, technology, and faith were ground together to…
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What is Jotenji Temple?
Jotenji Temple is a place in Fukuoka Prefecture · Japan with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Fukuoka Prefecture · Japan |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 33.5946, 130.4167 |
| Last updated |
