Travel Guide of Scenic Byway Kyushu.

Q-❺ Munakata Historic Byways

Munakata Region (Munakata City and Fukutsu City) in Fukuoka Pref. ―Historic Road of Karatsu Kaido, and Munakata Taisha Shrine (World Culture Heritage) -- Cities of Munakata and Fukutsu are located between Fukuoka City The Munakata Taisha shrine has remained unchanged since the and Kitakyushu City, and are collectively called the Munakata region. beginning in that it is connected by three shrines, including a shrine of a Looking at the bird's-eye view of the Munakata region, the bow-shaped remote island, but as it is seen later, the style of the ritual has changed in sandy beaches facing the Genkai Nada Sea are connected forming a various ways. Due to their high cultural value, these ruins were small plain between the lush mountains. registered as World Cultural Heritage in 2017 as "The Sacred Island of This area has developed as a residential city and is a commuter area to Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region". two major cities, while keeping the atmosphere of an agricultural and The third is the scenic spots in Tsuyazaki district, a seaside town that fishing village. Looking at this area, there are three interesting scenic developed from the Edo period to the modern period, including Miyajid- spots: "Old Town along the Karatsu Kaido"(A), "Munakata Taisha ake Shrine. Shrine"(B), and "Old Town along Tsuyazaki Beach and areas of These three historical sites in the Munakata area are abbreviated as Miyajidake Shrine"(C). Munakata Taisha, Karatsu Kaido, and Tsuyazaki District respectively, The first is the three old towns of Akama Shukuba-machi, Haru-machi , but they are usually introduced as separate regional assets. Munakata and Azemachi. These towns developed along the old Karatsu Kaido Taisha is a world cultural heritage site related to Shintoism from ancient (road) and served as a relay point between northwestern part of Kyushu times to the medieval ages. The old streets of Karatsu Kaido are a herit- and the area of Kanmon Straits. As a result, Hideyoshi Toyotomi age site related to the person transport from the 17th to the mid-20th dispatched troops to the Korean Peninsula via Akama and Karatsu. At century, and the Tsuyazaki area is a town of the time when salt fields the end of the 16th century, and Daimyos (feudal lords) came and went flourished. during the Edo period. At the end of the 19th century, patriots aiming for However, they were interrelated, and the old towns of the Munakata the Meiji Restoration left their footprints. region served as a relay point for access to Munakata Taisha and Miyaj- The second is Munakata Taisha (shrine) and its related historic sites on idake Shrine from outside the region. In addition, Munakata Taisha and coasts and islands. In ancient times, the sea people (Munakata clan) its related heritage are not only within the scope of Munakata City, but settled in the coastal areas and played a major role in the voyage between also extend to the Tsuyazaki district of Fukutsu City. Castles related to Japan and the Korean Peninsula or China. At that times, rituals were Munakata Taisha were built in the mountains such as Konomiyama, held outdoors to pray for the safety of voyage of the Genkai Nada Sea, Hakuzan, and Joyama, and they were supported by the people of the and this is considered to have been the beginning of Shintoism in Japan. Munakata area at their foot . Therefore, from the standpoint of the people of Munakata living in the old city, in the addition to the faith, there is a close relationship and connection with these historical sites of Munakata Taisha, and it is highly expected that these things will be un- derstood.

Q-❺ Munakata Historic Byways

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[Access] The Munakata area has five The old town of Munakata was in the stations on the JR Kagoshima Main spotlight until the beginning of the 20th Line : Fukuma, Higashi-Fukuma, Togo, century. Then, with the construction of the Akama, and Kyoikudai-mae Station. Kagoshima Main Line in the 20th century, Therefore, you can access everywhere in the offices of local governments moved to the Munakata area from Fukuoka and other places. In addition, due to economic Kitakyushu Airports by combining the development in the latter half of the 20th railways. century, a large-scale residential complex was You can reach the stations in the Mu- constructed , and a bypass of National Road 3 nakata area from Fukuoka Airport via that individually diveds the old town was Hakata Station by subway and Kago- constructed, and the mutual connection was shima Main Line (up), and from Kita- A- (1) Suga Shrine in the Akamajuku inn-town lost. kyushu Airport via Kokura Station by As a result, the three old towns have lost airport bus and Kagoshima Main Line their vitality as bases for the Munakata area. (down). Either way, it takes about an Since then, three old towns of the region have hour. Also please note that there are changed in their own way. All of them are some stations where only regular trains typical examples of changes in our old town stop and you need to make a connection. and it would be interesting to visit them and On the other hand, it needs 15 compare the three different responses. minutes by bus from Togo Station to the (1）Walking in Akama Old Town. Munakata Taisha. If you want to visit In 1966, the University of Education Nakatsu-Gu on Oshima Island, it takes moved from Fukuoka City to the foot of another 10 minutes by bus from Joyama, which is adjacent to Akama Town, Munakata Taisha to Konominato Port, A-(1) Akamajuku Town Festival and was built. In 2001, a nursing university and 15 minutes by boat from there to was established at the place of 10 minutes by Oshima. Miyajidake Shrine is just a 10- car from the Akama town, too. In other words, minute bus ride from Fukuma Station. Akamacho seized the opportunity for urban By car, it might take about 1 hour ~ 1 growth and revitalized the old town by hour and 30 minutes by expressway adding the functions of the universities. from Fukuoka Airport to Akama District Decades have passed since then, and the and Fukutsu City. current state of the old town is as follows. A. Three Old Towns of the Karatsu If walking a little southwest on the road at Kaido Road Blocks . front of Kyoikudai-mae Station, you will see a The three old towns of Akamajuku T-shaped intersection and Suga Shrine on machi (post town), Harumachi, and A-(1) Shop House (1893) (Home of Idemitsu Sazou) the your left. About 600m along the prefecture road 75 from this intersection is Azemachi are the bases of the Karatsu - (Tangible Cultural Property of Country) kaido, a scenic spot for Munakata the former old town, which is well preserved. Region. They were 4 to 5 kilometers Proceeding through it, there is an intersection apart each other, and farmlands and called "Kamaeguchi", which means the mountains around them. entrance of the post town. In addition to the dispatch of troops to Katsuya Sake Brewery has a history of Korea Peinsula byToyotomi Hideyoshi more than 200 years and is surrounded by at the end of the 16th century, the lords of rental apartments for students and singles. Fukuoka and Karatsu and their vassals There are also old shrines and temples, house passed through these towns every other with a helmet roof, and roadside wells, and year for Sankinkotai during the Edo A-(1) Katuma’s Sake Brewery (left) the cityscape is composed of white-walled and period. lattice walled buildings, as in Photo A-(1). Not Then, at the end of the Edo period, Sanjo Sanetomo (nobleman) only them, the Akamajuku Festival is held every February to coincide stayed and had a great influence on the local people. He was one of the with the opening of the sake brewery, and many university students key person in the movement to defeat the Edo shogunate. After failing to participate in the costume parade as a memory of their school days. shange power before the Meiji Restoration, he was temporarily released Also, one of the many old-fashioned houses is the former residence of from public office and banished to Dazaifu. At that time, Sanjo Sanetomo Sazo Idemitsu, the founder of Idemitsu Kosan's oil company. This is a and five other aristocrats landed in Kurosaki Port, Chikuzen Province, typical merchant house built in the Meiji era and is registered as a stayed in the Akama post town for about a month. During that time, tangible cultural property of Japan. It is well known that Mr. Sazo they met many people such as Takamori Saigo, Shinsaku Takasugi, and Idemitsu contributed greatly to the reconstruction of Munakata Shrine local patriots. To commemorate this, a monument was erected on the and the investigation of World Heritage Sites. street corner of Akama inn town. (Note: Sanjo Sanetomo was an important In short, the city retains its historical heritage, and it is interesting to senior politician after the Meiji Restoration and once served as the extraordinary visit them. However, there is also a situation where old empty houses and prime minister of the new government.) vacant lots stand out. (2）Walking in Harumachi Old Town

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Proceeding 4km from the Akama inn Amaterasu Omikami (god). Each town along Prefecture Road 503, you can goddess is enshrined in each Shrine reach the Haru-machi (town), which is of Munakata Taisha on the islands about 350m long, along the old Karatsu of Genkai Nada Sea. Kaido. As cars became more widespread, In other words, Munakata Clan the vitality was absorbed by the newly has long been inhabited by opened facilities along the bypass of seafaring people who were in National Road 3. Therefor, the issue of charge of voyages to the Korean Haru-machi town was how to revitalize Peninsula and the Asian continent, and maintain the old townscape without supporting diplomacy and national expecting the moving a university exchange. A safety prayer was held transfer. With the support of the A-(2) Signboard at the Entrance of Harumachi at Munakata Taisha Shrine, which government, a community organization consists of three shrines: the Hetsu- was set up to rebuilt the town. Long- Gu shrine in Tajima District of established stores such as konjac, meat, Munakata City, the Nakatsu-Gu in soba noodle, and antique were rebuilt, and Oshima Island, and the Okitsu-Gu the barn was renovated as a museum. in Okino-shima Island. The Three The strategy was to recreate the so-called Goddesses of Munakata are divided nostalgic Japanese-style cityscape and into each and enshrined as a deity, make it more attractive to the locals, and are lined up in a straight line including new residents. along the voyage route. In the In other words, a black-and-white two- beginning, prayers were held in tone building made of plaster and cedar A-(2) Townscape of Harumachi Old Town sacred places such as on rocks, but board was built in a small village with they were moved to the the shade of atmosphere of a shopping street 100 to rocks or on the plains, and 150 years ago, and the town revived in the furthermore ,shrine buildings were image of a rural shopping street. After built and the form of prayer visiting Munakata Taisha, it is a good idea changed. to take a detour into this nostalgic village. The current main hall of Hetsu- (3) Stopping by Azemachi Old Town。 gu shrine was reconstructed in 1578 by the high priest, Ujisada If going further west on the Karatsu Munakata, and the worship hall Kaido Road from Harumachi, you will built in 1590 was donated by the find a pass, and then, Azemachi in A-(2) Black-&White Two-tone Building feudal lord of Chikuzen, Takakage Fukutsu City. In the middle of the 17th century, like Haru-machi, this was a Kobayakawa. Both are politely suburban created by moving homes from constructed with roofs which thin neighboring villages for lunch and breaks. wooden strips are stacked in The town was small and about 500m long, multiple layers. There is also a place but it had buildings of Bansho, county for outdoor rituals in the precincts, house, warehouses for rice, and merchant as in the photo (3). houses. Recently, however, it has become If you take a boat from decrepit and has been rebuilt with newer Konominato Port to Oshima Island, rural houses, xchangeing the landscape of you will find Nakatsu-Gu Shrine, the historic old town. the world cultural heritage site. Also, there is an open-air ritual site on the A-(2) Remodeled Street to Nostalgic Harumachi Town You can observe three types of town top of the mountain behind. development in the old town: development Okinoshima is an uninhabited with new functions added to the old town, island off the coast, 49 km from active environmental improvement, and Oshima. Three rock reefs in front of the formation of modern village that is let the island are Torii gates, and the nature take its course. entire island is a sacred place. In the B. Sacred Island of Okinoshima and past, landing on the island by Associated Sites in the Munakata Region women is customarily forbidden, (World Cultural Heritage)-. and men are also strictly prohibited unless they have special permission, The faith of Munakata Taisha but now no one can land. Instead, originates from the worship of nature that B Takamiya’s Open-air Ritual Site in Hetsu-gu Oshima has a place of worship began in the 4th century in the hope of a where everyone can pray while safe voyage. According to mythology, the Three Goddesses of Munakata looking out at Okinoshima in the distance. came down from heaven to "help successive emperors" at the behest of Another thing about Okino-shima Island is that it was forbidden to bring out one tree, one grass, or even one stone from the island. As a result,

3 ancient relics dedicated to the deity have been preserved for over a thousand years. 80,000 items carried via the Silk Road have been excavated and contained many national treasures such as gold ring and magatama (comma-shaped beads). Okinoshima is exactly the Shosoin of the sea, and the excabated items are stored and displayed at Shinpoukan Hall in the precincts of Hetsu-Gu. (Note: Shosoin is a warehouse of Todaiji Temple in Nara B Okitsu-Gu Shrine on Okinoshima Island B Place to worship the Okitsu-Miya on Oshima Island and has been storing national treasures for a long time. The Shosoin of the sea means that it is similar to that.) Munakata Taisha is a collective term for the above three shrines, but in a narrow sense it may refer only to Hetsu-Gu Shrine. In addition, the ancient tombs of the Munakata clan, who sailed the Genkai Nada Sea and developed the faith of Munakata Taisha, are B Nakatsu-Gu and Hetsu-GU in Munakata Taisha Shrine also World Heritage site and are located near the coast of Fukutsu City. There are 5 keyhole-shaped tombs, 35 circular tombs, and one rectangular tomb overlooking the Genkai Nada Sea. Regarding the World Heritage of “The Sacred Island of Okino-shima B Tumulus Group in Shinbaru-Nuyama, Fukutsu City and Associated Sites in Munakata Region”, an organization has been established that integrates Munakata Taisha, local governments, and tourism associations, and official guidebooks, leaflets and related maps has been printed and available. For more information, please contact the secretariat for details (tel 092-643-3162, fax 092-643- C House of Indigo Dyeing (Tsuyazaki in Fukutsu City) C Miyajidake Shrine (Tsuyazaki in Fukutsu City) 3163, mail sekaiisan @ pref.fukuoka.lg.jp).

C.Tsuyazaki District and Miyajidake Shrine.

The highlights of the Tsuyazaki area include the Kofungun, the densely populated Tsuyazaki-sengen Area (current district of Tyuyazaki 4-chome), Miyajidake Shrine, and the Fukutsu coast. It is said that there were more than 500 burial mounds throughout Fukutsu City, and the above-mentioned Shinbaru-Nuyama burial mound, a World Heritage Site, is a part of this. Most of the others are presumed to be the tombs of local tribes. Also, what seems to be related to these tombs is Miyajidake Shrine, which is said to have been founded 16 million years ago, and is the head office of Miyajidake Shrines nationwide. During from the Edo period to the early Showa period, Tsuyazaki was a very prosperous town as a salt shipping port town and some heritage C Fukutsu Coast of 10km Beach related to salt fields is left nearby. In addition, there is a sandy beach with Publishing and Copy right: Promotion Council of Scenic Byway Kyushu C○ a total length of 10 km or more, and you will be impressed by its (Copyright 2021. All Rights Reserved) magnificent scenery.

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