Leaving the hotel in Unzen Spa at 8:00, we got to Dazaifu-Tenmangu at 11:30, after shopping at 2 souvenir shops on the way.

The lady guide F led us from the parking area to the "Chusei no Torii" (Torii of Medieval Period), overlooking Dazaifu Station of Nishitetsu Railway.
From now we have a free sightseeing time of 1 hour and a half including lunch time.

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I would like to get help from Wikipedia on the explanation of Dazaifu Tenmangu as follows, though a little bit long.

Wikipedia also explains about the shrine like this.

The shrine's precinct spans over 3,000 acres (12 km2) and includes several structures. Its honden (main shrine) was first built by Umasake no Yasuyuki in 905, two years after the death of Michizane. A larger structure was constructed by the Fujiwara clan in 919 but was destroyed in a fire during a civil war. The Momoyama-style shrine visitors see today dates from 1591 and is an Important Cultural Property.

The grounds also contain two ponds, a bridge and a treasure house. One pond is a traditional garden style, shinji ike, named for being shaped to resemble the kanji character for "heart."

As well as the main shrine dedicated to Tenjin there are auxiliary and branch shrines of many other kami (gods). The auxiliary shrine honden (main hall) is an Important Cultural Property.

The shrine is also known for its 6,000 ume (Japanese apricot) trees belonging to 167 varieties. One tree, known as Tobiume, stands directly to the right of the honden.

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Just after the entrance gate "Chusei no Torii", there was the monument of Michizane's waka poem.

When the east wind blows let it send your fragrance, oh plum blossoms; although your master is gone, do not forget the spring,
(東風ふかば におひおこせよ 梅の花
あるじなしとて 春なわすれそ)

We walked across Taiko-bashi (Drum Bridge) on the pond of Shinji-ike, purified our hands at Chozu-ya, went under Ro-mon Gate seeing Shin-gyu (ox of god) on the right side, and Main Shrine appeared just before our eyes.

Taiko-bashi

Ro-mon

Main Shrine

Celebration Photo near Tobi-ume

Our couple strolled around Main Shrine under a beautiful sky.
We ate a grilled yuzu bean cake stamped with the pattern of a plum tree flower called "umegae-mochi" (120 yen).
Surely I bought a talisman for the safety of my family and relatives and against evil.
Would you see the attached following pictures, since I cannot explain further?

It is the Zen temple of Rinzai sect, founded by Tetsugyu Enshin in 1273 (Kamakura Period).
It is also said popular as "Kokedera" (Moss Temple).
We felt at home, viewing a comfortable Japanese garden.

In the flight back

Our couple had a strange and precious experience in the plane JAL 318. It took off at 15:00 from Fukuoka Airport back to Tokyo.
Our seat was for three people at the front row and like of the first class. Lucky! But why?
The tour attendant never had thoughtfully arranged this seat for us. He couldn't have favored us, and I did not remember any benefit I had done.

A flight attendant, finding we looked puzzled, spoke to us.
She said, "Could you read this paper ? If you accept its request, we will be happy to keep this seat for you."

Actually, this seat was for the passengers who, in case of the plane's emergency, had to be the last to escape and would help other passengers be led safely under the crew's advice.
We read the paper through carefully and accepted its gist willingly.
Thanks to it, we not only enjoyed the most wonderful flight, but also no trouble happened at all. Thanks a lot, the goddess of fortune.

Mr T, Tour Attendant

Attendant T is working for the Kyushu Branch of Hankyu Trapics. He met us at Fukuoka Airport.
He did not make us tour members be tired wholely during the 4-day trip.

He was born and brought up in Kyushu. So, he had good knowledge and informations about each place to visit. Lady guide F seemed to appreciate his cooperation very much, which contributed to our satisfactory understanding.

He looked like Mr. Goromaru, a hero of rugby, to me. When I said so, he nodded, saying, "I feel honored. I heard the same thing from some other members, too".
The photo here (at Takachiho Gorge) is Mr. T, assuming a pose of the famous rugby hero.

One Month behind the Schedule

I had cooperated with a Spanish lady for nearly a month since last year-end. It was because I came to be concerned with the two works she put emphasis on by chance.

One was the article "Camino de Santiago's Success" carried in the English newspaper INDEPENDENT, which is in the Zakki-cho (Notebook) as the 95th story of this homepage.
She has been striving for the friendship between Camino de Santiago in Spain and Kumano-kodo (Kumano Ancient Road) in Japan. Related to this work, she introduced this article on the Facebook. Reading it, I understood it had good relationship with Shikoku Pilgrimage and Kumano-kodo, and translated it into Japanese for the Japanese people and got her appreciation.

Another was her speech in Spanish at the meeting of Japanese gardens held at Santiago de Compostella in autumn last year. After that, she put it into a paper and translated it into English.
I received its English edition attached to her email at the beginning of this year when I finished the translation of the above article. I got interested again in the content and made up my mind to translate it into Japanese not only for her but for myself.
This time, I found it was too much for me to handle. I think I understand the beauty of Japanese gardens, but with no more knowledge nor emotion, this paper was just philosophy that I am weakest in.
Nevertheless, I worked intensely and managed to complete it at last.
I may have the honor of her making use of my Japanese translation for some purpose in the future.
Therefore I should not open it before she and her group accept it.

With this and that, this travelogue has been delayed until now.
Whether I was absorbed in another matter or not, I have to confess that some of my memories are vague and so the workmanship is unsatisfactory.
And yet, since the motivation for this trip was among my intention to let overseas people know the good points of Japan, I should not skip through it.

I finish the Japanese version this much. I am going to translate it into English from tomorrow. (As of February 6, 2016)

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I finally completed the English translation on February 14, just one month later than I promised Mr. T and a couple of the tour members.