Buddhist temple
Shōfuku-ji (Hakata, Fukuoka)
聖福寺（福岡市博多区）（しょうふくじ）
Hakata, Fukuoka
A temple of the Rinzai Myōshinji-ha in Gokusho-machi, Hakata, with the mountain name Ankokuzan. It is regarded as the first Zen temple in Japan, with Zen master Eisai as its founder, and in its Buddha hall the jōroku-size Buddhas of the Three Ages (Shaka, Miroku and Mida) are enshrined.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Prayers associated with this place
Principal image: the jōroku-size Buddhas of the Three Ages (Shaka, Miroku, Mida)
History and things to know
According to temple tradition, in Kenkyū 6 (1195) this land was given by Minamoto no Yoritomo, and the temple was founded with Zen master Eisai as its founding priest. In Genkyū 1 (1204) it is said to have received from Emperor Go-Toba a plaque inscribed "Fusō Saisho Zenkutsu" (the first Zen temple in Japan). After falling into ruin through war, it was rebuilt in Tenshō 17 by the Zen master 耳峰, and in the Edo period it changed to the Myōshinji-ha by order of Kuroda Nagamasa.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Before you visit
Sub-temples also stand in the grounds. According to the official guide, visitors should enter the grounds through the main outer gate or the side gate.
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 聖福寺（福岡市博多区）「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-22 確認）
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