Kami (Shinto deity)

Sugawara no Michizane (Tenjin-sama)

菅原道真公（天神さま）すがわらのみちざねこう

This is the faith that enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, a scholar and statesman of the Heian period who also excelled at waka and Chinese poetry. Dazaifu Tenmangū introduces his work for learning and education and the path by which he came to be revered as Tenjin-sama.

This page introduces myths and the faith handed down at individual shrines, with their sources. Descriptions of divine virtues are explanations within religious faith and do not guarantee the outcome of any prayer. We do not set uniform rules for the traditions or customs of individual shrines and temples.

English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む

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From scholar and poet to an object of faith

Source: 太宰府天満宮

Prayers of those who learn and those who create

At Dazaifu Tenmangū he is revered as a kami of learning, of culture and the arts, and of warding off misfortune. This faith is not limited to passing examinations; it also connects with the prayers of people who study day by day and who devote themselves to culture and expression.

Source: 太宰府天満宮

The Tobiume, the plum tree that longed for Michizane

There is the legend of the Tobiume ("flying plum"): when Michizane left Kyoto and entrusted his feelings to a plum tree, the tree flew all the way to Dazaifu in a single night. We introduce explanations of his life separately from legends handed down in this way.

Source: 太宰府天満宮

An example of a chant (in Japanese)

祓え給い、清め給え、神（かむ）ながら守り給い、幸（さきわ）え給え

Related shrines and temples

Sources (in Japanese)

太宰府天満宮「菅原道真公の生涯」（2026-10-15 確認）
太宰府天満宮「天神さまと梅」（2026-10-15 確認）