オススメ度
外国語対応
About Akizuki
Akizuki is a historical town located in the center of Fukuoka Prefecture.
Due to the many historical sites—castle ruins, temples, shrines, samurai residences, and old machiya (traditional townhouse) architecture—all of which remind us of the town’s vibrant days as a castle town.
The beautiful townscape is in quiet harmony with nature, including mountains and clear streams, and it is a wonderfully relaxing place to visit.
Brief History
In 1203, early Kamakura period (1185-1333), the Akizuki clan took possession of this area and built Mt. Kosho Castle, the predecessor of Akizuki Castle.
The Akizuki clan ruled this area for 385 years over 16 generations, during which time Akizuki continued to prosper as a castle town.
Then, in 1587 the Akizuki clan was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), the ruler of the Warring States period, and left the area.
Later, in the Edo period (1603-1868), the castle town began to prosper again when Nagaoki Kuroda, a feudal lord who took Akizuki as his domain, renovated the ruined castle into Akizuki Castle in 1624.
From then on, the Kuroda clan ruled the area peacefully as feudal lords for 12 generations until 1871.
After the samurai world ended and the Meiji Era (1868-1912) began, the Akizuki Castle was destroyed in 1873, leaving only a part of the castle, due to the Japanese government’s decree to abolish castles.
However, the rest of the townscape remains to this day.
Akizuki is also very famous for its cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves in fall.
It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Fukuoka to get to Akizuki, which is a bit inconvenient, so if you don’t have time, you don’t have to visit.
Recommendation
Take a leisurely stroll through the ruins of Akizuki Castle and the surrounding castle town.
Surrounded by mountains, clear streams, and rice paddies, the beautiful townscape is relaxing and refreshing.
The beautiful seasonal displays of cherry blossoms in spring, fresh greenery and the view of rice ears in summer, and autumn leaves in fall are wonderful too.
The best place to view cherry blossoms is Sugi-no-Baba and the best place to view autumn leaves is Kuromon.
Access to Akizuki/Data
By Train & Bus(From Hakata)
- From JR Hakata Station, board the JR Kagoshima Main Line, transfer to the Amagi Railway at Kiyama Station, and alight at Amagi Station.
Take the Amagi Kanko Bus (Akizuki Line) and get off at Hakabutsukan-mae bus stop.
Approx. travel time: 1 hr 30 min.
- From Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station, take the Nishitetsu Tenjin-Ōmuta Line, get off at Nishitetsu Ogori Station, walk to Ogori Station, take the Amagi Railway, and get off at Amagi Station.
Take the Amagi Kanko Bus (Akizuki Line) and get off at Hakabutsukan-mae bus stop.
Approx. travel time: 1 hr 30 min.
Sightseeing
Historical sites
Akizuki Castle Ruins
Akizuki Castle dates back to 1203, when the Akizuki clan built Mt. Kosho Castle as their headquarters. The Akizuki clan ruled the area for 385 years over 16 generations, but was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), the supreme ruler of the Warring States period, in 1587 and left the area. At that time, Akizuki Castle […]
[ See details ]
| Address | Akizuki no Tori, Asakura-shi, Fukuoka |
|---|---|
| Access | 10 min. walk from Hakabutsuka[…] |
| Tel | 0946-24-6758 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Kuromon (black gate)
Located on the approach to Suiyu Jinja (shrine), this gate is painted all black and can be called the symbol of Akizuki. It was built in the early Kamakura period (1185-1333) as the back gate of Koshosan Castle, the predecessor of Akizuki Castle, but in 1624, it was moved as the main gate of Akizuki […]
[ See details ]
| Address | Akizuki no Tori, Asakura City, Fukuoka |
|---|---|
| Access | 5 min. walk from Hakabutsukan[…] |
| Tel | 0946-24-6758 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Sugi no Baba
This is a 500-meter walkway leading from the Akizuki Museum to the Akizuki Castle Ruins. It was once lined with cedar trees and used by samurai warriors to practice horsemanship, hence the name “Sugi no Baba.” The cedar trees were replaced by a large number of cherry trees in celebration of Japan’s victory in the […]
[ See details ]
| Address | Akizuki no Tori, Asakura City, Fukuoka |
|---|---|
| Access | A short walk from Hakabutsuka[…] |
| Tel | 0946-24-6758 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Museums
Asakura Akizuki Museum
This is a museum where visitors can learn about the history of this area (Akizuki, Asakura City). The armor, swords, and guns of the Akizuki and Kuroda families are worth seeing. Paintings and ceramics are also on display.
[ See details ]
| Address | 532, Akizuki no Tori, Asakura City, Fukuoka |
|---|---|
| Access | Short walk from Hakabutsukan-[…] |
| Tel | 0946-25-0405 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Food
KUROMON CHAYA
This teahouse is located along Sugi no Baba. At this teahouse, you will want to taste the river mushrooms. Kawatake are natural freshwater laver that can be caught in the rivers of this area, and are very rare. It is also a luxury delicacy that has been handed down in the area for about 300 […]
[ See details ]
| Address | 684-2, Akizuki no Tori, Asakura City, Fukuoka |
|---|---|
| Access | 3 min. walk from Hakabutsukan[…] |
| Tel | 0946-25-0492 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
