tourism

A 7-minute walk from Hakata Station, Jotenji is a Zen Buddhist temple opened by Enni Benin in the year 1242. In 1235, together with Yazaemon Mitsuta, a merchant from Hakata, Benen traveled to Song Dynasty China, and after bringing its weaving technology back to Japan, Hakata-ori was born. It is said that the tokko and flower tray patterns (two of Hakata-ori’s signature kenjogara patterns) can also be attributed to Benen. As you take your first step from the busy city onto the temple grounds, a quiet unfolds around you, and you can enjoy its Japanese garden and rock garden.

Hakatamachiya Furusatokan is located next to Kushida Shrine, famous for the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival. The museum introduces life in Hakata from the Meiji to Taisho Eras. The machiya townhouse building is a relocated reconstruction of the residence of a Hakata-ori manufacturer and weaving workshop built in the late 1880s, and it is one of Fukuoka’s Designated Cultural Properties. In the museum, there are exhibitions displaying Hakata-ori designs and tools, the process of creating fabric from threads, as well as Hakata-ori looms of various sizes.

Much like Kyoto and Nara, Hakata Old Town is home to many shrines and temples. The Old Town is an area that includes Jotenji Temple, the birthplace of Hakata-ori; Tochoji Temple, founded by Kobo Daishi; and Shofukuji Temple, Japan’s first Zen temple. Visit Maison Hakoshima, a Hakata-ori workshop in the heart of Gokusho-machi. Hakata-ori craftsmen use the loom inside the workshop daily to weave textiles. The annex shop contains Kyushu handicrafts curated by Mai Hayashi, a designer based in Fukuoka.

Walk around Hakata Old Town with a Hakata-ori craftsperson. Visit Jotenji Temple, the birthplace of Hakata-ori, and the reconstructed Hakatamachiya Furusatokan. At the Maison Hakoshima workshop in the center of Gokusho-machi, watch a demonstration of Hakata-ori and try weaving with a large-scale loom that Hakata-ori craftspeople use regularly, not a small sample loom. You might be surprised by the distinct tapping rhythm of the loom, a noise more forceful than what you would expect from looking at the delicate patterns of Hakata-ori fabrics. *You will not be able to take the fabric you weave back home with you.