Paid venue
Tochoji
Special nighttime opening of the Fukuoka Daibutsu (Great Buddha)
Temple Explanation
Tochoji, the head temple of the Shingon sect’s Kyushu organization, was founded in the first year of Daido (806) by Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. It is the oldest temple in Japan established by Kobo Daishi. After completing his training in Tang China and returning to Hakata, he is said to have built a temple complex by the seaside, praying for the spread of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism to the east.This illumination event is powered entirely by electricity generated from hydrogen. A hydrogen bus, ‘Moving e,’ will also be at the venue, so please be sure to check it out.
住所
2-4 Gokuso, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Lighting Point
Main Hall, Five-story Pagoda
This year, under the theme of ‘Coexistence of City and Forest,’ we will present a fantastical display of light featuring ‘Hikari,’ a light orb symbolizing life. Having fallen to the ground as a shooting star from a star-filled sky, Hikari travels through the city of Fukuoka, encountering forest animals along the way. The presentation depicts the coexistence of urban life and nature and ultimately expresses the cycle of light as it returns once more to the starry sky.
Sanmon Gate, Rokkakudo Pavilion, Bell Tower
The forest is a place where beautiful nature brings peace to the heart and where one can feel a mysterious energy. This time, starting from a mountain gate connected to the city, the trees and rivers will guide you deeper into the forest. Through structures such as a bell tower that illuminates the forest like the moon and a hexagonal hall representing the energy of nature, we will create the experience of a single forest. As you proceed further, please enjoy the forest’s beauty, which becomes more profoundly felt.
Kuroda Family Tomb, Daishi Hall
Kuroda Family Tomb
The Kuroda Family Gravesite, where successive heads of the Kuroda family, lords of the Fukuoka Domain, are laid to rest, is a special place where prayers for the repose of souls transcend time and where spirits return. The light quietly rising from the ground and the surrounding trees that seem to watch over it create a space filled with tranquility and a sense of reverence. It expresses the forest as the ultimate destination of prayer, in contrast to the Daishido Hall, which marks the beginning of the prayers.
Daishi Hall
“The Light of Prayer, Bound in the Forest” — From the Daishi Hall, which enshrines Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon sect, prayers filled with light overflow outward. The light eventually spreads into the forest, blending with the trees floating in the greenery. This is the ‘Forest of Beginnings,’ where wishes are bound and fulfilled. The deep faith gathered from people across generations still fills this place as light today.
Fukuoka Daibutsu (Great Buddha)
Wishing upon the Dharma Wheel ~The Four Seasons in the Forest with Buddha~ A Dharma wheel is a circular Buddhist ritual object held in the palm of the Great Buddha. It is a symbol of Buddhism and is said to have the power to dispel people’s delusions and worldly desires, guiding them on the right path. The changing background colors represent the passing of the four seasons. While gazing at the golden shining Dharma wheel, experience the cycle of the seasons.
