“What is essential is invisible to the eye”

Dazaifu is a city located on the west side of Fukuoka Prefecture, part of the greater Fukuoka metropolitan area. It has been a historically important city for more than a thousand years, on the same scale as Nara and Kyoto.

It may not look like much now, but when you arrive at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and reach the site of the Dazaifu Government Office Ruins via Enoki Shrine, the true form of Dazaifu will reveal itself. When we stepped into the Kyushu National Museum, we thought, “Why was Dazaifu chosen as the location for the fourth National Museum, after Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara?” The reason will soon become clear.

“What is essential is invisible to the eye.” Originally taken from The Little Prince, here we will find something “essential” seeped deep within the land of Dazaifu. As you listen to the stories to follow, notice how you are feeling and how it's affecting you. These feelings may very well be connected to the something “essential” we are searching for.