Temples & religious sites
Kushida Shrine
Kushida-jinja (櫛田神社) is a Shinto shrine located in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Dedicated to Amaterasu and Susanoo, it is said to have been founded in 757. The Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival is centred on the shrine.
What it is
Kushida Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the Hakata district, dedicated to Amaterasu and Susanoo and said to date from 757. It is the home shrine of the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, and visitors will find decorated festival floats (yamakasa) displayed on the grounds year-round, alongside the main hall and shrine buildings. It's a compact, working neighbourhood shrine rather than a sprawling complex, and worth visiting for a sense of local religious life in central Fukuoka.
Getting there
The shrine sits in the Hakata/Nakasu area of central Fukuoka, an easy walk from downtown. From Hakata Station it's roughly 15-20 minutes on foot, or a few minutes by taxi. From the Tenjin/Nakasu area, it's closer still, around 10 minutes walking. Public transport isn't really necessary given how central it is.
How long to spend
Most visitors can see the grounds, main hall, and yamakasa float displays in 20 to 40 minutes.
When to go
Mornings tend to be quieter. If you're in town during the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival (around early July), the shrine and surrounding streets get considerably more crowded, especially for the final race event — worth experiencing but plan for larger crowds.
Combine it with
The shrine is well placed for a walking loop through central Fukuoka. Nakasu, known for its dining and nightlife, is just 0.4km away, and Tōchō-ji Temple is the same distance. Hakata-za theatre and the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum are both about 0.5km off, making it easy to combine two or three of these stops in a single afternoon.
Sources: open data from Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap · Updated August 5, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors
