Hakozaki Shrine

Hachiman shrineMongol invasionancient forestcamphor treeshistory

Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Hakozaki Shrine, established in 923, is one of Japan's three great Hachiman shrines and holds the unique distinction of being the shrine that enshrined the Mongol invasion anchors — the iron anchors from Kublai Khan's invasion fleets that were preserved as trophies after typhoons destroyed the invasion armadas in 1274 and 1281. The shrine's outer forest, ancient camphor trees creating a canopy 30 meters overhead, is one of the finest sacred grove (chinju no mori) environments in Kyushu.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Closed: Open year-round

Entrance Fee

Grounds: free | Treasure Hall (anchors): ¥300

Best Season

January for oyster festival | Year-round for sacred grove forest

Visit Duration

30–45 minutes

Getting There

Access Information

Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City. Near Hakozaki-miya-mae Station (Fukuoka City Subway Hakozaki Line). Free.

Insider Guide

Premium

**Mongol anchor display:** The preserved anchors are displayed in the treasure hall (¥300) and remain genuinely imposing — each 1.5 meters long, forged in Yuan Dynasty China, corroded over 750 years into organic shapes. The exhibit also contains arrowheads and pottery fragments from the invasion camps. **Oyster festival:** January, the shrine hosts an oyster eating festival using local Itoshima oysters — a largely local event that fills the shrine forecourt with charcoal grills and sake stalls.

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