Enokisha Shrine

Enokisha Shrine in Dazaifu stands on the site where poet and scholar Sugawara Michizane spent his final two years in exile before his death in 903. Each late September, the Jinko Event carries Michizane's spirit in a mikoshi on a three-hour procession from Dazaifu Tenmangū to Enokisha, accompanied by hundreds of participants in Heian-period dress. Part of the ritual involves Michizane visiting the shrine of Jōmyōni, an elderly woman who showed him kindness during his exile by bringing mochi on plum branches. The procession is Dazaifu Tenmangū's most important annual ceremony, and city residents and visitors come to pray during the overnight stay.