Sugawara Shrine, commonly known as Fujikawa Tenjin, is located in Fujikawa, Togo-cho, Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima Prefecture. It was formerly classified as a village shrine under Japan’s modern shrine-ranking system and is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, who is widely revered as the deity of learning.
The shrine is especially famous for its plum trees, known as the Garyubai, or Dragon-Shaped Plum Trees of Fujikawa Tenjin. These trees are designated a National Natural Monument of Japan. The shrine is also associated with a local legend that Sugawara no Michizane, after being exiled to Dazaifu in Kyushu, lived in seclusion and died in this area.
The principal deity of Fujikawa Tenjin is Sugawara no Michizane (845–903), a scholar, poet, and statesman of the Heian period. After his death, he came to be worshipped as Tenjin, the deity of scholarship and learning.
Because of this association, the shrine attracts many worshippers, particularly students and their families during the examination season. Visitors come to pray for academic success, success in entrance examinations, and the development of knowledge and ability.
According to local tradition, Fujikawa Tenjin was established at a place where Sugawara no Michizane is believed to have lived in hiding after being exiled from the imperial court to Dazaifu.
The area of Fujikawa is traditionally said to have belonged to the estate of Dazaifu Tenmangu, formerly known as Anrakuji. The place name Kitano, where Fujikawa Tenjin stands, is also thought to be connected with Kitano Tenmangu in Kyoto, another major shrine dedicated to Michizane.
However, this historical interpretation is not universally accepted. Masamori Hinokuma, a scholar at Kagoshima University, has suggested that Fujikawa may instead have belonged to the estate of Satsuma Kokubunji rather than being directly controlled by Dazaifu Tenmangu.
The story of Michizane’s connection with Fujikawa is therefore best understood as a local tradition whose historical details remain uncertain.
During the Sengoku period, Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched his campaign to bring Kyushu under his control. In the course of the conflict between Hideyoshi’s forces and the Shimazu clan, the buildings of Fujikawa Tenjin, along with its sacred treasures and historical documents, were destroyed by fire.
As a result, many details about the shrine’s original history and establishment were lost.
The shrine was restored in 1647 by order of Shimazu Mitsuhisa, the lord of the Satsuma Domain. This restoration is recorded on a ridge tag preserved at the shrine.
Later, in 1815, Shimazu Shigehide ordered further repairs and renovations.
In 1837, the poet Hatta Tomonori visited Fujikawa Tenjin and composed a poem expressing his deep emotion at the fragrance of the plum blossoms and the sacred atmosphere of the shrine.
His poem is traditionally rendered as follows:
“The fragrance of the plum blossoms, and the reverence I feel, sink deeply into my heart; before I know it, tears fall from my sleeves.”
The shrine was also featured, with an illustration, in Sangoku Meishozue, a geographical and historical guide to the Satsuma Domain. The publication describes the site as a place where Sugawara no Michizane lived in seclusion in Satsuma and records that the shrine grounds were then known as Kitano.
In 1875, a major renovation of the shrine was carried out. In 1910, several local shrines, including Genno Shrine, were merged with Sugawara Shrine and became subordinate shrines within its precincts.
Near the second torii gate stands a mound traditionally believed to be the grave of Sugawara no Michizane. It is located beside the approach on the northern side of the gate and is regarded locally as his burial place.
A large pine tree once stood on the mound, but it was blown down by a typhoon. A small cedar tree has since been planted there.
Although the identification of the mound is based on local tradition, it is one of the places that gives Fujikawa Tenjin its distinctive historical atmosphere.
Genno Shrine stands next to the main sanctuary. It was merged with Sugawara Shrine in 1910 and is now one of the subordinate shrines within the precincts.
It continues to receive the devotion of local residents and forms part of the shrine’s religious and cultural heritage.
Near the entrance to the shrine grounds is a bronze statue of Tsun, the dog famously associated with Saigo Takamori, one of the most important historical figures of the Meiji Restoration.
Tsun was a Satsuma dog originally kept by a farming family in the Hara district of Fujikawa Village, now part of the Fujikawahara area of Togo-cho. According to the story, the dog was given to Saigo Takamori at Fujikawa Tenjin in exchange for a horse.
The bronze statue was created by sculptor Shinya Nakamura and unveiled in 1990. It provides an interesting connection between the shrine, local life, and the history of Saigo Takamori.
The most famous attraction at Fujikawa Tenjin is its group of plum trees known as the Garyubai. These trees grow within the shrine grounds and are designated a National Natural Monument of Japan.
According to tradition, the original plum tree was planted by Sugawara no Michizane himself. It is believed to have spread over time, producing the approximately 150 plum trees that can be seen today.
More than 50 of these trees have trunks and branches that extend close to the ground, creating the appearance of dragons lying down. This unusual shape gave rise to the name Garyubai, meaning “crouching dragon plum trees.”
The designation as a National Natural Monument was made on October 3, 1941, under Japan’s former Law for the Preservation of Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty, and Natural Monuments.
When the plum trees bloom, the shrine grounds are filled with delicate blossoms and their pleasant fragrance. Many visitors come to enjoy the seasonal scenery and admire the unusual shapes of the Garyubai.
The combination of the old shrine buildings, the dragon-like branches, and the flowers makes this one of the most distinctive plum-viewing destinations in Kagoshima Prefecture.
Fujikawa Tenjin offers visitors several different aspects of Kagoshima’s cultural heritage. As a shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, it is a place of prayer for academic achievement and success in examinations. Its connection with the legend of Michizane’s life in Satsuma also gives it a special place in local tradition.
The shrine’s grounds contain several points of interest, including the mound traditionally regarded as Michizane’s grave, Genno Shrine, and the bronze statue of Tsun, Saigo Takamori’s famous dog.
Above all, the Garyubai plum trees are a major attraction. Their unusual dragon-like forms and beautiful blossoms create a memorable landscape, especially during the flowering season. Visitors interested in Japanese history, Shinto traditions, and seasonal flowers will find Fujikawa Tenjin a rewarding destination in Satsumasendai.