Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine Coloring Pages

God of Learning

Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is a shrine in Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture.
The person honored here is Sugawara no Michizane, a scholar from the Heian period. He was super smart and a master of writing and poetry! That's why people honor him as the God of Learning.
When exam season comes near, lots of people visit the grounds to pray to pass their tests.

The Head of All Tenmangu Shrines

In Japan, people say there are about 12,000 Tenmangu and Tenjin shrines honoring Sugawara no Michizane.
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is one of the main shrines of them all.
About 10 million people come to visit every year!

Romon Gate and Honden Main Shrine

The 1st coloring page shows the bright red Romon Gate at the entrance.
It is a two-story gate with lanterns hanging under the eaves, right? The 2nd page shows the Honden Main Shrine where Michizane is honored. Its cool feature is the karahafu roof, a curved roof section right on the front of the thick main roof.
In 2026, the Honden Main Shrine just finished a huge repair project for the first time in 124 years!

A Shrine with Blooming Plum Blossoms

The 3rd page shows the Honden Main Shrine and plum trees full of beautiful flowers.
There are about 6,000 plum trees in Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine! White and red flowers bloom one after another from January to March.
This is because Michizane loved plum blossoms very much.

Differences Between the 3 Coloring Pages

The 1st page shows just the Romon Gate with no background, plus a bit of the roof from the hallways on the left and right.
The 2nd page shows the Honden Main Shrine from the front. You can also see the stone path in front, round trees on both sides, and stone lanterns.
The 3rd page is a detailed picture that includes plum trees in bloom, the Honden Main Shrine, and the big forest behind it.
Each plum flower is drawn one by one, so grown-ups can take their time and enjoy coloring it too.
It is fun to color this page while wishing for a family member to pass their exams!
If you display your finished coloring page in front of your study desk, it will surely cheer you on.
If you are working hard on school homework or lessons, try to remember Michizane's spirit of steady learning.
You will surely feel power bubbling up inside you!

The Tower Gate is Vermilion and White

Color the posts and railings of the tower gate in bright vermilion.
If you leave the white parts of the wall uncolored, the vermilion will pop even more!
If you color the roof dark brown or deep brown, it will look like a real cypress bark roof.

Make the Main Shrine Building Colorful and Fancy

Under the curved roof of the main shrine building, there are many carvings and metal decorations.
If you use a little bit of gold, yellow, and green, your main shrine building will look nice and fancy!
For the thick roof, color it brown first. Then, add dark brown along the lines to show the layers of the roof.

Plum Blossoms are White and Red

On the third page, try leaving some plum blossoms white, and color others pink or red.
If you color the center of the flowers with a little bit of yellow, they will look just like real plum blossoms!
Color the branches deep brown along their wiggly shapes.

Show the Season with the Forest and Sky

For the forest in the back on the third page, color each group of leaves using different shades of dark green and yellow-green.
Plum blossoms bloom at the end of winter. If you color the sky a pale light blue, it will look like a crisp, sunny day!
If you gently color the wide sandy grounds in front with a pale ochre, the grounds will look bright.
It is also a great idea to add shadows of the plum trees on the grounds using a slightly darker color!
If you color the wooden fence around the main shrine building a pale brown, it will match the vermilion posts nicely.
For the small details, sharpen your colored pencils first to make your art look neat and pretty!

The Legend of the Flying Plum Tree

When Michizane moved from Kyoto to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, it is said he wrote a farewell poem to the plum tree in his garden.
The tree loved Michizane so much that it flew all the way to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in just one night!
This flying plum tree still stands in front of the main hall to the right. It is always the very first tree to bloom in the grounds every year.

Pet the Statue of the Cow

There are many cow statues around the grounds. Cows are said to be the helpers of Michizane.
People say if you pet the cow's head, you will get smarter! So many people have petted the statues that their heads are super shiny.

Umegae Mochi

Along the path to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, you will find many shops selling a rice cake called Umegae Mochi.
It is filled with sweet red bean paste and grilled on an iron plate with a plum pattern. It is a famous treat of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine!

Shinji-ike Pond and Taiko-bashi Bridges

In front of the main gate, there is a pond called Shinji-ike Pond, shaped like the character for "heart." Three red arched bridges cross over it.
The three bridges are said to stand for the past, the present, and the future.
People say that just by walking across these bridges, your heart becomes pure!