Sofukuji

Sofukuji's guide starts at its front gate, a heavy timbered Sanmon that turns out to be a repurposed entrance from Fukuoka Castle itself, moved here piece by piece in the 1910s. It follows the Kuroda lords buried behind it, including the strategist known as Kanbei, whose cunning at the battle of Sekigahara won his family an entire province. It also reaches back to the temple's founding in 1240 and the priest who delivered its opening sermon after training for years under Zen masters in Song-dynasty China.