Kushida Shrine
Kushida Shrine, said to date from 757, is Hakata's chief guardian shrine in Fukuoka.
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Kushida Shrine
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Kushida Shrine, said to date from 757, is Hakata's chief guardian shrine in Fukuoka.
A festival float about 13 m tall stands here all year except June; a new one replaces it each July 1.
MoreWhat kind of place
Said to have been founded in 757 by inviting the deity of the Kushida Shrine in Matsusaka, Ise, it has been Hakata's chief guardian shrine for over 1,260 years, and its present buildings date from 1587, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi directed the rebuilding of Hakata. Today the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival is a dedication by parishioners to the shrine's Gion deity, and it was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2016.
With kidsThe part that matters
The festival float is a decorative kazari-yamakasa tied to Hakata's July 1–15 Yamakasa festival. About 13 m tall, it is replaced by a new one every July 1.
A child in a family with elementary-school kids stared up at it, mouth wide open (spring 2025).
Beyond the float, small finds appeal too: a peeing-boy statue made a 7-year-old girl laugh, and a Spider-Man statue delighted children in April 2023.
But the shrine is compact, with a visit taking 15 to 30 minutes, so it suits a short stop.
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The nursing room has a lock, and a nursing parent in May 2024 said that made it feel safe to nurse.
- Ages 2-3Ages 2–3 are the most common child age in Jalan's review tally (28%), and the grounds have very few stairs; one blogger also found the walk from the station flat and easy on children.
- Ages 4-6At the July 15 dawn race in 2012, two 5-year-olds could not see the first half even when held up, but the second half was fun for the parent and children, who watched near Tochoji temple instead of in front of the shrine.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayGion Station, about a 6- to 10-minute walk from the shrine depending on the listing, has an umbrella-lending machine, and the evening thousand-lamp event (sentomyo) of the Hakata Okunchi festival on October 22 and 23, 2026 goes ahead in light rain.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayThe nursing room in the worshippers' rest house has heating and cooling equipment, and a nursing parent who came in chilled in March 2024 was glad to warm up there.
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：not checked
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：none
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：with conditionsconditions
Tap a mark for details.
Not yet checked: 8
Lost-child support, Indoor / outdoor, Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Official family-friendly certification, High chair, Kids' menu, Best-fit ages (guide)
* Not at this spot — nearest options (1)
- Elevator: not at the spot itself. We read 77 pages and found 5 nearby instead.
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
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Where to go next
With a baby (0–1)
- Fukuoka Zoo & Botanical GardenZoo & botanical gardenStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table3.1 kmA zoo and botanical garden in one, with a Ferris wheel over Fukuoka.
- Fukuoka City Science MuseumScience museumStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table3.5 kmA hands-on science museum built around a 25-meter planetarium dome.
- Marine World UminonakamichiAquariumStroller friendlyNursing spaceFamily restroom8.8 kmAn aquarium of Kyushu's own seas, from the deep to a seven-meter open-ocean tank.
- Ippudo Daimyo Main StoreRamen1.5 kmIppudo's main ramen shop in Fukuoka, with two bowls named after the store itself.
For sights
- Fukuoka Zoo & Botanical GardenZoo & botanical gardenStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table3.1 kmA zoo and botanical garden in one, with a Ferris wheel over Fukuoka.
- Fukuoka City Science MuseumScience museumStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table3.5 kmA hands-on science museum built around a 25-meter planetarium dome.
- Marine World UminonakamichiAquariumStroller friendlyNursing spaceFamily restroom8.8 kmAn aquarium of Kyushu's own seas, from the deep to a seven-meter open-ocean tank.
Where it is
The address is 1-41 Kamikawabata-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka (postal code 812-0026).source
Before you go
- The float is on view all year except June, and a visitor in late June found it empty because it was being refitted for July 1, so skip June if the float is your goal. A new float replaces it every July 1, so the theme can differ from visit to visit, and the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival runs July 1 to 15.
- The shrine's restrooms had no diaper-changing space in an April 2022 post, but a 2024 listing records one changing table at the Kushida Kaikan hall, so confirm on the day. A 2022 post says the first-floor family restroom of the worshippers' parking lot has a changing table, though one answer says it can be hard to find.
- A user post says there is a nursing room in the worshippers' rest house, and Kushida-jinja-mae Station, about a 2-minute walk away, has another beside two barrier-free restrooms.
- The gates are open 4:00 to 22:00, with no closing day, and entering the grounds is free; the shrine office for goshuin stamps and amulets is open 9:00 to 17:00; one listing gives 10:00 to 17:00 without saying whether that means the office or the grounds.
- The Kushida teahouse by the south gate sells yakimochi at 180 yen each, from 12:00 to 17:00 and closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so time the sweet around that; two parents say their children ate it.
- Weekends and holidays are crowded, so a weekday is better. On Setsubun (February 3) the worship queue barely moves and one blogger advises against going that day; if you do, a separate bean-throwing booth for small children stands behind the main booth, but the roaming demons terrified one daughter (age not given) in 2024.
- The final-day Oi-yama race of the Yamakasa festival starts at 4:59 a.m. on July 15 (2026 schedule) and the area around the shrine is crowded, though the city says the wide sidewalks along Daihaku-dori are safe even with children; at New Year's, crowds surge from 22:00 on December 31 to midnight with waits of several hours, while after 16:00 on January 1 is easier with children. The worshippers' parking lot takes cash only, and the exit machine does not accept 10,000-, 5,000- or 2,000-yen notes. It costs 100 yen per 20 minutes from 8:00 to 24:00 and 100 yen per 60 minutes from 24:00 to 8:00, with no maximum charge, and Fukuoka Online says it often fills up at New Year's and festival times.
Sources and evidence (36)
- A user post from March 2024 says there is a nursing room inside the worshippers' rest house (listed address: Kushida Kaikan hall).source
- Kushida-jinja-mae Station has a nursing room beside two barrier-free restrooms (April 2023 post).source
- An April 2022 post says the shrine's restrooms have no diaper-changing space, but a 2024 listing records one changing table at the Kushida Kaikan hall, so the reports disagree.source
- The first-floor family restroom of the worshippers' parking lot has a diaper-changing table (April 2022 post).source
- Fukuoka City's barrier-free map says the shrine has a barrier-free restroom, without saying where on the grounds it is.source
- A 2022 article says omikuji fortunes are available in English, Korean and Chinese; whether this is still true is unknown.source
- Rurubu&more lists the fee as free to enter the grounds.source
- Entering the grounds to worship is free.source
- A yakimochi costs 180 yen at the teahouse, open 12:00 to 17:00 and closed Mondays and Tuesdays (2026 blog).source
- The gates are open 4:00 to 22:00, and the shrine office, which handles amulets, is open 9:00 to 17:00.source
- One listing gives hours of 10:00 to 17:00 without saying whether that means the office or the grounds, which differs from the 4:00 to 22:00 gate hours.source
- There is no closing day.source
- The station is about a 2-minute walk from the shrine.source
- The address is 1-41 Kamikawabata-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka (postal code 812-0026).source
- The decorative float is on view all year except June.source
- A new float replaces the old one every July 1, so the theme can differ from visit to visit.source
- The final-day Oi-yama race starts at 4:59 a.m. on July 15 (2026 schedule).source
- The area around the shrine, the starting point, is crowded on that morning.source
- The Kushida teahouse next to the south gate sells freshly baked yakimochi from one piece.source
- The shrine office for goshuin stamps and amulets is on the right as you face the main hall.source
- The decorative float cannot be seen in June and is on view the rest of the year.source
- The Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival runs July 1 to 15.source
- Fukuoka Online writes that the parking lot is often full at New Year's and festival times.source
- New Year's Eve from 22:00 to midnight sees a surge of visitors, with waits of several hours.source
- From 16:00 on January 1 it is easier to move around with children and luggage.source
- Payment at the worshippers' parking lot is cash only; the exit machine does not accept 10,000-, 5,000- or 2,000-yen notes.source
- The worshippers' parking lot costs 100 yen per 20 minutes from 8:00 to 24:00 and 100 yen per 60 minutes from 24:00 to 8:00, with no maximum charge.source
- One answer says the location of that parking-lot restroom can be hard to find.source
- A visitor in late June found the float empty because it was being refitted for July 1.source
- Weekends and holidays are crowded; a weekday is better.source
- A separate bean-throwing booth for small children, older people and people with disabilities stands behind the main booth.source
- On the Setsubun festival day the worship queue barely moves, so one blogger advises against going that day.source
- On February 3 red and blue demons are let loose on the grounds; being hugged by one is said to ward off bad luck.source
- One parent's daughter (age not given) was terrified by the demons in 2024.source
- One parent says her child ate only the Kushida yakimochi when comparing it with festival-stall mochi on Setsubun in 2024.source
- A mother of two says her child, who usually leaves sweet-bean treats, ate a whole yakimochi alone.source
Basics
- Fee: Rurubu&more lists the fee as free to enter the grounds.source
- Hours: The gates are open 4:00 to 22:00, and the shrine office, which handles amulets, is open 9:00 to 17:00.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (4)
- Public agency: Family restroom
- mamamap.jp: Diaper changing table
- mamamap.jp: Nursing space
- matcha-jp.com: English support
| Nursing space | Yes | A user post from March 2024 says there is a nursing room inside the worshippers' rest house (listed address: Kushida Kaikan hall). | Web-checked | checked Mar ’24 | mamamap.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diaper changing table | No | An April 2022 post says the shrine's restrooms have no diaper-changing space, but a 2024 listing records one changing table at the Kushida Kaikan hall, so the reports disagree. | Web-checked | checked Apr ’22 | mamamap.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes | Fukuoka City's barrier-free map says the shrine has a barrier-free restroom, without saying where on the grounds it is. | Web-checked | checked Oct ’26 | fkmachi.city.fukuoka.lg.jp |
| Stroller friendly | Not checked yet | ||||
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Indoor / outdoor | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | English menu & signs | A 2022 article says omikuji fortunes are available in English, Korean and Chinese; whether this is still true is unknown. | Web-checked | checked Feb ’22 | matcha-jp.com |
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Official family-friendly certificationExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| High chair | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' menu | Not checked yet | ||||
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet |
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