Sasaguri: Features, Popular Tourist Attractions, Gourmet

Sasaguri in Kasuya District, Fukuoka Prefecture, offers easy access just 20 minutes by train from central Fukuoka City, yet is a town where abundant nature and a deep history of faith remain vibrant.

Nanzoin Temple, the town’s iconic landmark, houses one of the world’s largest bronze reclining Buddha statues, measuring 41 meters in length and 11 meters in height. This statue was erected in 1995 to enshrine sacred Buddha relics gifted in appreciation for Nanzoin’s ongoing support activities for children in Myanmar and Nepal.

Sasaguri is also renowned as the site of the Sasaguri Shikoku 88 Temples pilgrimage, with 88 sacred temples scattered across land associated with Kobo Daishi. Founded in 1835 by the nun Jinin, this pilgrimage route spans approximately 50 kilometers and is counted among Japan’s three major Shikoku pilgrimage sites.

The entire town is certified as a forest therapy base, allowing visitors to enjoy forest bathing while making their temple rounds. For those seeking a spiritual journey to heal body and mind while remaining close to an urban center, Sasaguri is an ideal destination.