A beautiful townscape that has been called the Little Kyoto of Chikuzen
Keeping the scenery and atmosphere of an old castle town that flourished from its beginnings in the Kamakura Era about 800 years ago to the Edo Era, Akizuki Old Town with its samurai residences, earthen walls, stone walls and latticework has also been dubbed the Little Kyoto of Chikuzen. Famously known as a site for cherry blossoms in the spring and the colorful leaves in the fall, you can enjoy the lovely nature and historic sites here. Nationally designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings, it’s of a size that you can sightsee through the town within half a day. The area can be reached by car from downtown Fukuoka in 70 minutes or you can make the recommended tour by a rental bicycle at the tourist office at the front of Amagi Station on the Amagi Railway Line.
A town with plenty of sightseeing spots including the ruins of Akizuki Castle and a local hall displaying armor and swords
Megane Bridge by the entrance to Akizuki Old Town is a Dutch-style bridge which was built in 1810 by engineers invited in from Nagasaki. Even now, there are traces of the old wagons so that you can get a sense of history. The symbolically historic site of Akizuki Castle Ruins was originally constructed by Tanekatsu Akizuki in 1203 with the castle town built afterwards, thanks to the efforts of Nagaoki Kuroda. The oldest structure of the ruins, Kuromon (Blackgate) is 700 years old and was used as the main gate for the castle. Nagayamon Gate, which is located at the entrance to Akizuki Castle Ruin’s plum grove, is notable for the longhouses on either side of the gate where people like the gatekeepers lived. The straight road that extends in front of the castle, Sugi-no-Baba (Cedar Racetrack) has cherry trees which go for about 500m, and in the spring, it becomes one of the most famous sites for the sakura in Fukuoka Prefecture with its formation of a cherry blossom-pink tunnel. The Akizuki Town Hall Museum is a local museum featuring Akizuki’s historical documents and art exhibits which was built on the site of an old samurai residence belonging to the Tonami clan in 1965. There is a folk art museum and the old Tonami manor in which you can get a glimpse of the lifestyle of a senior vassal. In the museum, there are swords and armor belonging to the feudal lord among other artifacts, and including famous works by Taikan Yokoyama and Renoir which were donated by people who were born in Akizuki, a collection of 250 Japanese and Western art works are on display.