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Tenjin Shrines are consecrated to kami of Sugawara Michizane, who was a prominent scholar and an important government official during the Heian Period. The story of Sugawara Michizane's ascent to divinity involves a sad tale of his tragic death in an exile in 903 CE. Sugawara's intelligence and charisma evoked jealousy in not a few people of his rank. It was this jealousy which goaded his enemies, most of them belonging to the Fujiwara family, to conspire against him. Once the malicious machinations found fulfillment, Sugawara was relegated from his rank and exiled to Kyushu. The days following his death were marked by heavy downpour and lightning, which caused several members of the Fujiwara family to die. The calamity was attributed to the wronged spirit of Sugawara and the emperor himself began to devise ways of assuaging the angry spirit. Before long, a proclamation was passed which said that Sugawara Michizane was now to be worshipped as Tenjin, or 'Sky Deity'. A shrine was built in his name at Kitano under the auspices of the emperor. One of the most important Tenjin Shrines in Japan is Dazaifu Tenman-g?. It is located in Kyushu, which was where Tenjin had been exiled. The shrine was the earliest of the shrines that were built in dedication to Tenjin.Dazaifu Tenman-g? is noted for the thousands of plum trees that grow around the temple. Particularly famous is a plum that is said to have followed Tenjin from Kyoto to his exile here. While in exile in the distant Kyushu Island, Tenjin is said to have written a tanka, which is a 31-syllable verse, where he chiefly laments the fact that he cannot taste plum from his favorite tree. Tenjin's tanka is widely read in Japan even now and it has succeeded in making plum the symbol of Tenjin shrines. The three most important Tenjin Shrines are located in:
- Egara, which is the largest of the three shrines.
- Dazaifu, where Tenjin was exiled and
- Kitano, where Tenjin was born. Tenjin Shrines in Japan are flocked by students standing on the threshold of examinations. The young devotees, as being the common practice, buy a wooden Shinto tablet- Ema, and on it they pour their wishes in the form of inscribed writings. The tablets are later hung on the walls of the oratory. There are over 11,000 Tenjin Shrines in Japan.
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