Dazaifu

Dazaifu is a city in central Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, about sixteen kilometres southeast of Fukuoka City and ringed by Mount Shioji, Mount Homan and Mount Tenbai, with the Mikasa River running through its centre. In ancient times it was the seat of the imperial office governing Kyushu, established in 663 and named in the Nihon Shoki in 671, which also received foreign embassies from Tang China and Korea. It later became a place of exile for high-ranking courtiers, among them Sugawara no Michizane. Many historical sites remain in the old centre, while the western and southern parts now serve as commuter towns for the Fukuoka metropolitan area.