The person who pays has the turn
While the lights are on, please let the person who inserted the coins take their photos. When it is your turn, keep the path clear and be mindful of other people appearing in your pictures.
CYBER SHRINE Nishi Park, Fukuoka
Fukuoka’sCyber Shrine.
Climb the stone steps in Nishi Park to Nakatsukasa Magotaro Inari Shrine.
Visiting for photos? You are welcome to stop and pray, too.
Latest lighting & shrine office updates
Official shrine Instagram ↗The steps in the photos lead to a shrine.
Cyber Shrine is the nickname of Nakatsukasa Magotaro Inari Shrine. Here, close to the sea, people have prayed for safe journeys, their livelihoods and their families. After enjoying the neon, continue up the steps to the shrine building. The guide below explains what to do, even if this is your first shrine visit.
Why does this shrine have neon lights?01 — LIGHTINGHow to turn on the lights
¥100 for
one minute of light.
Insert more ¥100 coins in succession to extend the lighting without a break. During that time, the person who inserted the coins has the turn to take photos and video.
- 01
Have your ¥100 coins ready
If you want to take photos or video, prepare your camera before inserting a coin.
- 02
Insert your coins
¥100 lights the approach for one minute; ¥200 gives two minutes and ¥300 gives three, continuously.
- 03
Let the next person have a turn
When someone is waiting, the limit is three minutes per person. Please finish your shoot and give the next person a turn.
¥100 → 1 minute¥200 → 2 minutes¥300 → 3 minutes
Insert coins in succession to extend the light without a break.
02 — PHOTOGRAPHYPhotography & sharing the space
Photos and video
are welcome.
Please be considerate of other visitors when taking photos or video. The following rules apply to everyone.
When someone is waiting
Keep your turn to three minutes per person if others are waiting. The same limit applies when you insert multiple coins for continuous lighting.
If you plan a long shoot
You must contact the shrine before any extended photo or video session. Please let us know when you would like to come and what you plan to shoot.
Contact the shrine before an extended shoot
Please tell us the date, group size and nature of your shoot.
Telephone enquiries: weekdays 11:00–16:00 Japan time
We may be away and unable to answer, even during these telephone hours.
Please call only during these telephone hours.
03 — HOW TO PRAYYour first shrine visit
Climb the steps to the shrine building.
The place to pray is in front of the shrine building at the top of the steps, where you can see the neon.
If the purification basin is available, cleanse your hands before praying. Follow any instructions posted at the shrine.
What should I pray for?
You might wish for your family’s health or a safe journey, or simply say thank you. You do not need to memorise a prayer or speak Japanese. Join your hands and express your thoughts quietly, in your own words.
The usual order is two bows, two claps, then one bow.
Make an offering
Gently place a coin in the offering box. There is no set amount. If a bell is available, ring it before bowing.
Bow deeply twice
Face the shrine, stand straight, and bow deeply two times.
Clap twice, then pray
Bring your hands together in front of your chest and clap twice. Join your hands again and quietly offer thanks or a prayer.
Bow once more
Lower your hands and finish with one more deep bow.
Shrines are part of everyday life in Japan.
A shrine is a place of Shinto worship. Many people who do not think much about religion in daily life still visit at New Year or to celebrate a child’s growth. Others come when they face a difficult decision or worry about someone they love. For many Japanese people, a shrine is also a familiar place to find comfort.
Why pray to Inari for success in business?
Inari worship is closely linked to rice, food and good harvests. A harvest meant both food and a livelihood. The faith came to encompass trade, industry and the safety of the home. This shrine’s sign mentions shipping, fishing, farming and commerce: prayers for people’s work and the lives that depend on it.
The neon fox is a messenger of Inari.
Inari is not a fox. Foxes are regarded as the deity’s messengers, which is why they appear in statues and illustrations at Inari shrines. The neon fox above the steps and the fox in Taniguchi’s sign are part of that familiar Inari imagery.
References for shrine customs and Inari worship
04 — ACCESSPlan your visit
In Nishi Park,
near Terumo Shrine.
13-10 Nishikoen, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0061, JapanOn the east side of Nishi Park, near Terumo Shrine.
Get directions on Google Maps ↗Shrine enquiries+81 92-781-7434
Telephone enquiries: weekdays 11:00–16:00 Japan time
We may be away and unable to answer, even during these telephone hours.
Please call only during these telephone hours.
- By bus
- About 10 minutes on foot from the Nishitetsu bus stop Arato 2-chome (荒戸二丁目), or 14 minutes from the Ohori Koen bus stop (大濠公園).Walking times are from Nishitetsu News, August 2025.
- Lighting & office hours
- Before setting out, check the shrine’s official Instagram for the latest lighting and office information.Official shrine Instagram ↗
- Shrine seals & charms
- Ask at the shrine office. Please check staff availability and the current selection in advance.
- Driving & parking
- Check the Nishi Park website for car park opening hours and traffic restrictions within the park.Nishi Park access & parking ↗
Watch your step at night
The approach includes slopes and stone steps. Some areas are dark at night; wear comfortable shoes and bring a light for your footing.
05 — WHY CYBER SHRINE?How it became Cyber Shrine
It started with
an old festival photo.
An old photograph of a festival at this shrine showed a torii gate decorated with lights. According to a Nishitetsu interview, it inspired the shrine’s caretaker at the time to create today’s neon display.
The neon display began in 2022. Glowing lettering on the torii and lanterns along the steps gave the shrine its futuristic nickname, Cyber Shrine. The scene looks new, but its starting point was a festival from the shrine’s past.
Read the story in Nishitetsu News (Japanese) ↗Neon lights up the lettering on the torii and the lanterns lining both sides of the stone steps.
This is the shrine building at the top of the steps, where you pray. The fox represents a messenger of Inari; cherry blossoms are also a familiar sight in Nishi Park.
The temizuya is where you cleanse your hands before praying. Its neon depicts bamboo, cherry blossoms and ripples in water.
Art at the shrine
The fox-and-cherry-blossom sign by Takashi Taniguchi
The large illustrated sign is by animator and illustrator Takashi Taniguchi. It brings together Inari’s fox and Nishi Park’s cherry blossoms. He has also designed amulets and talisman stickers, so look out for his illustrations when you visit the shrine office.
About Takashi Taniguchi ↗06 — HISTORYReading the shrine’s historical sign
A shrine by the sea,
with prayers for everyday life.
The neon is a recent part of the story. The historical sign on the grounds, called the goenki, introduces the older landscape of Aratsuyama and the hopes people brought to this shrine.
Before Nishi Park, there was Aratsuyama
This hill was once called Aratsuyama. The sign describes a place celebrated in the ancient Man’yoshu poetry collection, from which frontier guards set sail. That maritime setting helps explain why shipping and safe voyages feature among the prayers associated with this shrine.
How old is the shrine?
The sign records an oral tradition that traces its beginnings to the Kamakura period, around the late 12th to 14th centuries. Its exact founding year is unknown. The sign also credits the many devotees whose support helped build and maintain the shrine grounds.
Work, family and learning
The sign lists shipping, fishing, farming and trade alongside safe childbirth, family well-being, road safety and learning. These are concerns that remain familiar: earning a living, caring for family and returning home safely.
The wish at the end of the sign
苦を抜いて楽しみとなし
悲しみを転じて楽となすAn excerpt from the shrine’s historical sign
The closing passage expresses a hope that the deity’s blessings will help people live in good health and find relief from hardship and sorrow. You can come with a wish, or simply to give thanks for everyday life.
View the historical sign
Updates from the shrine
Visit the official Instagram ↗Information & references
History is explained from the sign in the grounds, distinguishing oral tradition from established dates. Lighting and photography guidance reflects information supplied for this website on 22 September 2026. Check the latest shrine announcements for lighting and office hours.