Shitennoji is the oldest state-sponsored Buddhist temple in Japan, having been founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku, the revered early champion of Buddhism. The temple complex has been rebuilt several times over the centuries, enduring as a spiritual refuge for the people of Osaka.
Most of the current structures date from after World War II, recreating the original designs as closely as possible based on archaeological research. The complex also includes several buildings that have stood for centuries and are now Important Cultural Properties.

The Central Precinct

The heart of the temple is the cloistered Central Precinct, in which the buildings are arranged symmetrically on a south-north axis. This arrangement makes for maximum impact when viewed from the Southern Gate, the main entrance to the complex. From south to north, the Central Precinct opens via the Inner Gate, also known as the Gate of the Guardian Kings for the enormous statues on either side of the entrance. Inside is the five-storied pagoda, which stands 39 meters tall, topped by a 12-meter finial called a sorin. Behind that is the Kondo (main hall), and at the far end of the precinct is the Kodo (lecture hall).
The Kondo contains the temple's principal object of devotion: a statue of Prince Shotoku as Kannon (Avalokiteshvara, bodhisattva of compassion). It is accompanied by statues of the Four Celestial Kings (Shitenno) to whom the temple is dedicated. A mural along the walls illustrates the life of the historical Buddha, from his auspicious birth through enlightenment and final entry into Nirvana.
The Kodo, where Prince Shotoku himself is said to have lectured on the Lotus Sutra, contains a statue of the Eleven-Headed Kannon and a seated Amida Buddha six meters high. The Kodo's walls are adorned with a mural depicting the journey of the monk Xuanzang (Genjo), who traveled to India to bring the Buddhist canon to China. The art and statuary of both the Kondo and the Kodo were created in the twentieth century by leading practitioners of traditional styles.

A History Preserved in Structures

In addition to the imposing Central Precinct, dozens of smaller structures in the temple complex illuminate its long history. The oldest is the stone torii outside the West Gate, an Important Cultural Property erected by order of the emperor in 1294. In the thirteenth century, it was possible to stand at the West Gate and watch the sun set over Osaka Bay, a sight that evidently evoked thoughts of Amida Buddha's paradise far to the west among the growing ranks of believers in Pure Land Buddhism at the time. The bronze plaque on the crossbar calls this torii "the eastern gate of paradise."
Just north of the Central Precinct is the Rokujido, another Important Cultural Property, built in 1623. It overlooks a stone stage built in the early seventeenth century and still used every April 22 for performances of gagaku, an ancient tradition of orchestral music and dance.
To the east of the Central Precinct is the Shoryoin (also called the Taishiden, or "Prince's Hall"), where worshipers pray to Prince Shotoku for success in academic and other endeavors, and the Treasure Hall, which contains works of art connected to Prince Shotoku and his sponsorship of Buddhism. Between these two structures is the "Cat Gate," where a carved cat keeps watch for mice who might gnaw at scriptures, and not far away is the Banshodo, originally built for the carpenters (bansho) who constructed the temple. On its distinctive banners are the characters of the traditional prayer "Namu Amida Butsu" ("I take refuge in Amida Buddha"), written with the outlines of carpenters' tools.

Garden of the Pure Land Paradise

Northeast of the Central Precinct stands the Gochikoin ("Temple to the Light of the Five Wisdom Tathagatas"), another Important Cultural Property. The current Gochikoin was built in 1623, replacing an earlier structure built in 1187 for retired emperor Go-Shirakawa, as recorded in the Tale of the Heike.
Next to the Gochikoin is the entrance to the Gokuraku Jodo no Niwa, or "Garden of the Pure Land Paradise." This garden was created in 1933 according to a plan designed by tea master Kizu Sosen III (1862-1939) based on the parable of a narrow path to salvation between the "two rivers" of anger and greed. It was opened to the public following a renovation in 2003. The garden is indeed a refreshing green oasis, with lotus-filled ponds and tea pavilions offering refreshments. At the southwest corner is the Yuya Hojo, another Important Cultural Property that originally served as living and bathing quarters for monks and was most recently rebuilt in 1623.

Information

• Name

  Shitennoji Temple

• Address

  1-11-18 Shitennoji, Tennoji-ku, Osaka, 543-0051

• Business Hours

  April to September 8:30 - 16:30 *21st
  of each month 8:00 - 17:00 October to March
  8:30 - 16:00 *21st of each month 8:00 - 16:30 Rokujido
  8:30 - 18:00 *21st of each month from 8:00

• Holiday

  No designated days closed (some temporary closures of gardens)

• Telephone

  06-6771-0066

The Tsutenkaku tower is one of Osaka's best-known landmarks, standing 103 meters high at the center of what is popularly called the city's "Deep South" district. Its story reflects the city's own struggles and triumphant rebirth during the twentieth century.
The original Tsutenkaku was the 64-meter-high centerpiece of Shinsekai ("New World"), a neighborhood developed in 1912 on a former exposition site. The north half of Shinsekai was modeled after Paris and the south half after New York's Coney Island. Tsutenkaku embodied this fusion: its design combined elements from the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, and it was connected via aerial cable car to Luna Park, an amusement park to the south. At night, Tsutenkaku glowed with cutting-edge electric lighting, proudly advertising the city's prosperity and modernity.
But Luna Park closed in 1923, and when Tsutenkaku was damaged by fire in 1943, it was dismantled for its steel rather than repaired. The tower was absent from the skyline for more than a decade, but following a grassroots campaign to build a new Tsutenkaku as a symbol of hope and recovery after World War II ended, the current tower was completed in 1956. Its architect was Naito Tachu, who would go on to build Tokyo Tower two years later.

Fun for All Inside

A visit to Tsutenkaku starts at street level, in the space under the tower. The frescoes overhead are restored versions of the originals from the 1912 tower. Visitors enter the cheerfully diverse interior of the tower via the basement, which is mostly occupied by Waku Waku Land, a selection of themed stores run by well-known snack brands. The basement also contains the ticket window for the Tower Slider, a 60-meter-long luge-like ride that spirals downward around the elevator from three stories above to come back out in the basement in just 10 seconds. The Tower Slider, which opened in 2022, is the latest example of how Tsutenkaku continues to entertain visitors in new and unexpected ways.
The level above Waku Waku Land is the Underfloor, which contains an area devoted to Kinniku-man ("Muscle Man"), a superhero created by two Osaka-born manga artists; the official Tsutenkaku souvenir store; and a child-friendly parody of the nearby entertainment area Janjan Yokocho, complete with witty signage.
From the Underfloor, the Observation Elevator takes visitors up to the viewing decks. The highest, at 94.5 meters, is an open-air platform called Tenbo Paradise. Below that is the Golden Observation Platform (87.5 meters), with a shrine to tower mascot Billiken, and below that is the Light Observation Platform (84 meters), which is equipped with telescopes. All the viewing decks offer a fine view of the Shinsekai area and its surroundings, including sights like Osaka Castle to the north and Minato-ohashi Bridge across Osaka Bay to the west.
The elevator back down from the viewing decks stops at a "Landing" floor dedicated to the history of Tsutenkaku and Shinsekai. It includes a diorama of the area in its early heyday and a short video presentation of period photography and footage tracing the history of Tsutenkaku from its first incarnation to its current form.

Billiken and the Spirit of Shinsekai

Tsutenkaku is full of quirky and surprising details, but one particularly notable element is the ubiquitous presence of Billiken, "God of Things as They Ought to Be." This mischievous-looking imp has become the unofficial mascot of the tower and even Osaka more generally, but many visitors are surprised to learn that he is not Japanese in origin.
Billiken was invented in the early twentieth century by the American artist Florence Pretz, who said that he came to her in a dream. The strange creature soon grew so popular that he became known even in Japan, and found his way to enshrinement in Shinsekai as a piece of fashionable American kitsch. Billiken personifies the true spirit of Shinsekai: a place that embraces fads and fashions from everywhere, but gives them a unique Osaka twist.

Information

• Name

  Tsutenkaku

• Address

  1-18-6 Ebisuhigashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka-shi

• Business Hours

  10:00 AM - 8:00 PM(admissions until 7:30 PM)

• Holiday

  Open year-round

Janjan Yokocho ("Janjan Alley") is a long, narrow arcade in the southeast of the Shinsekai ("New World") district lined with restaurants, cafes, shogi clubs, and other entertainment venues.
The alley's fortunes have risen and fallen over the years, but it is now celebrated for its retro charm, affordable dining and entertainment options, and classic South Osaka vibe. Janjan Yokocho opened in 1921, when Shinsekai was a bustling entertainment district at the heart of "Great Osaka," as the metropolis was then commonly called. Osaka's economy was booming, the city was on track to becoming the largest and most prosperous in Japan, and its citizens were optimistic, open-minded, and eager to have fun. Even the word janjan reflects this atmosphere: it is onomatopoeia for the shamisen music played to attract patrons. The alley's official name remains Nan'yo-dori Shotengai ("Southern Sun Commercial Arcade"), but it is virtually never used.
Janjan Yokocho, like the rest of Shinsekai, was all but destroyed by bombing during World War II. It continued to struggle into the 1950s, as depicted in Hayashi Fumiko's unfinished novel Meshi (Food). During the 1960s, however, it gained a new lease on life as a popular dining destination for laborers working on the facilities for Osaka's Expo '70. The area was redeveloped in 1997, but care was taken to preserve the alley's unique atmosphere, which had by then attracted attention from a new generation who appreciated its nostalgic charms.
Today, Janjan Yokocho is a time capsule of colorful signage, architecture, and design from decades past. Laborers and other local workers remain its core clientele, and many dining establishments offer "morning sets" that include a beer for patrons just coming off a night shift.

Kushikatsu, Mixed Juice, and Shogi

The iconic Janjan Yokocho food is surely kushikatsu, breaded and deep-fried meat and vegetable skewers, eaten with a dipping sauce. Yet all the classic Osaka delicacies can be found there, from okonomiyaki to local-style udon noodles that are softer and have a milder broth than the Tokyo version. The cafes also preserve their period charms, including one that invented the beloved Osaka beverage "mixed juice."
For those seeking entertainment, Janjan Yokocho is home to what claims to be "Japan's narrowest video arcade" as well as nostalgic pleasures like shooting alleys. However, it is most famous for its game parlors specializing in go, mah-jongg, or shogi, the Japanese cousin of chess. More than a few professional shogi players got their start in the shogi parlors of Janjan Yokocho, and even today crowds gather outside the parlors to peer in through the windows at games in progress.

Information

• Name

  Janjan Yokocho

• Address

  1-18-6 Ebisuhigashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka-shi

• Business Hours

  10:00 AM - 8:00 PM(admissions until 7:30 PM)

• Holiday

  Open year-round

The Osaka City Central Public Hall is an enduring reminder of Osaka's pre-World War II heyday, known as the "Great Osaka" period. The hall is one of the city's best-known landmarks, with a red-and-white "neo-Renaissance" facade amid the verdant trees and sparkling waters of Nakanoshima, an island between the Dojima and Tosabori rivers. The building's original construction was funded by a private citizen, and it has played a prominent role in civic life for more than a century, even earning recognition as an Important Cultural Property after a turn-of-the-century restoration undertaken by popular demand.

A People's History

The story of the Public Hall begins in 1911 when local trader Iwamoto Einosuke donated one million yen to fund its construction. The amount was equivalent to billions of yen today. By his own account, Iwamoto was inspired by the corporate philanthropy he had seen when he accompanied a trade mission touring the United States.
The city held a design competition that was won by Okada Shin'ichiro, a professor at Waseda University. Architects Tatsuno Kingo and Kataoka Yasushi were chosen to execute Okada's design. Tatsuno was one of the most celebrated Japanese architects of the day, and his Tokyo Station building is known for its similar red-and-white palette and "neo-Renaissance" style.
The Public Hall opened its doors in 1918. Through its first decades, it hosted lectures and performances that brought new ideas and artistic movements to the people of "Great Osaka." During World War II, the building sheltered air-raid evacuees; after the war, it became a venue for political debate and performances of previously suppressed music like jazz.
By the 1970s, however, the Public Hall was in need of repair. Demolition was suggested as one option, but Osaka's architects and citizens were united in their opposition. Finally, from 1999 to 2002, a painstaking restoration was carried out to return the hall to its previous grandeur, complete with a seismic retrofit. Original components were restored and reused where possible, and metal fittings that had been removed during the war were recreated. For the first time in decades, the statues of Minerva and Mercury took their places above the main arch once more, representing art and commerce respectively.
Today, the Public Hall has become the centerpiece of the city's redevelopment of Nakanoshima as a walkable riverside district reflecting Osaka's history as Japan's suito, or "water capital." It remains in regular use by citizens for everything from ceremonies to concerts.

Touring the Public Hall

Entry to the Public Hall is free, and anyone can visit the Exhibition Room in the basement, a museum with displays about Iwamoto's life and early twentieth-century Osaka. However, the individual halls within the Public Hall are only open to those who hire them, except for the Special Room, which can be viewed as part of a guided tour.
The Main Hall is a two-story auditorium that takes up most of the first and second floors and seats a thousand people. Its stage, which has hosted luminaries ranging from Helen Keller to Albert Einstein, is adorned with a dramatic mask related to the ancient Japanese bugaku dance "Prince of Langling."
Above the Main Hall on the third floor are the Medium Hall and Small Hall. Both are former banquet rooms furnished in wood and accented with individual details that include paintings of the birds of Japan and chandeliers surviving from the Public Hall's earliest days.
Also on the third floor is the Special Room. This was originally rented along with the Medium or Small Hall as a special suite for distinguished guests. Its design is the most elaborate of all, boldly incorporating Japanese themes and artistry into a European-style interior. Perhaps the most striking examples of this are the fresco-style paintings by Italy-trained artist Matsuoka Hisashi depicting scenes from Japanese myth and legend. The ceiling is a painted cloudscape in which the deities Izanagi and Izanami receive the spear they will use to create the world. Above the western arch, a famous tale is illustrated in which Emperor Nintoku, said to have built his capital in Osaka in the early fifth century, surveys his domain from a hill, realizes the poverty implied by the lack of smoke rising from peoples' hearths, and resolves to suspend taxes as a result.
Taking up most of the opposite wall of the Special Room is the stained-glass window that dominates the Public Hall's main facade. The window is made of 200 pieces of lensed glass, and combines a traditional phoenix motif with a quartet of the miotsukushi channel markers that the city has adopted as its official seal. The window provides a panorama of the newly developed Nakanoshima Park area.

Information

• Name

  Osaka City Central Public Hall

• Address

  Roughly a 5-minute walk from exit 1 of Yodoyabashi Station on the Keihan Railway and Osaka Metro Midosuji Line
  Roughly a 6-minute walk from exit 22 of Kitahama Station on the Keihan Railway and Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line
  1-minute walk from exit 1 of Naniwabashi Station on the Keihan Railway Nakanoshima Line

• Business Hours

  9:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. (telephone reception until 8:00 p.m.)

• Holiday

  Fourth Tuesday of each month (the following day when holidays fall on these dates), New Year holidays (12/28 - 1/4), other temporary closures

Nakanoshima Park is an island oasis of green between cool, flowing rivers at the heart of the city. It is the oldest public park in Osaka but continues to evolve along with changing expectations of what public spaces should be.

From Daimyo District to Public Park

The island of Nakanoshima is a natural sandbank, three kilometers long but only a few hundred meters across at its widest. Beginning in the seventeenth century, daimyo lords from all over Japan built warehouses on Nakanoshima to participate in the rice market across the river that also served as the world's first futures exchange.
The Meiji government that replaced the shogunate in 1868 abolished the country's rice-based economy, rendering these warehouses obsolete. In the decades that followed, the Osaka city government set about acquiring the land to create public spaces for the growing metropolis. The eastern tip of Nakanoshima island had been used for recreation and sightseeing since the eighteenth century. The city extended the island half a kilometer to the east, just beyond Tenjin-bashi Bridge, and formally declared the resulting space a public park in 1899. Today, Nakanoshima Park covers over 10 hectares on the eastern half of the island.

The Rose Garden, East of the Lions

Most of Nakanoshima Park's green space lies east of Naniwa-bashi Bridge, which is also known as "Lion Bridge" for the stone lions at its corners. There are around 100 cherry trees in the park, which are illuminated at night when in bloom; however, the main floral attraction is the Rose Garden, which was founded in 1980.
The Rose Garden lies just east of Naniwa-bashi Bridge. It is divided into two sections by a picturesque canal with an arched bridge and contains 3,700 rose bushes of 310 varieties. The roses bloom twice each year: once in mid- to late May and once in October. There is a small cafe/restaurant just north of the garden, and accessible restrooms are nearby.
East of the Rose Garden is a grassy lawn used for morning exercises, family picnics under parasols, sunbathing, and recreation in general. Tour boats and standup paddleboarders regularly ply the sparkling waters on either side. On July 25, the river fills with dozens of craft carrying worshipers, drummers, and other performers as part of the Tenjin Festival, the largest summer festival in Osaka.

West of Naniwa-bashi Bridge

Green spaces are fewer to the west of Naniwa-bashi Bridge, but the area has been redeveloped to create a more pleasant riverside atmosphere. Points of interest include the outdoor theater on the southern shore of Nakanoshima, the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, the Children's Library designed by noted architect Ando Tadao, with its famous green apple sculpture, and the Nakanoshima Ryokudo ("Green Path"), which is lined with camellias, azaleas, and other flowering plants. The west side of the island is also known for its European-style architecture, including the Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library (completed in 1904) and Osaka City Central Public Hall (1918).

Information

• Name

  Nakanoshima Park

• Address

  〒 530-0005 1 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka

• Business Hours

  Always open

• Telephone

  06-6312-8121 (Hokubu Park Office)