Osaka Tenmangū

photo by shikabane taro · CC BY 3.0

photo by Maechan0360 · CC BY-SA 3.0

On 24 and 25 July the boats of the Tenjin Matsuri set out from here, with fireworks overhead.

On the 24th the halberd that opens the festival is cast into the water and the lions go round the neighbourhood; on the 25th the spirit leaves the shrine, crosses the city on foot and then boards the boats that go up the Ōkawa River while fireworks are set off overhead. On the other three hundred and sixty-three days it is a quiet courtyard three minutes from the arcade.

The shrine was built in 949 by order of Emperor Murakami, half a century after the death of Sugawara no Michizane, who in 901 had stopped here to pray before leaving for exile in Dazaifu. In Osaka it is called Tenma no Tenjin-san. The Tenjin Matsuri is one of the three great festivals of Japan, and its ceremonies stretch from the end of June to 25 July.

ℹ️ Grounds open 9:00–17:00 all year round, free entry. Four minutes on foot from exit 7 of JR Osaka-Temmangū Station, six from Minamimorimachi. It stands in the second block of Tenjinbashisuji, so it pairs with a walk through the arcade. On 24 and 25 July the area is closed to traffic and packed with people.

🚉 Ōsakatemmangū · 2 min walk

Sources: osakatemmangu.or.jp · osakatemmangu.or.jp · 12so-kumanojinja.jp

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