Loading...
MENU

Tourist Attractions and Experiences

Open-air shrine (Ohatsutenjin)

If you go south of Umeda's Ohatsu Tenjin Dori Shopping Street, you will find an open-air shrine in the valley between the buildings.
If you head south along Ohatsutenjin-dori Shopping Street in Umeda, you'll find Tsuyutenjinja Shrine between the buildings. It is said to have been founded more than 1,300 years ago, and is the main guardian deity of Umeda and Sonezaki (formerly called Soneshima), with Sukunahikona no Mikoto and Sugawara no Michizane enshrined. It is said that in 910, on his way to being exiled to Dazaifu, Sugawara no Michizane stopped by the shrine and composed the following poem: "Dew falls and tears cause my sleeves to decay, as I remember the capital," and so the shrine was named Tsuyutenjinja Shrine. Meanwhile, the common name "Ohatsu Tenjin" comes from the fact that on April 7, 1703 (Genroku 16), Chikamatsu Monzaemon dramatized "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki" based on the love suicide that took place in the shrine's "Tenjin no Mori" between Ohatsu, a prostitute from Dojima Shinchi Tenmaya, and Tokubei, a clerk at Hommachi Hiranoya, which became a huge hit and attracted many worshippers. Even today, many people visit the shrine hoping for the fulfillment of their love. On the first Friday of every month, the "Ohatsu Tenjin Flea Market" is held, with about 30 to 40 unique antique shops lining the streets.
Back
Back