Shitenno-ji 四天王寺 Impressions

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Gokura-mon, the Great West Gate

If you look for the peaceful tranquility of a holy place in Osaka, Shitennō-ji (四天王寺; also Arahaka-ji, Nanba-ji or Mitsu-ji) is the place to be, one of the first Buddhist temples in Japan, if not the first one. The sound of a gong brings you in a mood of meditation and you forget the buzy town around you. The construction of this temple was finished in 593 after Prince Shōtoku had invited three Korean Baekje carpenters for this work. Prince Shōtoku was known for his Buddhist faith when Buddhism was not widespread in Japan. Afterwards the temple's buildings burned down several times throughout the centuries. therefore most of the present structures are from 1963, when the Shitennoji was completely reconstructed. The temple name points to the four Buddhist gods representing the four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west.

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Gojūnotō, the pagoda

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The complex inside the walls consists of a five-story pagoda (Gojūnotō 五重塔), a main Golden Pavilion (Kondō 金堂) housing an image of the Bodhisattva Kannon, and a Kōdō (Lecture Hall, 四天王寺 講堂). There are a covered corridor and three gates (the Deva Gate, the Western Gate 西重門 and the Eastern Gate). Up to the top of the pagoda you can climb five-storey spiral stairs. Then you walk out onto a balcony-like space, which offers a 360 degree view of the temple and the distant mountains. Surrounding this central complex are the Great South Gate (Nandaimon 南大門), the Great East Gate (Higashi-no-ō'mon) and the Great West Gate (Nishi-no-ō'mon), also known as Gokuraku-mon (極楽門). A short walk to the west you find the Gokuraku-jodo Garden (極楽浄土, Western Paradise), that was designed based on descriptions of the Western Paradise of the Amida Buddha. A stone torii is the Eastern Gate to the gokuraku-jōdo.

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Kondō, the main Golden Pavilion

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Outlook from the covered corridor to Taishi-dono Okudono 聖霊院太子殿奥殿

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Hokushō-dō, the north bell tower

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Rokujido worship hall from Edo era.

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Outside of the main temple complex you find a large man-made pond filled with hundreds of turtles.

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Kameido

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Sculpture of Kukai

On the 21st and 22nd of every month you will find a flea market at Shitennoji with a lot of great bargains. Read more.


Bus stop near Shitennoji temple: 天王寺西門前 Tennōjisaimon-mae Bus Stop, line 62. Northbound to Osaka Station. Southbound to あべの橋［北］Abenobashi North Bus Stop for Tennoji station (Subway Tanimachi Line). See Osaka Municipal Bus - Routes and Timetables.