Hokoku Shrine (Osaka)

Hokoku Shrine is located in Osaka Castle Park in Chuo-ku, Osaka. It enshrines Toyotomi Hideyoshi, along with his son Toyotomi Hideyori and his younger brother Toyotomi Hidenaga. Enshrining his son and younger brother alongside him is a distinctive feature of this shrine.

The shrine's history goes back to the early Meiji era, when a branch of the Kyoto shrine was built at Nakanoshima, and the shrine was established in 1879-80. It became independent in 1921 and moved to its present site inside Osaka Castle in 1961.

Just past the torii stands a statue of Hideyoshi, restored in 2007 by the sculptor Nakamura Shinya. The Shusekitei garden, created in 1972 by the landscape designer Shigemori Mirei, is known as the 753 garden for its groups of three, five and seven rocks.

The shrine is associated with success in life and business, inspired by Hideyoshi's rise from a foot soldier to ruler of Japan. The annual Taiko Festival is held on August 18. Allow about 30 minutes to an hour. Osaka Castle is only about 360 m away, and cars cannot enter the grounds.