Osu Kannon

Osu Kannon, formally Hokuzan Shinpuku-ji Hojo-in, is a Shingon Chizan-school temple in Osu, Naka-ku, Nagoya. Its principal image is Sho Kannon, and it is counted among the three great Kannon temples of Japan. It stands right beside Osu Kannon Station, surrounded by shopping streets.

The temple traces its origins to the Nakajima Kannon of the Kenkyu era. In 1333 the monk Noshin founded Shinpuku-ji as the temple administering Kitano Tenmangu, and in 1612 Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered it moved to its present site. The main hall burned in the 1892 Osu fire and again in the 1945 air raids, and the present concrete hall dates from 1970.

The temple library, Osu Bunko, holds about 15,000 classical books, including the oldest surviving manuscript of the Kojiki, a National Treasure. The grounds include the Nio gate and a bell recast with donations from women only.

An antique market is held on the 18th and 28th of every month, and the Setsubun festival features a procession of a treasure ship. Allow about 30 minutes for the temple and half a day with the surrounding shopping streets.