ABOUT
About this spot
Shitennoji is the head temple of the Wa school of Buddhism, located in Tennoji Ward, Osaka. According to the Nihon Shoki, construction began in the first year of Empress Suiko (593), making it one of the oldest full-scale Buddhist temples in Japan. Roof tiles excavated on the site confirm that a temple already stood here during the Suiko era. Tradition holds that during the 587 conflict between the Soga and Mononobe clans, Prince Umayado (Shotoku Taishi) vowed to build a temple to the Four Heavenly Kings if he won. The complex was lost to lightning and fire in the Heian period, burned during the Ishiyama War in the Sengoku period, and burned down again in the Winter Siege of Osaka (1614) before being rebuilt with Tokugawa support in the Edo period. It suffered again in the 1934 Muroto Typhoon and the 1945 Osaka air raids, and became independent as the head temple of the Wa school in 1946. The central halls seen today were rebuilt in reinforced concrete after the war and consecrated in 1963. The main highlight is the Shitennoji-style layout, in which the Middle Gate, five-story pagoda, Golden Hall and Lecture Hall stand in a straight line from south to north. The grounds also hold the Rokujido, the stone stage, the Turtle Pond, the Shoryoin and the West Gate (Gokurakumon); the stone stage is an Important Cultural Property and is counted as one of Japan's three great stages. The temple preserves National Treasures such as the Senmen Hokekyo Soshi and the Shichiseiken sword, and the bugaku dances of the Shoryoe ceremony on April 22 are designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. On the 21st (Daishi-e) and 22nd (Taishi-e) of each month the central halls are open free of charge, and stalls line the grounds on the 21st. According to the official site, the halls, central precinct and garden are open 8:30-16:30 from April to September and 8:30-16:00 from October to March (hours differ on the 21st of each month and some other days), and the gates stay open 24 hours for prayer from outside the halls. The nearest station is Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka (Tanimachi Line), about a five-minute walk, and Tennoji Station is about 12 minutes away. Nearby are Tennoji Park, Tennoji Zoo, Keitakuen Garden and the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts.
Last updated October 18, 2026