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📍Namba Yasaka Shrine

Namba Yasaka Shrine enshrines three deities: Suzan-o-son (Susano), Inada-hime (Ki Inada-hime), and Hachiju-gokojin. The Shishiden (Hall of Lions) in the shrine is not only a symbol of the shrine, but also a cultural heritage of Osaka City. Suzan Omoto attracts many worshippers because of its virtues, which include the expulsion of bad luck, the elimination of pestilence, business prosperity, farming, and fertility, while Inada Himekami's virtues include marital bliss and fertility.

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Birthplace of Namba Negi

When you enter the shrine, a stone monument with the Namba Negi(Spring Onion) on it stands out. The monument commemorates the birthplace of the Namba Negi in 1725, and it is said that this vegetable, which has been certified by the city of Osaka as a "Traditional Vegetable of Osaka", has a rich sweet flavour and aroma. The Osaka Prefectural Government held the Namba Negi Festival in 2018 to promote this speciality!

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History of Namba Yasaka Shrine

Detailed information on the date of foundation of Namba Yasaka Shrine is not available, but according to the legend of the shrine, it has been called "Namba Shimomiya" since ancient times, and is the local deity of the Namba area. According to the Osaka Tourism Bureau, the shrine once flourished as a shrine with the seven halls of Karan Shichido (the seven standard buildings of a Buddhist temple complex), but fell into disrepair after a wartime fire, and was abolished in the 19th century when the government issued a decree separating the gods from the Buddhas, and the shrine building was burned down in an air raid in 1945. The current shrine building was rebuilt after the war.

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Japanese mythology recounts the story of Meagre Omoi (素戔嗚尊), who killed the Yamagi Orochi and freed people from suffering. Therefore, every year on the third Sunday of January, a tug-of-war competition, which is listed as Osaka's first intangible folk cultural heritage, is held here to commemorate Meagre Omoi.

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Shishiden 獅子殿(ししでん)

The Shishiden (or The Lion Hall) of Namba Shrine is a cultural heritage of Osaka City, 12 metres high and 11 metres wide. Its exterior is made of copper powder sprayed with synthetic resin, and the 24 teeth and eyes of the lion are made of brass. The phoenix carvings on the folded ceiling are all hand-carved with different patterns. It is said that the large mouth of the Shinto shrine can call for victory, drink away evil spirits, and bring good luck. For this reason, Namba Shrine holds a "Lion Dance" every year to pray for good weather conditions and peace in the country.

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Namba Shrine has a variety of mikoshi and eimas, which are used by worshippers from all over the world for prayers and expressions of gratitude. In Japanese Shinto beliefs, lions are regarded as a symbol of good luck and a divine animal that wards off evil spirits. The horses here have been carefully designed with two lion heads, echoing the symbols of the shrine.

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The Main Gun Tampion of Battleship Mutsu Monument

In addition to the shrine, the "Main Gun Tampion of Battleship Mutsu Monument", which was erected in 1999, can be seen next to the shrine. The parts of the main gun turret on the monument are from the Japanese Navy's battleship Rikyu, which was salvaged from the seabed after it sank. The monument prays for eternal peace for the 1,021 officers and men of the battleship, including Captain Teruhisa Miyoshi.