Tsuyunoten Jinja (Ohatsu Tenjin) – Famous for matchmaking and love fortunes

This article is the third part of my shrine tour in Osaka.

◆First ◆
[Osaka Temmangu Shrine] For the blessings of the god of learning. We will pass through the difficult path with a visit to the gate of the Dragon Gate!

◆Second ◆
Hokoku Shrine – Visit the shrine honoring Hideyoshi Toyotomi at Osaka Castle

This time, if you have someone you want to make a connection with, someone you’ve always loved, we’ll introduce you to a shrine you should definitely visit, “Ohatsu Tenjin”, officially known as Tsuyunoten Jinja!

1. Izakayas and bars en route to Ohatsu Tenjin

On the way to Ohatsu Tenjin, you will walk along one of the indoor shopping streets called a shotengai in Japanese.To visit Ohatsu Tenjin, we pass by this Ohatsu Tenjin Dori Shopping Street, and, well, all kinds of temptations come to us before we can prepare for love or anything else. There are a tremendous number of temptations, mainly restaurants such as delicious-looking kushikatsu, yakitori, izakaya, and ramen stores, but also karaoke, an arcade, a fitness club, and a beauty salon. If you give in to temptation at every turn, you will never get to the first Tenjin.There are streets along the way that make you want to barge in and drink.

▼Click here for a series of projects in which alcoholic writers will be drinking at the bars
[Osaka Hashigo-zake] How long are you going to drink? Tenma Drinking Alone – Part I
If you would like.

This area is has izakayas everywhere you lok. It must be even more crowded at night. There are likely to be staggered people here and there. Now would be a good time for a welcome party! And it has easy access to the station. It’s also good for a girls’ party where you just want to drink rather than feel fashionable. Come for any kind of party!Seafood restaurant open 24h! Open 24 hours a day! Despite all these temptations, I have not lost my nerve, and now I can see the road ahead! The letters of the first Tenjin!Right as I arrived at Ohatsu Tenjin, I was finally tempted  by this restaurant’s sign. Samgyeopsal… I’m curious about the all-you-can-eat Korean food course. Samgyeopsal is a thick slice of barbecued pork, right? Looks delicious. No, no, no, I must not give in to temptation.The official name of the shrine is Tsuyunoten Shrine, but Ohatsu Tenjin seems more familiar.
It is widely believed that the name of this shrine comes from the poem “Dewdrops and scattered tears, and my sleeves are rotting away, if I remember the capital” that Michizane Sugawara composed when he stopped by Sonezaki on his way to Dazaifu.

2. Ohatsu Tenjin – A place to get married!

After passing through the torii gate, you will see a line of open-air stalls.
Is this a flea market? There is a jar that looks like it might actually be worth a lot of money, but there is also a doll that looks kind of cute. There is an atmosphere of spontaneity and random coincidence. It is like the Don Quixote of a decade ago. Resisting the urge to inadvertently stare, I proceed further inside.A realistic rooster sits in stone. The raccoon dog next door often sits in front of a tavern. The Kaiun Inari Shrine is located on the grounds of Ohatsu Tenjin. The god of Inari Shrine, commonly known as Inari-san, is the god of agriculture. I had somehow thought that sometimes the guardian dogs greeted us and sometimes the foxes did, but I did not realize that this was the case.Oh! Here they come, here they come, they are full of ema (votive picture tablet). We all fall in love and love, don’t we?
As I am in a withered sooty state with nothing to wish for on ema, I am envious of the situation. And what the heck.This ball is said to be called “Nani-taiseki,” which means “stone that turns difficulties around. It is said that this ball is meant to turn around difficulties. It is said to be turned by the power of water.
It says “Tezui” at the bottom, so it must be for purifying your hands before praying, I guess.
It’s a bit of a rare spot.Here is Ohatsu and Tokubei, and this is said to be a matchmaking spot.

3. Now it’s time to get hitched! Let’s pray for a good marriage!

As withHokoku Shrine, it appears that we entered through the back gate.
This feels more like the front entrance, so let’s try again!This is the shrine office. It is magnificent~! We’ll check out the charms in more detail later.This is the main hall. It is said that this place was once a small island in Osaka Bay.
It is said that “Sonezaki,” where the shrine is located, comes from “Sumiyoshisumuji Sone-no-kami,” a deity enshrined at the shrine.Well, let’s pay our respects!
Everyone spent more time in prayer than usual.
I guess it was also because the place was so empty.
I also prayed long and fervently.
I hear that if I talk about the content, it won’t come true, so I will keep it to myself.

4. Kotohiragu Shrine and Suitengu Shrine

There is this lovely shrine on the grounds of Ohatsu Tenjin.Kotohiragu Shrine is for good luck with money and Suitengu Shrine is for giving birth to a healthy baby and child-rearing.A dog paper mache and a beckoning cat. Both of them have cute faces.
Dogs symbolize safe childbirth and child rearing. Hariko (papier-mâché) is also a toy for children and an ornament to celebrate their growth. In the Heian period, childbirth was a matter of life and death. That is why people decorated papier-mâché dogs to pray for easy childbirth. And the beckoning cat. It is inviting money with its right hand. For money, ask the beckoning cat to bring you luck.
By the way, if you are inviting with your left hand, you are inviting people.Cute ema! I wish I could come to pray for you if the time ever comes.
In the meantime, I would like to fulfill the prayer for a good marriage.

5. Omikuji, amulets, and red seals

Speaking of shrines, don’t forget the omikuji, or fortune papers. The omikuji machine is located on the right side of the main hall.Mr. Lion Dance, a New Year’s specialty.
Your fortune is carried by the lion.
This will be a delight for children and international travelers.The lion moves without money.
How the lion carries his fortune is a mystery. ……
We hope you will give it a try.And this is the Koimikuji (love fortune), which is appropriate for Ohatsu Tenjin.
It is said to be the original Ohatsu Tenjin, a sacred place for lovers.
Many omikuji are the same everywhere you go.
But I feel like this is really, really original.
This is because “when dipped in water, the letters come to life.
I’ll let you know what it’s like later.

Now, let’s check out the good luck charms and amulets.Sports amulet.
I’ve never seen this before.
Each sport charm? It comes with a…
One of the most eye-catching items is “street clothes.
No, it’s not a sport, says …….
Are you saying that Judo and Karate are the same?
I’m a figure skating fan, so that’s the one I would choose, but unfortunately, I’m a watcher, so I didn’t buy it.There are many kinds of good luck charms. We have a wide variety of them.As expected, there are so many varieties of enmusubi (entwining fates) alone.
I have a feeling this is going to come true! I guess I should have bought it.There was even a pet good luck charm!
I could have bought this for Tsukiko (my cat) too.The ema looks like this. They are familiar to you.Now, the red seal book!
Pale blue base and pink base, plus a slightly larger deep blue.
It seems unusual to have different sizes.Of course I got a red seal!
With a stamp of Ohatsu Tokubei! We also received the two-shot illustration on the right.Neneko Kitsune-san. I stroked it because it seems to have good things to do if you pet it.
It was a touch as if it had been stroked and mellowed by various people.
My moonchildren often doze off like this. I love her.

6. I got my love fortune told

Don’t forget the love fortune.“Wet the water” reminded me of that thing you just mentioned, Dora0ball!

I don’t know if this is correct, but there is an atmosphere.
The “I’ll tell your fortune” feeling is amazing.
Again, I am not sure if I am right.
And ……

I got this! It’s “Chukichi”!
Keep your cool!” is a very good thing to say.
This is a golden rule for me, as I am easily heated.
And “red food brings good luck.
…… spicy cod roe, perhaps?
It’s good to be in a quiet place and hear the birds sing.”
It must be nice to hear owls deep in the mountains.
whatever the case may be
I should take my time and wait for now,” so I should not think of doing something about it just because there was a good looking guy there. I’ll just stop with my fantasies.Now we are back to where we came from, the Inari-san.

7. By the way, how did it become a marriage spot?

Now, at the very end, let me explain why Ohatsu Tenjin has become a famous place for matchmaking.

*Click on the photo to enlarge.

To briefly explain, the open-air god’s forest where Tokubei, the staff of a soy sauce shop, and Ohatsu, a prostitute, had a heart-to-heart is now the Ohatsu Tenjin. It is a symbolic place for two people who were in love until the end.

I somehow thought it would be a story about two people torn apart by differences in status, and if their love cannot be fulfilled in this life, it will be fulfilled in the next… but that’s not the case. It all started when Tokubei asked a different woman to marry him. From there, it was quite a stomping ground: the tremendous betrayal of a close friend.
Please read the details of Ohatsu Tokubei’s story.

It is said that this work triggered a rise in ritual suicide at the time. Not only were many shinju (suicide) productions staged one after another, but the number of couples who actually committed ritual suicide increased. It was so popular that the shogunate banned the staging and writing of shinju stories and imposed heavy penalties on those who survived the attempted suicide.Since I lost my train of thought by thinking of difficult things, let’s make peace with Shin-san.

8. Hatsu Tenjin has a lot to offer!

Well, let’s go home. We will take a different road from the one we took.Cherry ears are a sign that the cat has been neutered. We may feel sorry for them, but eventually the world will be a happier place for cats.There it was!There it is, there it is.

What a lot of excitement at the shrine!
I’m sure there were still places on the grounds that we missed.The road to Ohatsu Tenjin is full of temptations.
Ohatsu Tenjin was definitely a marriage spot.
If I ever visit the temple again, I hope to escape the dead soot then.

9. Summary

The area around Ohatsu Tenjin is full of restaurants, including Chinese, Okinawan, and gyoza (Chinese dumplings) restaurants!
A nabe course with all-you-can-drink is perfect for a welcome and send-off party. We are sure you will be able to find a restaurant that meets your request for a private room or a private party.
There is also a side street called Ohatsu Tenjin Urasando along Sonezaki Ohatsu Tenjin Dori, which is lined with nice drinking spots…. Oh, I wish I could have had a drink at every one of them.
There are also many hotels in the Hatsu Tenjin and Osaka Umeda area, so if you are traveling, staying overnight is recommended.
On your significant other’s birthday, tour Osaka’s sightseeing spots, pledge eternal love at Ohatsu Tenjin, and indulge in gourmet food with a delicious drink in hand. What a great idea!

The last love in Heisei era, the first love in 2025.
Now is the time to pray for premium love at Ohatsu Tenjin!

▼If you want to go sightseeing in Osaka
[Osaka Sightseeing] Thorough explanation by a local. Sightseeing spots in Osaka and recommended food information

▼If you want to date in Osaka
An Osakaite’s Guide! Recommended spots for couples

▼For information on dining in the Umeda area, click here
・[Umeda Dinner] A recommendation for a restaurant you never want to miss!
・[Umeda Lunch] Recommended lunches and cafes around Umeda
・Osaka-based office worker’s choice! A restaurant in Umeda where it is easy to have lunch alone