Horikoshi Shrine

Horikoshi Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Chausuyama-cho, Tennoji Ward, Osaka City. It is said to have originated when Prince Shotoku, upon founding Shitennoji Temple, built a shrine hall to enshrine Emperor Sushun. Situated at Shitennoji’s “ura-kimon” (the southwest direction, traditionally considered an inauspicious quarter), the shrine enshrines Emperor Sushun as the main deity, with Empress Kotohime, Prince Hachiko, and Princess Nishikishiro as associated deities. From ancient times until the mid-Meiji period, a beautiful moat ran along the south side of the grounds, and worshippers would cross it to visit—hence the name “Horikoshi” (“crossing the moat”). Within the precincts are a sacred tree over 550 years old, Chausuyama Inari, Koku-ryu Shrine (Black Dragon), Haku-ryu Shrine (White Dragon), and a shrine dedicated to Daijō Shinsen Chintaku Reifusonshin. During the spring Setsubun Festival, the shrine performs the “Hoshimatsuri,” a rite that purifies residences and scatters “seeds” for star spirits. In Osaka, a long-held custom known as “Hitoyume Kigan” says that “Horikoshi-san grants one wish in a lifetime,” attracting many visitors from Japan and overseas.