Taiyū-ji Temple

Taiyū-ji is a historic Kōyasan Shingon Buddhist temple said to have been founded in 821 by Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi). Despite being located in a bustling entertainment district in northern Osaka, it is a venerable temple known for blessings such as the fulfillment of a single wish through its Ichigan Fudō, protection from misfortune, and prayers for health. It is easily accessible—about a 10-minute walk from JR Osaka Station, Osaka Metro Midosuji Line Umeda Station, and Hankyu/Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station, and about a 7-minute walk from Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line Higashi-Umeda Station. The temple is also known as a site connected to modern Japanese party politics: it is said that the Freedom and People’s Rights Movement in the Meiji era—led by Itagaki Taisuke—began here and grew nationwide, and a monument marking the “birthplace of modern Japanese party politics” stands on the grounds. The Senju Kannon (Thousand-Armed Kannon) at Taiyū-ji is designated a Tangible Cultural Property by Osaka City. The temple was once completely destroyed in 1615 during the Summer Siege of Osaka, and later suffered again in World War II air raids, but the principal Senju Kannon statue survived and remains enshrined today. After the war, the main hall and Daishi hall were rebuilt. Although the surrounding area is lively, stepping into the precincts feels calm and sacred.