Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine

Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Tamatsukuri, Chūō Ward, Osaka City, said to have been founded in 12 BCE. In addition to the typical Inari blessings of abundant harvests, it is also famous for blessings such as prosperity of descendants, success in love, matchmaking, harmonious marriage, and family well-being. The place name Tamatsukuri is said to derive from ancient times when artisans known as Tamatsukuri-be lived in the area and made magatama beads. The site is also associated with Prince Shōtoku, who is said to have prayed here for victory in a conflict with the Mononobe clan over the acceptance of Buddhism, and after the war built a Kannon hall with his own hands. During the era when Toyotomi Osaka Castle stood nearby, the shrine was located within the castle’s third bailey, and was regarded as the castle’s guardian deity, then known as Toyotsu Inari Shrine. The main enshrined deity is Ukanomitama-no-Kami, an agricultural deity; additional deities enshrined in the side sanctuary include Shitateruhime-no-Mikoto, Wakahirume-no-Mikoto, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, and Kagutsuchi-no-Kami. The current shrine buildings were rebuilt after World War II, and the grounds include a torii gate donated by Toyotomi Hideyori and the Naniwa Tamatsukuri Museum.