Abe Oji Shrine

Abe Ōji Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Abeno Ward, Osaka City. During the Heian period, when pilgrimages to Kumano became popular, it was known as the Fourth of the Kumano Kujūku Ōji (the 99 subsidiary shrines of Kumano). “Ōji” refers to branch shrines of the Kumano Grand Shrines, and pilgrims traveling from Kyoto through Settsu and Izumi to the Kumano Sanzan used these sites as rest stops along the way. Shrine tradition holds that it was founded by Emperor Nintoku, who is said to have discovered on this land a three-legged crow like the messenger of the Kumano deities that he had seen in a dream, and then established the shrine here. It is also said that in 826 Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai), by order of Emperor Junna, visited the shrine and performed prayers to dispel epidemics. Thereafter it came to be revered for protection from disease, and it remains widely worshiped for warding off misfortune, health, and healing. The grounds include the main sanctuary and a shrine dedicated to Yatagarasu Ōkami, believed to deliver wishes to Kumano, as well as four sacred trees said to be around 500 years old. In recent years, omikuji fortunes featuring a distinctive Yatagarasu silhouette have become popular on social media.