Power Spots in Osaka?! The Mysterious Seven Wonders of Shitennoji Temple!
Hi! I'm Andy from the United States.
Japanese temples and shrines are full of mysteries, which is very interesting. Derived from stories and legends, there are even mysterious urban legends. It is said that since ancient times, Japan has had a habit of calling seven inexplicable events occurring in a certain place as the "Seven Wonders." I really enjoy such mysterious events.
Today I visited Osaka's most famous temple—Shitennoji Temple. Built by Prince Shotoku, a politician from the Asuka period (592–710), it is the oldest official temple in Japan and is very famous. It is said that the legend of the "Seven Wonders of Shitennoji" has been passed down here. Sounds interesting, right? Then come along with me on a mysterious journey through Osaka's history!
To get to Shitennoji Temple, take the Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line to Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka Station and walk about 5 minutes. You'll arrive at the stone torii gate on the west side.
Huh? Torii gates are usually found at shrines, right? Shitennoji is a temple. According to my research, there seem to be many theories about this torii gate.
For example, before the Meiji period (1868–1912), Shinto and Buddhism were not clearly separated, so it's not strange; another theory is that although Shitennoji is a temple, it also contains a shrine; and there's also the sun worship theory... I don't know which one is true, but this torii gate is said to be one of the three great torii gates of Japan and the oldest surviving stone torii gate. Impressive~.
Also, the plaque hanging in the center of the torii gate bears an inscription that reads: "This is the place where Shakyamuni preached the Dharma, the Eastern Gate of the Pure Land."
That's right, this is one of the Seven Wonders.
The Eastern Gate of the Pure Land means that the west side of this torii gate, i.e., behind me, is the Pure Land. Wow! I'm standing at the entrance to the Pure Land. Laughs
It is said that on the spring equinox (mid-March, when day and night are equal) and the autumn equinox (mid-September, when day and night are equal), the sun sets exactly in the center of this torii gate. On those days, people face west and quietly appreciate the sunset. They also hold a "Nikkansō" (sun contemplation) event, where people pray for rebirth in the Pure Land (a land of happiness in Buddhism, free from suffering), visualizing the distant western Pure Land.
This stone pillar directly beneath the stone torii gate.
This is the second of the Seven Wonders: the "Bouncing Stone" (Pon-pon Ishi). Knocking inside this square hole produces a kind of "bouncing" sound.
If you put your ear to the hole, it is said you can hear the voices of your ancestors from the afterlife.
I also tried listening with my ear to the hole... the voices of ancestors... Unfortunately, I didn't hear them. (laughs) But I could hear a sound like when you put your ear to a seashell, a strangely familiar feeling. Everyone, give it a listen too.
Continuing further into the temple grounds, you'll see the magnificent Gokurakumon (Gate of the Pure Land). It looks beautiful against the blue sky.
The beautiful Niōmon (Gate of the Deva Kings).
The muscular Niō (Deva King) statues. So cool~!
Now let's look at the third of the Seven Wonders: the Cat of the Gate.
"The sleeping cat of the Cat Gate meows three times on New Year's Day."
Shitennoji was burned down in the Winter Siege of Osaka in 1614 and rebuilt by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1623. The cat on the "Cat Gate" was carved by the famous sculptor Hidari Jingoro. It is said that this cat and the "sleeping cat" of Tōshōgū Shrine (a shrine in Nikkō City, Tochigi Prefecture), by the same master, call out to each other on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. They have such a close relationship despite being far apart. Additionally, this cat is said to patrol the temple to prevent mice from damaging the sutras in the Shōrei-in (sacred scripture hall).
Next to it is the Tiger Gate, where a tiger patrols to keep bad things out. It looks very majestic and handsome.
The fourth of the Seven Wonders is the "Dragon Well."
Legend has it that this well connects to the Anavatapta Lake in India, where a guardian blue dragon resides. I peeked into the well...
Really! There's a dragon! Can you see it? The dragon pattern on the ceiling is reflected on the water's surface. It is said that praying to this dragon can eliminate disasters.
The fifth of the Seven Wonders is the demon tile (oni-gawara) on this five-storied pagoda. It is said that "on the northwest corner of the first floor of the five-storied pagoda, there is a tile with the face of Daikokuten in the front, Bishamonten on the left, and Benzaiten on the right, and you can see the face from any angle." Indeed, if you look closely, there is only one demon tile that is different. During restoration, gold leaf was applied to the demon tile. Although I was far away and couldn't see the face clearly...
This demon tile is located on the northwest corner of the first floor of the five-storied pagoda, on the left side. Everyone, look for it!
The sixth of the Seven Wonders is the "North Bell Tower" here. It is said that the sound of this bell reaches the afterlife.
What a beautiful bell sound~! It is said that this bell sound is the same as the "Huangzhong mode" (Ichikotsu-chō) of Gagaku (Japanese court music), which laid the foundation for Japanese music. Legend says that this bell sound travels all the way to the afterlife, calming the minds of ancestors living in the Pure Land.
And the seventh of the Seven Wonders is the "Long Box-shaped Stone Coffin Lid."
It has been discovered that the stones used to build a stone bridge within the temple were actually coffin lids from the Kofun period (around 300–600 AD) that were moved and reused. When it was still a stone bridge, it was said that crossing it would ensure a safe delivery. I went to look for it, but couldn't find that stone. When I asked a temple staff member, I was told that it is currently under restoration and cannot be viewed. What a pity.
I'll come back to see it when the restoration is complete.
The Seven Wonders of Shitennoji are very interesting, right!
In addition, there are many other mysterious spots and power spots. One that caught my interest is the "Drill through the Wisdom Ring" at the Gendaishi Hall (Gen-daishi-dō). It is said that passing through this ring will bring success in studies. I need to study Japanese hard...
Shitennoji covers a large area with many buildings and Buddha statues, offering plenty to see. For example, the building of the Eirei-dō, with its beautiful Buddha statues inside. It is said that the characters on this pillar are a very ancient script.
This is a stone monument commemorating the victims of the great earthquake and tsunami in the first year of Ansei (1854) during the late Edo period.
There are so many turtles in the Turtle Pond. With such a large number, they seem like they might be reborn in different places!
Basking lazily in the sun, the turtles look so content~.
Besides the Seven Wonders, other aspects of Shitennoji are also effective. Visiting this famous power spot in Osaka quietly and slowly by yourself is also a nice experience.
*The information in this article is current as of 2021.
Itinerary Table of Contents: 1. ● What are the Seven Wonders of Shitennoji? 2. ● No. ① The Eastern Gate of the Pure Land, No. ② The Bouncing Stone 3. ● No. ③ The Cat Gate, No. ④ The Dragon Well 4. ● No. ⑤ The Demon Tile of the Five-Storied Pagoda, No. ⑥ The North Bell Tower, No. ⑦ The Long Box-shaped Stone Coffin Lid 5. ● Other Attractions Travel Information Hotel Index Strategy Index Flight Index Website Navigation Travel Index Cruise Index Corporate Travel Index Franchise Cooperation Distribution Alliance Friendly Links Corporate Gift Card Procurement Insurance Agent Agent Cooperation Hotel Partnership Destination & Scenic Area Cooperation More Cooperation About Ctrip About Ctrip Ctrip Highlights Contact Us Careers User Agreement Privacy Policy Business License Security Center Ctrip Content Center Intellectual Property Trip.com Group Algorithm Disclosure
