Osaka's Top Matchmaking Shrine, Go!

📍 Osaka · 👁 953 reads

Form a good relationship and deepen your bond with your partner.

สวัสดี! I'm Nene from Thailand. I came to Japan to study, and this is already my fifth year here! I love everything about Japan, from the food to the culture, and every day living in Japan is fulfilling. ◎

My boyfriend Daiki and I took the Osaka Metro to visit one of Osaka's renowned matchmaking shrines ♪ Daiki and I met in Japan, and before we knew it, we've been together for over four years! He is a very important person to me, and I hope to continue spending my life with him.

When it comes to dating spots in Osaka, Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Castle are famous, but if you come to Japan, I hope you can also enjoy the fun of dating at a "matchmaking shrine"♪ Matchmaking shrines are power spots in Japan where couples, married couples, those with a crush, and those seeking a good relationship – people of all ages and genders – come to pray for good fortune related to "love"!

This time we visited three famous matchmaking shrines in Osaka, so let me introduce their charms.

We rode the Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line to the nearest station, Higashi-Umeda ♪

About a five-minute walk from the station, "Roten Shrine" is also known as a power spot in Osaka for ensuring love's success. Built about 1,300 years ago, it is a historic shrine said to be the stage for the famous jōruri play "Sonezaki Shinju"!

Based on a true story from the Edo period, "Sonezaki Shinju" is hailed as the Japanese version of "Romeo and Juliet". It tells the tragic love story of the male protagonist "Tokubei" and the female protagonist "Ohatsu", who, bound by social rules, decide to commit double suicide to preserve their pure love.

"Roten Shrine" is also widely known by the nickname "Ohatsu Tenjin", derived from the heroine "Ohatsu". It is a mecca for lovers, with many couples visiting to receive the blessings of Tokubei and Ohatsu and pray for a successful relationship!

After seriously purifying our hands and mouth, we quickly went to pray. The shrine grounds were solemn and dignified, naturally making us stand up straight.

When you come to Roten Shrine, be sure to write your wish on this cute pink heart-shaped ema (tax included 700 yen) ♡ The designs of Tokubei and Ohatsu are adorable. It must be filled with the romantic energy of the two praying for a successful relationship!

Write your wish on the ema and tie it securely. When tying the ema, the correct method is to face the side with the wish forward so that the gods can easily see it.

What did Daiki write~? He wrote the same as me, hoping we will always be together in the future. I'm so happy!

"Roten Shrine" has many types of fortune slips, and among them the "love fortune slip" (tax included 200 yen) seems to be the most popular. Calmly dip the slip in water and the writing will appear! We wanted to try it too, so we went to the place where the priest was stationed.

We picked a pink ball from a cute wooden box decorated with hearts. Look closely inside the ball to see the number, then tell that number to the priest.

After getting the love fortune slip, we moved to the water-dipping area and slowly poured water. Then the writing gradually appeared – it was amazing! As for the results we were most concerned about, I got great luck and Daiki got small luck! Both of our fortunes were auspicious, so we could finally relax.

Besides the "love fortune slip", there are also fortune slips in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean (tax included 100 yen to 300 yen), as well as "matchmaking amulets" (tax included 1,200 yen), etc. The amulets come in pink and green – so cute! They would make happy gifts for married couples or lovers.

What surprised me most at "Roten Shrine" was that there were smartphone stands for taking photos with your phone, and even photo boards with Tokubei and Ohatsu. Even though it was a bit embarrassing, I had fun taking pictures with Daiki. It really is a shrine chosen as a lovers' sacred spot. There are many dating-friendly spots!

In addition, there are shrine introductions in multiple languages, so overseas visitors should find it easy to understand ♪ I even found one in my native language, Thai – happy~!!

For our next shrine, we got on the Osaka Metro Chuo Line~. We happened to catch one of the recently talked-about new trains – the interior was spacious, the design modern, and it was stylish and comfortable ♬

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at Mori-no-Miya Station~!

About a 10-minute walk from Mori-no-Miya Station / Tamatsukuri Station, and about a 12-minute walk from Osaka Castle Park, we reached "Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine". The vermillion pillars were so beautiful that I couldn't stop staring.

The deities enshrined at "Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine", starting with Ukanomitama no Okami, are mostly female deities, so it is said to bring good fortune related to women, such as a good match, a healthy baby, and protection from illness and disaster.

The "love fox ema" (tax included 800 yen) in the shape of foxes at "Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine" is very popular. Two foxes leaning against each other form a heart – so cute!

I didn't know this before, but foxes are actually very faithful animals – once they become a couple, they never change partners for life. These ema are filled with wishes for successful love, a good match, and marital harmony. On the back of the ema, if you have a partner, write both names; if you hope for a good match in the future, write only your own name on one side and then hang it up.

In addition, there are "love fox amulets" (tax included 800 yen) and "wish cards / fox blessing" (tax included 500 yen)! The fox blessing wish card is said to mean "unexpected good luck". Be sure to write your wish on the back of the fox and keep it in your wallet or behind your phone to carry with you, so the wish will come true.

Next, we visited "Naniwa Kozu Shrine", about a five-minute walk from Tanimachi 9-chome Station on the Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line and Sennichimae Line.

Passing through a residential area, we suddenly saw a huge torii gate, and a long stone path leading to the shrine grounds, as if heading to another world! Plum trees lined the path – it must be beautiful when they bloom in March~.

Kozu Shrine is a famous power spot for praying for a good match, and we heard there is a "slope" that can deepen the bond between two people, so we came.

This is "Aiaizaka", known as the matchmaking slope. It is said to grant a connection with your partner and deepen your feelings. Aiaizaka has two staircases on the north and south. The woman climbs the south staircase, and the man climbs the north staircase at the same time. If they meet exactly at the center of the platform at the top, it is said to confirm whether they are a good match…!

What about Daiki and me? Will we meet exactly in the middle…? We made up our minds to take on the challenge!

Once we got to the bottom of the stairs, we couldn't see each other – I was so nervous wondering if we would meet successfully~!

After climbing little by little, ah! I saw Daiki across from me! Then we matched our pace and finally met on the platform at the top of the stairs. We high-fived – awesome!

Even if you're not lovers, if you visit and pray with someone you want to deepen your relationship with, it is said to help strengthen the bond. Even if you don't have a partner right now, it is said that climbing the stairs while praying for a good match will help you meet your destined person, so be sure to give it a try!!

Also, on the shrine grounds we found two stones called "husband-and-wife stones"! It is said that alternatingly tapping these two adjacent stones three times each will ensure marital harmony. The stones are hidden deep in the shrine grounds, so don't miss them!

There is also a café on the shrine grounds where you can enjoy rice cake and sweet red bean porridge and sweets! The serene Japanese atmosphere is very relaxing, and it feels like a nice place to take a short break during a date ♪

After visiting many matchmaking shrines, I felt our relationship deepen. Even if difficulties arise in the future, as long as we can spend each moment together and get along, I'll be happy!

What do you think of Osaka's matchmaking shrines? Why not come visit for your first shrine visit of the New Year or on a date ♪

Travel Diary Contents

1. ● Recommended for a date! Osaka's top matchmaking shrines

2. ● [Roten Shrine] Osaka's strongest? A lovers' sacred spot for pure love

3. ● [Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine] Fox spirits bless good relationships & marital harmony

4. ● [Naniwa Kozu Shrine] Testing your connection? The matchmaking slope "Aiaizaka"

5. ● Osaka dating spots to think of your important someone and deepen your bond

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