Tsuyuno Tenjinsya (Ohatsu Tenjin) — Attraction in Osaka

If Shakespeare had been born in Osaka, he wouldn’t have written Romeo and Juliet. He would’ve told the story of Ohatsu and Tokubei, two doomed lovers who took the ultimate exit stage left… and somehow became the mascots of one of the most cheerful love shrines in Japan.

Nestled in Umeda — right between salaryman sushi bars and karaoke dens — Tsuyuno Tenjinsya is a technicolor fever dream of heart-shaped ema (wish plaques), fluttering lanterns, and fox statues that look like they’ve seen some things. This place doesn’t just celebrate love. It commits to it like a rom-com montage on a sugar high.

You walk under archways of pink and green paper flowers, flanked by rows of red banners and hundreds of tiny wooden hearts scribbled with love confessions, exes to forget, and thirsty dating prayers. The vibes? Somewhere between spiritual devotion and pastel Instagram trap.

There’s a bronze statue of Ohatsu and Tokubei, sitting side by side in their kimono, looking like they just dropped the hottest breakup album of the Edo period. And don’t miss the “Lover’s Sanctuary” plaque, which is basically the temple equivalent of your friend’s wedding hashtag.

Also spotted: a chill reclining cow statue (10/10 energy), a mirror-polishing dragon fountain, and what I swear was a romantic fox dojo.

This place is Osaka’s love shrine with a flair for drama and flair for flair. It’s poetic. It’s adorable. It’s maybe a little haunted. Whether you’re boo’d up or flying solo, this place is a sweet (and weirdly...

Located a short walk from Umeda Station, amongst high rises and just adjacent to a large, busy shopping street, Tsuyuno Tenjinsya Shinto Shrine is an amazing historical religious site. Although not the smallest or most obscure shrine, it's footprint can be missed because it's tucked away a bit down an alley off the main street.

The Shrine is dedicated to love because of the ill-fated couple, Ohatsu and Tokubei. Hence the many fortunes and sub-shrines dealing with keeping or finding love. We especially liked the Lover's Sanctuary fortune - you select a small crystal heart from the office and get the corresponding paper fortune to take to a little water fountain where the water makes the fortune appear. It's in Japanese only, so for non-Japanese languages you'll need to translate it.

Lots of really amazing, unique Goshuin. We bought their goshuincho so that the limited edition September goshuin was written inside of it. All their other goshuin are paper you'll need to paste in.

Definitely a must visit if you love Shinto shrines and want to pray for relationship happiness. And if you like collecting unique goshuin, this is a gem!

Oh, last thing - the office opens at 9 am but a sign said they start doing the goshuin at 10 am. We went on a weekday and it was busy but not busting. They have benches to sit (rare for the small shrines) and some...

One of a number of Shinto shrines in Osaka, this one is about 1,300 years old, erected in what was once a marshy land. Today, this shrine, the Ohatsu Tenjin, now stand in the city, surrounded by shops, bars and arcades.

Despite the development around it, as soon as you step into the shrine, you're transported into an area of calm, peace and tranquil. ⛩

Make the effort to stop by any shrine, don't just pass through them, but take the effort to admire its architecture, the stories with each of them and lastly, more importantly, take in all that peace and quiet and feel the stress seep away from your body. 🙏

There are a few sections in this shrine and this particular part is dedicated to the Inari Gods of rice cultivation. Its more popular section is the shrine for love...but I feel that this part is the most picturesque of the rest. 😁 Can't wait to visit you...