Ohatsu Tenjin
Sanctuary of the tragic love
The Ohatsu Tenjin, also called Tsuyunoten, stands as one of the most popular shrines of Osaka . A place with a symbolic past linked to a dramatic love story.
Right in the heart of the bustling Umeda district nestles a temple full of history: the Ohatsu Tenjin. This peaceful place is home to a rather special memorial to a couple with an impossible love story. Indeed, in 1703 this Shinto refuge became the scene of a double suicide: that of the son of a rich merchant and his courtesan partner. Unable to live their passion in the eyes of society, they chose to end their days at Tsuyunoten.
Today this story still fascinates. A famous bunraku play (puppet theater) even tells the story. At night, some couples also come into the shrine to scare themselves with ghost stories.
The Ohatsu Tenjin changes appearance on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. A huge flea market moves in. In the absence of ghosts, trinkets and other objects come alive near the shrine.
