Shitennoji Temple in Osaka, Japan

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Shitennō-ji

Osaka

LoginSave

Shitennō-ji is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan, said to be founded (in 593) by priest-prince Shotoku-taishi (who first spread Buddhism in Japan). Only the big stone torii (Shintō shrine gate) is original, the oldest of its kind in the country (1294). It's free to see the gate and to wander most of the expansive grounds. Admission is required to visit the main hall and the five-storey pagoda, which (unusually) you can climb up.

The Honbō-teien strolling garden here (admission extra) is worth a visit.

On the 21st and 22nd of each month there's a very good flea market outside the temple, with antiques and secondhand goods, including old kimonos.

Transportation

  • subway: Tanimachi line to Shitennōji-mae, exit 4

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Vendors prepare chestnuts to sell at Nishiki Market in Kyoto, Japan on 22 November 2016. 1011566827 traditional, street, asian, nutrition, priest, tourism, fruit, editorial, cooking, design, east, tradition, chinese, famous, stall, recommend, sale, asia, vendor, nut, cuisine, chef, color, people, culture, food, castanea, healthy, place, chestnut, travel, vegetable, market, business, tourist, architecture, marron, buy, furniture, decoration, colorful, merchant, city, nishiki market, japan, street food, japanese, sell, kyoto, shop

    Nishiki Market

    27.99 MILES

    The covered Nishiki Market (Nishiki-kōji Ichiba) is one of Kyoto’s real highlights, especially if you have an interest in cooking and dining. Commonly…

  • Osaka, Japan - April 30, 2017: tourists looking Osaka city at Abeno Harukas, the tallest skyscraper in Japan. The building stands on top of Kintetsu Osaka Abenobashi Station near JR Tennoji Station. 919551970 Abeno Harukas Observatory

    Abeno Harukas

    0.56 MILES

    This César Pelli–designed tower, which opened in March 2014, is Japan's tallest building (300m, 60 storeys). The observatory on the 16th floor is free,…

  • Path through bamboo forest

    Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

    26.51 MILES

    The thick green bamboo stalks seem to continue endlessly in every direction and there’s a strange quality to the light at this famous bamboo grove, which…

  • Horyuji Temple, Nara, Japan

    Hōryū-ji

    12.81 MILES

    Hōryū-ji was founded in 607 by Prince Shōtoku, considered by many to be the patron saint of Japanese Buddhism. It's renowned not only as one of the oldest…

  • Kiyomizu or Kiyomizu-dera temple in autum season at Kyoto Japan 391009933 architecture, asia, autumn, buddhism, buddhist, color, culture, dera, fall, heritage, japan, japanese, kiyomizu, kiyomizu-dera, kyoto, landmark, nature, red, religion, religious, shinto, shrine, temple, tourist, travel

    Kiyomizu-dera

    28.02 MILES

    A buzzing hive of activity perched on a hill overlooking the basin of Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera is one of Kyoto's most popular and most enjoyable temples. It…

  • People walking under thousands of Torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. 88375702 destination, historical, gate, cultural, oriental, approaching, red, kyoto, culture, landmark, attraction, history, thousand, walking, orange, corridor, shintoism, pathway, people, traditional, asia, tour, building, religious, tourist, historic, heritage, tradition, architecture, tourism, religion, shintoist, shinto, spot, tunnel, japanese, japan, fox, shrine, road, senbon dorii, senbon torii, fushimi, kansai, taisha, torii, senbon, inari, kinki, 1000

    Fushimi Inari-Taisha

    26.03 MILES

    With seemingly endless arcades of vermilion torii (shrine gates) spread across a thickly wooded mountain, this vast shrine complex is a world unto its own…

  • Todai-ji Temple, Nara

    Tōdai-ji

    18.57 MILES

    Nara's star attraction is its Daibutsu (Great Buddha), one of the largest bronze statues in the world. It was unveiled in 752, upon the completion of the…

  • (GERMANY OUT) The bell at the Chion-inTemple in the Gion district of Kyoto, Japan (Photo by Forster/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

    Chion-in

    28.65 MILES

    A collection of soaring buildings, spacious courtyards and gardens, Chion-in serves as the headquarters of the Jōdo sect, the largest school of Buddhism…

View more attractions

Nearby Osaka attractions

1. Honbō-teien

0.02 MILES

This strolling garden in the northeast corner of Shitennō-ji illustrates a Buddhist parable of overcoming earthly hell to arrive at paradise, symbolised…

2. Shin-Sekai

0.56 MILES

A century ago, Shin-Sekai ('new world') was home to an amusement park that defined cutting edge. Now this entertainment district mixes down-at-heel with…

3. Abeno Harukas

0.56 MILES

This César Pelli–designed tower, which opened in March 2014, is Japan's tallest building (300m, 60 storeys). The observatory on the 16th floor is free,…

4. Abeno Harukas Art Museum

0.56 MILES

This state-of-the art museum inside Abeno Harukas hosts temporary shows that vary wildly, including, so far, Renaissance painting and tantric Buddhist…

5. Tsūten-kaku

0.59 MILES

When Tsūten-kaku was first built in 1912, it was, at 63m high, the second tallest structure in Asia and the pride of Osaka. Damaged by fire in 1943, it…

6. Billiken

0.63 MILES

Ever-smiling (and a bit creepy looking) Billiken sits, toes out, like a golden Kewpie doll on a pedestal reading 'The God of Things as they Ought to Be'…

7. Imamiya Ebisu-jinja

0.81 MILES

Nicknamed 'Ebessan', this famous shrine is said to have been founded by Japan's most revered historical figure, the priest-prince Shotoku-taishi, c AD 600…

8. Kuromon Ichiba

1 MILES

An Osaka landmark for over a century, this 600m-long market is in equal parts a functioning market and a tourist attraction. Vendors selling fresh fish,…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "japan/kansai/osaka/attractions/shitenno-ji/a/poi-sig/423401/356704",
  "destination": "Osaka",
  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "Japan",
  "city": "Osaka",
  "position": "superzone"
}