A Moss-covered Buddhist statue at the heart of Osaka, visitors can stroll through a beautiful stone-paved alley.
Hozen-ji temple (法善寺) is located in Hozen-ji Yokocho next to famed Dotombori street in the heart of Osaka. This quiet area, surrounded by a stone-paved alley used to be the Temple’s grounds. Today, there are about 60 restraunts, small food shops, cafes and bars lined on both side of the alley.
The area has been loved by many literary people, there are stone tablets inscribed with haiku by a famous novelist. Visitors can feel the Osaka of olden days.
Hozen-ji Temple is said to have been founded by a monk Kinnun in 1637. The Temple used to be a large complex with a number of buildings but most of them were destroyed during the Second World War. Nowadays, Konpira-do and Mizukake-fudo statue (The deity of fury) only remain.
Mizukake-fudo
Mizukake-fudo is the deity taking the form of fury, and is believed to protect people against evil, conquer devils, and grant any wish. People used to offer water to Mizukake-fudo but now splash him with water, praying for prosperous business and expelling evil spirits, for example. As a result of the large amount of water that visitors have splashed on the statue over the years, today the statue is coverd by moss and It looks like it is made of moss.
It’s reccomended to stop here, the beautiful stone-paved alley, and the moss-covered Buddhist figure, feeling like the Osaka of the olden days when strolling the Doutonbori area.
Address : 1 Chome-2-16 Nanba, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0076
Access : 5-minute walk from Namba Sta (exit No.14) of the Subway Midosuji Line, Sennichimae Line
Hours : Open everyday