Osu Kannon Temple |Sightseeing Spots | AichiNow-OFFICIAL SITE FOR TOURISM AICHI

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Nagoya-City Osu Kannon Temple

  • Osu Kannon Temple
  • Osu Kannon Temple

One of Nagoya City’s leading landmarks, Osu Kannon Temple was originally built in nearby Hashima-City in 1333 and was moved to its present site in 1612 on the orders of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu during the construction of Nagoya Castle. Now surrounded by tall buildings and rows of shopping arcades, the Osu Kannon Temple remains a connection to Nagoya’s illustrious past, being one of the famed 33 Kannon Temples of Owari (Owari being the old name of western Aichi Prefecture).
Destroyed in the wartime bombings of Nagoya, the current building was reconstructed in 1970, and the bright red pillars and beams makes it one of the more exciting and photogenic temples in the area. Dedicated to the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy and Compassion, Kannon, this holy place has, enshrined in the main prayer hall, a wooden statue of its namesake deity said to have been carved by none other than the Buddhist saint, Kobo Daishi (774-835) himself. The temple also contains a library of over 15,000 ancient Japanese and Chinese books and texts, many of them designated National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. The oldest extant hand-written edition of the Kojiki, the Annuals of Mythological Japan, is also maintained here.

Osu Kannon Temple, Bansho-ji and the Osu Shopping Arcade Area

Many events are staged within the temple precincts throughout the year. One of the biggest draw-cards is the regular antiques fair held on the grounds on the 18th and 28th of each month. Here you’ll find old kimono, books, antique pottery, furniture, home wares, toys and knick-knacks amongst a variety of old and vintage items. Treasure hunting at the Osu Antiques Fair is an enjoyable way to spend a morning or afternoon. New Years Eve and New Years Day sees thousands crowd the temple grounds, as does Setsubun, an event held to welcome the spring. At other times, people come to simply pray to Kannon, allegedly enshrined within the grand temple. The old, the new, quiet and tranquil or bustling with crowds, modern, yet ancient, Nagoya’s Osu Kannon Temple is the epitome of Nagoya City itself.

Lose yourself in the history, or lose yourself in the many hundreds of shops at Osu Kannon Temple and the Osu Shopping Arcades. The ancient temple and the surrounding shopping arcades are easily accessible by foot, taxi or subway from Nagoya’s central Sakae district and are one of Nagoya’s top shopping areas and must-see sub-culture centers.

SPOT OVERVIEW

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Location : 〒460-0011
Osu, Naka-ward, Nagoya-City, Aichi
Fee : Free
Parking : Available
Phone number : Osu Kannon Temple:052-231-6525

Note: This page may not be current due to update time differences between site databases.
Should accuracy be critical, please verify this information using a direct source, whenever possible.

ACCESS

  • Access by public transport
    Access by public transport
    From Nagoya Station, take the subway Higashiyama Line. Alight at Fushimi Station and take the subway Tsurumai line. Alight at Osu Kannon station and walk 1 min.
  • Access by car
    Access by car
    2 min. from Shirakawa exit on the Nagoya Expressway.

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INFORMATION ON THE SURROUNDING AREA

Kigakurin Bansho-ji TempleNagoya-City

Kigakurin Bansho-ji Temple
Among the many arcades and shops of the Osu Kannon Shopping District is the historical Kig...
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Osu Shopping DistrictNagoya-City

Osu Shopping District
Osu once flourished as Nagoya's No. 1 entertainment quarter, and is a place where you will...
  • Souvenirs
  • Parking
  • Restaurant

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