Location: Osaka
Top Things to do in Osaka
Top 6 Cemeteries in Osaka, Kinki
Home to nearly nine million and powering an economy that exceeds both Hong Kong's and Thailand's, Osaka packs quite a punch. The confident, stylish city is a shopping hub, with fabulous restaurants and nightlife. It's an ideal base for exploring the Kansai region; Kyoto's World Heritage Sites, Nara's temple and Koya-san's eerie graves are within 90 minutes by train. Top city attractions include the aquarium, Osaka Castle, Universal Studios Japan and the futuristic Floating Garden Observatory.
Restaurants in Osaka
1. Isshinji Temple
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 183 reviews
Buddha statues made from human ashes as a means of being able to worship the deceased openly
Reviewed By GoGo2SlowGo - Denton, United States
My wife and I were not planning to visit this in our walking tour of Osaka (on our own). However, we’ve learned that when you are in Japan, you might discover a temple that you weren’t planning to see. This one was hard to miss on our way to Tsetenkaku Tower. It’s a large complex but we were both drawn to these sculptures. Founded in the 12th century, the Isshinji Temple has a lot of history, though rebuilt following the destruction of Osaka during the closing years of World War II, like most other temples and shrines in the city. The temple surprised us because it was quite modern and built with iron, concrete and steel. It didn’t look like any of the temples we had visited previously. The bronze looking gate is ornate with female figures. The gate and other structures were designed by the current head priest who is also an architect. The temple was founded in 1185. With the modern architecture today, we wondered why there were so many visitors. They apparently do not come for the unusual architecture. Instead, they come because it is home to the remains of millions of Osaka residents' ancestors, specifically something called Okutsu Butsu, which translates as "Bone Buddha". Now that we have found it, you should visit!
