Temizu-sha (Purification Fountain)
Sumiyoshi Taisha was founded on the day, month, and year of the rabbit, and rabbit designs can be found throughout the shrine grounds. One of the most notable is the rabbit carved from stone above the purification basin located directly to the left of the path to the shrine after crossing Sorihashi Bridge. The water that fills the basin streams out of the rabbit’s mouth. Such fountains stand near the entrance to most Shinto shrines for visitors to purify themselves before entering the sacred precincts and supplicating before the gods. To use the fountain, pick up the ladle with your right hand. Scoop some water from the basin and use some to rinse your left hand. Pass the ladle to your left hand and rinse your right hand. Next, pour a little water from the ladle into your cupped left hand and rinse your mouth. Spit out the water into the overflow area beside the basin. Finally, tilt the ladle to let the remaining water run down the handle into the overflow area.
Shōmen Sandō (Main Approach)
The wide path leading from the public road into Sumiyoshi Taisha’s inner sanctum is called the Shōmen Sandō. A sandō (literally, the path or “way” to worship) is the main approach to a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple; shōmen means “front.” Walking the sandō is a visitor’s first act of worship, signifying the transition from the secular to the sacred world. In the eleventh-century classic The Tale of Genji, Lady Murasaki Shikibu (970?–1019?) praised the beauty of the pine trees that grew along the shore just in front of the Shōmen Sandō, noting that white-capped waves could be seen through their branches. The scene is just one of many in which Sumiyoshi Taisha appears in Japanese literature. The scene is a reminder of Sumiyoshi Taisha’s role in watching over travelers, especially seaborne ones. The book’s protagonist, Prince Genji, visits the shrine to thank its gods for protecting him during a period of disgrace and self-exile on the Suma coast, in what is today the city of Kobe. Genji had made the mistake of romancing the future wife of the crown prince, but—with a little divine help—he eventually managed to return to Kyoto and into the good graces of the imperial court.
Stone Lanterns
More than 600 custom-made stone lanterns line the paths around Sumiyoshi Taisha. Almost all of them were donated by merchants or business associations and are engraved with the names of their donors. Donations of lanterns, which became popular in the early 1700s, had two main purposes: to win the favor of the gods of Sumiyoshi Taisha and to advertise the donors’ businesses. The lanterns were donated from a wide range of industries, but many are from people and organizations connected with the sea. For centuries, Osaka Bay lay just beyond the shrine’s western gate, and people whose livelihood depends on the sea have long sought blessings from the three maritime gods enshrined at Sumiyoshi Taisha. Smaller Sumiyoshi shrines that honor the same deities dot the Japanese coast; Sumiyoshi Taisha is considered to be the head shrine of all Sumiyoshi shrines. Naniwa harbor near Sumiyoshi Taisha was the hub that connected the Kansai region with the Seto Inland Sea and beyond. Between the seventh and ninth centuries, it was the departure point for trade and diplomatic missions to China. Later, in the Edo period (1603–1867), it served as the base for an important domestic trade route on the Sea of Japan. Ninety-six lanterns associated with maritime activities, such as fishing and shipping, were donated to Sumiyoshi Taisha between 1716 and 1736. Many of the stone lanterns on the shrine grounds were donated by merchants as Sumiyoshi Taisha was well called a place to pray for safe voyages. Kitamaebune merchant ships connected Osaka to Hokkaido during the mid- to late nineteenth century and helped shape Japan’s modern economy and culture. Kitamaebune traders brought kelp harvested from the cold waters of Hokkaido back to Osaka, where the city’s cooks embraced its distinctive umami flavor, creating kombu dashi, the kelp stock that is a basic ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Sharp-eyed visitors can find lanterns donated by manufacturers of indigo dye, fertilizer, and glass; safflower wholesalers; and dealers in used clothing. The largest lanterns, however, were not donated by seafarers, but by an association of toy and doll manufacturers. They are hard to miss, standing over 10 meters tall on either side of Sorihashi Bridge. The two lanterns were originally donated in 1762, but they have been refurbished and enlarged many times. On four occasions since 1928, they have been hoisted up and given new, larger stone bases to make room for additional donor names. The most recent addition took place in 2020, to mark the crowning of the new emperor and the start of the Reiwa era. The southern lantern represents companies from the Osaka area, while the one to the north is for companies from Tokyo and other parts of Japan. Fans of Japanese action figures and other toys will find names that are familiar alongside many that are obscure or forgotten.
Birthing Stone
This large stone is the legendary birthplace of Shimazu Tadahisa (1179–1227), the founder of the Shimazu samurai family. According to family lore, Tadahisa’s father was Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199), who would become the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate (1185–1333). His mother was Tango no Tsubone, daughter of a warrior noble. Yoritomo’s wife, Hōjō Masako (1156–1225), discovered her husband’s affair and had Tango no Tsubone accused of a crime. Pregnant with Yoritomo’s child, Tango no Tsubone fled the capital in Kamakura and eventually sought refuge at Sumiyoshi Taisha. When she arrived, she suddenly went into labor and clung to this large stone as she gave birth to Tadahisa. Yoritomo later appointed Tadahisa governor of Ōsumi and Satsuma provinces (now Kagoshima Prefecture). Tadahisa was given the surname Shimazu, and his descendants created a family that ruled most of Kyushu during the peak of their power in the 1580s. Although they were forced to swear allegiance and service to the Tokugawa in 1602, their forces were instrumental in defeating the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868) and establishing the first modern Japanese state 265 years later. Even now, people from Kagoshima come to Sumiyoshi Taisha to pay their respects to the ancestors of the Shimazu family at this stone.
Sumiyoshi O-Bunko (Book Depository)
Osaka has had a thriving bookselling industry since the seventeenth century. In 1723, a group of publishers based in the three major cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Edo (now Tokyo) decided to fund the construction of a book depository at Sumiyoshi Taisha. The depository is Osaka’s oldest library. Given Sumiyoshi’s long association with poetry, literature, and entertainment, donating the first printing of a book was one way the publishers could honor the gods and ensure the book’s success. There was also a practical benefit. Edo-period books were printed with woodblocks that would wear down with successive printings. If a book proved to be a bestseller, a copy woodblock could be made from the pristine first print stored at the shrine. In the 300 years since the practice began, the collection at Sumiyoshi Taisha has grown to over 50,000 volumes, and the original storehouse can no longer hold them all. In some cases, the Sumiyoshi book archives hold the only copy or the best copy of popular historical texts, especially from the late Edo period (1603–1867). Today, most of the books are stored in modern facilities. Kansai-based publishers continue to donate books to the shrine. Every year in May, books are removed from the depository and archival storage to be inspected and aired. Volunteers leaf through the pages, removing any insects that might have burrowed inside and airing the pages in the sun.
Hattatsu Mairi
The Hattatsu Mairi is one of the rituals performed most often at Sumiyoshi Taisha. Its regular practice is believed to bring success in business. The ritual is performed by visiting four massha, or subsidiary shrines, on the first dragon day of the month, as determined by the 12-day week of the ancient Chinese calendar. The name derives from a play on words: hattatsu means “first dragon,” but when written with different characters, it means “develop” or “grow.” To perform the Hattatsu Mairi, visitors must make an offering and pray at each massha in the following order: Tanekashi-sha, Nankun-sha, Asazawa-sha, and Ōtoshi-sha. Completion of the Hattatsu Mairi every month for four years—48 consecutive months—is said to ensure a lifetime’s worth of prosperity. This belief is based on another auspicious pun: the characters for shijū hattatsu, or “48 dragons,” have the same pronunciation as the characters that mean “to develop from start to finish.” Vendors set up stalls within the Sumiyoshi Taisha grounds on Hattatsu Mairi days, creating a festive atmosphere for visitors. As the first dragon day falls on a different date each month, the schedule is posted in advance on this website.
Clay Figurines
Charms are available at many Shinto shrines. They bring good luck, grant wishes, or ward off misfortune. Sumiyoshi Taisha is no exception. The shrine’s popular clay figurines, called tsuchi ningyō, depict people and animals, often with a whimsical touch. Many are intended for specific purposes—to bring success in business or to promote a happy marriage. They are available at the main and subsidiary shrines for between 500 and 2,000 yen.
| Jūnishi | The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. |
|---|---|
| Yakuyoke zaru | A monkey with a Shinto priest’s hat and wand. For warding off misfortune. |
| Koma inu | A guardian lion-dog that often stands at the entrance of a Shinto shrine. For warding off evil or preventing the departure of loved ones. |
| Mutsumi inu | A pair of copulating dogs. For safe childbirth or the relief of back pain. |
| Senbiki zaru | A pyramid of monkeys. For career or social advancement. |
| Omoto ningyō | A husband and wife. For happy relationships. |
| Hadaka bina | A naked man and woman. For a happy and honest marriage. |
| Tanekashi ningyō (available at Tanekashi-sha) |
A mother and child. For fertility. |
| Shōfuku neko (available at Nankun-sha) |
A cat with one raised paw. For success in business: a cat with a raised right paw attracts money; one with a raised left paw attracts customers. |
| Hattatsu takara-bune (available at Nankun-sha) |
Two cats in a boat. For growth and good fortune in business. |
Sumiyoshi Matsuri Festival
The Sumiyoshi Matsuri is one of Osaka’s biggest summer festivals. It is held every year from July 30 through August 1. It is popularly known as Oharae, which is a ritual intended to “drive away” or ward off disease and other misfortunes. Highlights include colorful historical costumes and a parade of portable shrines. The Nagoshi Harae Shinji, or “summer purification ceremony,” is held on July 31. It features a procession of women, children, dancers, and others dressed in costumes from the Muromachi period (1336–1573). The following day, a portable shrine is carried over the steep Sorihashi Bridge, across the Yamato River to Shukuin Shrine in Sakai, and back again.
Hatsumōde (New Year’s Shrine Visit)
Over two million people visit Sumiyoshi Taisha in the first three days of January for hatsumōde, the customary first shrine or temple visit of the year. Long lines form before midnight on New Year’s Eve as people brave the cold to place a coin in the offering box of Daiichi Hongū and say a short prayer for good fortune in the coming year. Fortune-telling slips called omikuji that predict one’s luck for the year are available at booths around the shrine. Visitors can also enjoy food and souvenirs from the temporary stalls set up on the grounds.
Kangetsu-sai (Moon Viewing Festival)
Moon-viewing parties are a tradition going back to ancient times in both China and Japan. The Kangetsu-sai, or “moon-viewing festival,” at Sumiyoshi Taisha takes place under a full moon in autumn, usually in mid- to late September. The central attraction, aside from the glowing moon itself, is poetry: the festival celebrates Japanese verse and its historic connections to the shrine. During the festival, priests stand in the center of the famous “Sorihashi Bridge” at Sumiyoshi Taisha and recite waka poetry aloud. The poems are mostly haiku and tanka (slightly longer than haiku), following the syllable patterns of “five-seven-five” and “five-seven-five-seven-seven,” respectively.
Otaue Shinji (Sacred Rice Planting)
The Otaue Shinji rice-planting ceremony is said to date back to the establishment of Sumiyoshi Taisha in 211. When empress-regent Jingū founded the shrine, she ordered the creation of a rice paddy dedicated to Sumiyoshi Taisha’s patron gods. That same paddy, just southwest of the main shrine, is still used in the ceremony today. The Otaue Shinji takes place every June 14. After a purification ritual, the sacred paddy is tilled by oxen pulling wooden plows and then sprinkled with holy water. As the rice is planted, dancers and musicians in colorful costumes perform at the edges of the paddy, making the ritual a festive event.
