# Shitenno-ji, Osaka > Shitenno-ji is one of Japan's oldest temples, founded by Prince Shotoku in 593. Its gates are open around the clock and the grounds are free. Entry to the central precinct with the pagoda is ¥500. From April to September it opens 8:30–16:30, and until 16:00 from October to March. On the 21st and 22nd there's a flea market and free entry. The metro is 5 minutes away. Web page: https://yesgo.io/japan/osaka/shitennoji - City: [Osaka](https://yesgo.io/japan/osaka), Japan - YesGo score: 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - Entry: grounds free; precinct ¥500 - With kids: Fine with kids - Grounds: Free, gates always open - Central precinct: ¥500; high school ¥400; schoolchildren ¥300 - Gokuraku-jodo Garden: ¥300; closed on the 1st–10th of several months - Hours: 8:30–16:30 in summer, 8:30–16:00 in winter - 21st and 22nd: Flea market; central precinct free - Getting there: Metro to Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka, 5 minutes - Coordinates: 34.65390, 135.51645 - Facts checked: 09.11.2026 ## Key facts - **593** — the year Prince Shotoku founded the temple (source: en.wikipedia) - **First** — state-built Buddhist temple in Japan (source: en.wikipedia) - **5 storeys** — of the pagoda at the centre of the precinct (source: en.wikipedia) - **One line** — gate, pagoda, golden hall and lecture hall — the 'Shitenno-ji style' (source: en.wikipedia) - **¥500** — entry to the central precinct (source: shitennoji.or.jp) - **24 hours** — the temple gates are open (source: shitennoji.or.jp) - **21st and 22nd** — of each month — flea market and free entry (source: shitennoji.or.jp) - **Shotoku** — the prince who spread Buddhism in Japan (source: en.wikipedia) ## What is Shitenno-ji? **Shitenno-ji** is a Buddhist temple in the Tennoji area of south Osaka and one of the oldest in the country. It was founded by **Prince Shotoku** in **593** and is considered Japan's first state-built temple. The name means 'temple of the Four Heavenly Kings', the Buddhist guardians of the four directions. The temple keeps its original layout, known as the **'Shitenno-ji style'**: the middle gate, **five-storey pagoda**, golden hall and lecture hall stand in one straight line from south to north inside a covered gallery. The present buildings are modern reconstructions that follow the ancient plan. > **Come on the 21st or 22nd** The 21st and 22nd of each month are memorial days for Kobo Daishi and Prince Shotoku. On these days a big flea market fills the temple grounds with antiques, kimono and ceramics, and entry to the central precinct is free. Come in the morning: the best things are gone by lunchtime. ## Tickets and hours According to the official site, the temple gates are open **around the clock**, and you can walk the outer grounds for free. Entry to the **central precinct** with the pagoda and golden hall is **¥500** for adults and university students, ¥400 for high-schoolers and ¥300 for schoolchildren; preschoolers go free. **Gokuraku-jodo Garden** is ¥300, and the treasure house ¥500 during exhibitions. From April to September the precinct and garden open **8:30 to 16:30**, and from October to March until **16:00**. The garden closes on the 1st–10th of February, March, May, June, July, September, October and November, and on 12–14 January. ## What to see - **The five-storey pagoda** — you can go inside. - **The Kondo golden hall** with its Kannon statue. - **The stone torii** at the west gate. - **Gokuraku-jodo Garden** with ponds and streams. - **The treasure house** — during exhibitions. - **The flea market** on the 21st and 22nd. ## How to get to Shitenno-ji 1. **Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka metro** — Tanimachi line, about 5 minutes on foot. 2. **Tennoji station** — JR and metro, about 15 minutes on foot north. 3. **Kintetsu Osaka-Abenobashi** — about 15 minutes on foot. 4. **From Tsutenkaku** — about 15 minutes on foot through Tennoji Park. 5. **From Namba** — metro with one change, about 15 minutes. ## Shitenno-ji or Kyoto's temples | | Shitenno-ji | Kyoto temples | | --- | --- | --- | | Age | 593 — one of the first | Mostly later | | Buildings | Reconstructions on the ancient plan | Many original | | Entry | ¥500; grounds free | Usually paid | | Crowds | Few | Many | ## How long do you need? An **hour** is enough for the temple: walk the grounds, visit the central precinct, go into the pagoda and sit in the garden. On flea-market days allow longer — you can browse the stalls for ages. Shitenno-ji pairs easily with **Tsutenkaku** tower and the Shinsekai quarter, about 15 minutes' walk away through Tennoji Park. The Abeno Harukas skyscraper with its observation deck is nearby too. ## Is Shitenno-ji worth visiting? Yes, if you're interested in the history of Japanese Buddhism: it began here, and the temple's layout is the same as in the 6th century. The YesGo take: the buildings are new and look freshly painted rather than ancient, which can disappoint after Kyoto and Nara. But there are few tourists, and on the 21st it hosts one of Osaka's best flea markets. If you're in the Tennoji area, don't miss it. The outer grounds are free and open around the clock, so you can drop in on the way without a ticket: see the pagoda over the gallery, the stone torii and the turtles in the pond. It's worth paying if you want to go inside the pagoda and walk the inner courtyard. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] ¥500 for the central precinct - [ ] Date — the 21st or 22nd? - [ ] Garden closed on the 1st–10th of several months - [ ] Arrive before 16:00 - [ ] Tsutenkaku nearby ## Osaka temples: compare and choose Temples and shrines in Osaka rated by YesGo. - [Shitenno-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/osaka/shitennoji) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · grounds free; precinct ¥500 - [Katsuo-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/osaka/katsuoji) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥500 ## South Osaka in half a day Shitenno-ji temple in the afternoon, Tsutenkaku and a kushikatsu dinner in Shinsekai towards evening, then the neon of Dotonbori. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Shitenno-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/osaka/shitennoji) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · grounds free; precinct ¥500 2. [Tsutenkaku](https://yesgo.io/japan/osaka/tsutenkaku) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥1,500 3. [Dotonbori](https://yesgo.io/japan/osaka/dotonbori) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · free ## Good to know Shitenno-ji is the temple, while Tennoji is the whole surrounding district and station. It is also written Shitennoji. ## Tips - The grounds are free and always open. - The 21st and 22nd: flea market and free entry. - The garden closes on the 1st–10th of several months. - Ticket sales end at 16:00–16:30. - Nearby: [Tsutenkaku](https://yesgo.io/japan/osaka/tsutenkaku). ## Questions ### How much is entry to Shitenno-ji? The grounds are free; the central precinct is ¥500, the garden ¥300. ### What are the opening hours? 8:30–16:30 from April to September, 8:30–16:00 from October to March; the gates are always open. ### When is the flea market? On the 21st and 22nd of each month. ### When was the temple founded? In 593, by Prince Shotoku. ### Are the buildings original? No, they are modern reconstructions on the ancient plan. ### How do I get there? Metro to Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka, about 5 minutes on foot. ### How long do you need? About an hour. ### When is the garden closed? On the 1st–10th of several months and on 12–14 January. ## How we checked Hours, prices, free days and garden closures are from the temple's official site. The founding, Prince Shotoku and the layout are from Wikipedia. We don't cover the history of the temple's destruction and rebuilding. The flea market is from the official site and guides. ## Sources - Temple official site (shitennoji.or.jp/admission.html) — seasonal hours, prices, free days, garden closures (checked 09.11.2026) - Official site (access.html) — access - English Wikipedia: Shitennō-ji — founding, Prince Shotoku, layout, reconstructions - Wikidata Q339859 — coordinates --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.