The “Aizen Festival”, “Sumiyoshi Festival” and “Tenjin Matsuri Festival” are known as the “Three Major Naniwa Summer Festivals”, and are traditional summer attractions in Osaka.
Of the three, only the Aizen Festival is held at a temple. You may wonder why festivals are usually held at shrines. When Buddhism and Shinto were separated in the Meiji era, separating temples from shrines, only Aizen-do (Shoman-in) retained its position of a “Temple built by Shotokutaishi for Japan”, and it subsequently inherited the festival.

Shoman-in Aizen-do (Aizen-san)
A two-minute walk from the Shitennoji Yuhigaoka Station of the subway Tanimachi Line, this temple was built by Shotokutaishi in the first year of the Emperor Suiko Era (593) as Seyakuin (public clinic for the poor), one of four temples built at the same time. Seyakuin was built based on the Buddhist belief; it was a welfare facility that grew and cultivated medicinal plants, and used them to cure the poor. Later, Shotokutaishi preached the Shoman scripture and enshrined the statue of Queen Srimala (Queen Shoman) and from this point onward, the temple became known as Shoman-in Aizen-do. The temple is also known as Aizen-do, since Aizen-Myoo, the god of good matchmaking and happy marriages, is enshrined in Kondo.

Lots of visitors come for solemn prayers to ward off evil influences and bring in good luck. Since Aizen-Myoo, the god of good matchmaking and happy marriages, is enshrined here, and aizen means indigo dye in Japanese, many people engaged in the dyeing and apparel industry and also women come here to worship.

The festival starts with the Hoe palanquin parade, recreating the scene of geisha girls in new kimono from Shinchi and Shinmachi in Kita coming for worship in Hoe palanquins in early 18th century. Actual geisha girls participated in the parade until around ten years ago, but recently they have been supplanted by Aizen Girls in yukata (summer cotton kimono) selected by public contest to brighten up the festivals.

This is the first of summer festivals and a lot of Osaka folk start wearing yukata at Aizen Festivals. Therefore it is also called the “Yukata Festival”. 12 Aizen girls in uniform yukata, the stars of the festival, parade along the 1.5km road from JR Tennoji Station to Aizen-do along Tanimachisuji for about 2 hours, cheering

●Evil-free for half a year with take out
At the big memorial service, priests walk the corridor of Taho Pagoda chanting sutras and scattering imitation flowers resembling lotus petals. Flowers in five colors represent the Buddha coming down from paradise. After the service, you can pick them up to keep in your wallet or use as a bookmark.