Ready to find your “winning luck” in Japan? Venture beyond the buzz of Osaka’s city center to the serene, forested hills of Minoh City and discover Katsuo-ji Temple (勝尾寺), famously known as the Temple of Victory or the Daruma Temple in Osaka. This extraordinary 1,300-year-old site has a powerful history of granting success to everyone from ancient emperors and shoguns to modern-day students and athletes. What truly sets Katsuo-ji apart is the enchanting sight of thousands of vibrant red Daruma dolls. The quintessential Japanese symbols of perseverance and good fortune are scattered across its tranquil, scenic grounds, inviting you to participate in a unique ritual of setting a goal and claiming your own personal triumph!
What to Do at Katsuoji Temple, Osaka
- Explore Katsuo-ji With a Tour
- Around Katsuo-ji’s Entrance
- Katsuo-ji and Daruma Dolls
- Getting Your Own Daruma Doll
- Stamp Your Daruma Postcard (勝尾寺スタンプラリー)
- The Best Time to Visit Katsuo-ji Temple
- Katsuo-ji Temple’s Opening Hours and Admission Fee
- How to Get to Katsuoji Temple from Osaka
Tip: Refer to the end of Katsuo-ji’s English Website for the temple’s audio guide.
Around Katsuo-ji’s Entrance
Beyond the main gate of Katsuo-ji is a bridge surrounded by mist. It is said that crossing the bridge has the same meaning as washing one’s hands and rinsing one’s mouth before praying at a shrine: both are rituals for purifying our bodies.
Whether the mist can purify us is another story, but it definitely makes the area more fantastic and mystical when you take photos to cherish the experience (´▽｀*).
If you stand in the middle of the bridge with the gate at your back, there is a small platform to the right of the pond. This is where you can feed the hungry Koi fish in the pond!
Although the fat fish won’t be there in winter, you probably won’t go there in the colder months anyway (´▽｀*).
Katsuo-ji and the Daruma Dolls
At Katsuo-ji, you will find Daruma Dolls, lots of them! Why? It is a temple that is all about winning and being successful.
When the Japanese want to achieve something, they will get a Daruma doll. They will write what they want to accomplish on the back of the doll and make a wish while drawing in the doll’s right eye. After the wish comes true, they complete the doll’s face by drawing its left eye. That is why you will see daruma dolls everywhere in this temple (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
If you take a closer look at the Daruma dolls that are placed throughout the temple, you will realize they all have different faces. This is because they were all drawn by different people. When someone has accomplished what they want to achieve, the daruma is brought back to the temple after reporting the good news, and appreciation is expressed to the Buddha in the main hall. You might find a few placed in spots where you least expect them, like high up in a tree! (*´ω｀).
Important: The Daruma dolls at Katsuoji Temple are collected by the temple at the end of each year. The Daruma dolls and old amulets brought back by the pilgrims are burnt on December 28. So, if you would like to see the precinct covered by the dolls, there won’t be that many during the year-end period and the first couple of months of the new year.
Getting Your Own Daruma Doll at Katsuoji Temple, Osaka
If you wish to borrow Buddha’s power to achieve something special (we advise that you choose something realistic and reasonable), follow the steps below.
- Choose a daruma doll from the shelf in the temple’s office.
- After writing your goal on the back of the doll, light incense in the hall opposite the temple’s office and let Buddha know what you want to achieve while asking for his blessing.
- Infuse the entire doll with smoke from the incense.
- This ritual imbues your doll with your strong intention to achieve your desired goal.
- Sign your name in the doll’s right eye. Then, color the entire eye.
- While drawing Daruma’s right eye, make a vow to yourself that you will achieve your goal, no matter what.
- Pray to the doll each day until your goal is achieved.
- Draw the doll’s left eye and then report to the Buddha that your goal is accomplished.
- Place your doll in Katsuo-ji’s precinct.
There are photos of this process on the temple’s website HERE.
Good luck with fulfilling your goal!
Stamp Your Daruma Postcard (勝尾寺スタンプラリー)
In addition to being overwhelmed by the mass number of Daruma dolls, a souvenir that all visitors can get is a Daruma postcard. But, you must gather the Daruma image on the postcard by visiting all six stamp stands scattered across the precinct. As you can see in the photos in the left Instagram post below, Darumas will gradually form on your blank postcard.
So, how do you get the blank postcard? It will be given to you once you pay the temple’s admission fee. The first stamp stand is just next to the spectacular Sanmon Gate. Remember to look for it before you proceed!
The Best Time to Visit Katsuo-ji Temple
- Katsuo-ji Temple’s Cherry blossom season is from early to mid-April
- Katsuo-ji Temple’s Rhododendron season is from late April to late May
- Katsuo-ji Temple’s Hydrangea season is from early June to mid-July
- Katsuo-ji Temple’s Fall foliage season is from early to the end of November
- Nighttime light-up, from sunset to 7:30 pm, occurs on weekends and public holidays during this period. Please note that if you want to participate in this event, you will either need to drive or take a taxi, as there are no bus services at night to Katsuo-Ji Temple
Katsuo-ji Temple’s Opening Hours and Entrance Fee
- Katsuo-ji Temple is open
- From 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays, Sundays, and public holidays
- 8 am to 6 pm on Saturdays
- The last admission is 30 minutes before the temple closes for the day
- Katsuoji Temple entrance fee is
- 500 yen for senior high school students and above
- 400 yen for elementary and junior high school students
- 100 yen for kids who are between 3 and 5 years old
How to Get to Katsuoji Temple from Osaka
- To get to Katsuo-ji by public transport, you can either get a taxi from
- Minoh Station (箕面駅): 10 minutes
- Senri-chūo Station (千里中央駅): 20 minutes
- You can also take a bus from Senri-chūo Station or Minoh-Kayano Station (箕面萱野駅) that is operated by Hankyū Bus (阪急バス).
- Refer to HERE and click “Access” for the service’s timetable.
- You can also use one of Japan’s Transport Apps to plan your visit.
Discover Other Close-by Attractions in Minō City
There are a couple more fascinating attractions in Minoh City in Osaka that you can easily form a one-day itinerary.
For more information, please refer to our article on Minō City.
