Whether it is a competition, a match, a game, or just a bet, if you want to win, come to Katsuo-ji Temple (勝尾寺) in Osaka‘s Minoh City! There is a simple ritual you can do to pray for your success. Moreover, the temple’s scenic precinct complement its cultural property nicely making it one of the most people tourist spot in the area.
Table of Content
- Explore Katsuo-ji With a Tour
- Around Katsuo-ji’s Entrance
- Katsuo-ji and Daruma Dolls
- Getting Your Own Daruma Doll
- The Best Time to Visit Katsuo-ji Temple
- Katsuo-ji Temple’s Opening Hours, Admission Fee, and Access Information
Tip: Refer to the end of Katsuo-ji’s English Website for the temple’s audio guide.
Explore Katsujo-ji With a Tour
Because getting to Katsuo-ji isn’t straightforward, instead of relying on the public transportation, you can also choose to join a tour. This way, you can explore the popular attractions in the area without extensive planning!
- Osaka Nature Walking Tour – Minoh Hidden Beauty
- Minoh Park, Ryuanji, & Katsuoji Half Day Hiking Tour from Osaka
Around Katsuo-ji’s Entrance
Beyond the main gate of Katsuo-ji Temple 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 Daruma Dolls
At Katsuo-ji, you will find Daruma Dolls -lots of them! Why? Because 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 whilst 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 the thing that he or she wants 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 that are placed in spots where you would least expect them, such as high up on a tree! (*´ω｀).
Getting Your Own Daruma Doll
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 is the ritual that imbues your doll with your strong intention of achieving 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. You can translate it to English using Google Chrome’s translation function at the right of the address bar.
Good luck with fulfilling your goal!
The Best Time to Visit Katsuo-ji Temple
- Cherry blossom: early to mid-April
- Rhododendron: late April to late May
- Hydrangea: early June to mid-July
- Fall foliage: early to the end of November
- Night time light-up from sunset to 7:30 pm takes place on weekends and public holidays from early to the end of November. Please note 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, Admission Fee, and Access Information
- Katsuo-ji 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
- The admission fee is
- 500 yen for senior high school students and above
- 400 yen for elementary and junior high school students
- 100 yen for kids that are between 3 to 5 years old
- 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 that is operated by Hankyū Bus (阪急バス).
- Refer to HERE for the service’s timetable and translate it to English using Google Chrome’s translation function at the right of the address bar.
- 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 Minō City in Osaka that you can easily form a one-day itinerary.
For more information, please refer to our article on Minō City.
