Walk in Osaka, Japan – Hozenji Temple & Hozenji Yokocho
Hozenji Yokocho (法善寺横丁) are two alleys located in downtown Osaka in the Kansai region of Honshu, Japan.
It is 80 meters long and three meters wide, stretch from east to west, and are lined with long-established kappo restaurants, bars, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu restaurants.
It is known as the setting of Sakunosuke Oda’s novel “Married Couple’s Good Luck” and was also sung in the song “Tsuki no Hozenji Yokocho.
Originally, this area was the precincts of the Hozenji Temple (法善寺).
Built in 1637, Hozenji Buddhist temple pays homage to Fudo Myo-o. The popular moss-covered Fudo Myo-o (不動明王) statue there stands for one of the five guardians (Wisdom Kings) of Buddhism.
Both the alley and the temple were burned down in the air raids of the Pacific War, but after the war, the area was revived as a lively place.
The statue of Fudo Myo-o, which survived the war, is covered with green moss all over its body due to the water poured on it by people making wishes.
Video Source: Roaming around Hozenji yokocho 法善寺横丁 calm nostalgic back street in the middle of city dji pocket from Beautiful Japan on Youtube ⁄ CC BY
