 " Naniwa Tamatsukuri Gem Museum " of a " Haniwa " of " Kiritsuma -zukuri " ( gable ) style house of the Yaoi Period "  The monument of "Naniwa Tamatsukuri Shiryokan " ( Naniwa-Tamatsukuri Gem Museum ) built to commemorate the second millennium of the foundation of the shrine. |
Welcome
!  The main deity enshrined in this Shinto shrine is Ukanomitama-no-ôkami ( Shinto Shrine )
gem The Magatana on the right hand is made of jade and is sold now.  Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine ( Gem Shrine ) 3-ban 8-go Tamatsukuri 2-chome Chuo-ku, Osaka City Tel : 06-6941-3821 Fax : 06-6947-7418 http:www.inarijinja.or.jp E-mail : office@inarijinja.or.jp |
 The Korean Peninsula in the mid-4th century A.D. The Ages of " the Three Kingdoms "  The Tamatsukuri Shrine is situated at the south of the Osaka Castle.  Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine |
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| Around the first century B.C.E., the Seto Inland Sea was penerated into
a large area of what is called now Osaka. The penetrated sea of the Kawachi Bay was connected to the Osaka Bay. People inhabited the narrow strip of the peninsula that is called now " Uemachi Daichi - Uemachi Plateau ". The tradition of the Tamatsukuri-inari Shrine says that this Shrine was founded in the eighteenth year of the reign of Emperor Suinin, or in 12 B.C.E. to enshrine the god " Ukanomitama -no-Ôkami. "This god was born between the god Susano-o-no-mikoto and the goddess Kamuôichi -hime and has been worshipped from ancient times as the spirit of rice, and the god of all kinds of cereals and foods. The god came to be called Inari Ôkami. It was associated with the fox which protects rice by catching sparrows which eats rice. The fox was considered as a messenger of the Inari god but it came to be considred as the incarnation of the god itself. The fox is a mysterious animal who hide itself at the sight of persons. Immigrants from the Asian Continent are said to have arrived in Osaka with a higher civilization of making articles of bronze and iron, and cultivation of rice. Prople began to settle down to engage themselves in agriculture. The swampy land down the peninsula became useful for rice cultivation. In the fourth century, Emperor Nintoku ruled Japan and Osaka was the capital of Japan .He was well-known among Japanese people as one of the most benevolent rulers. The emperor did not collect any tax during six years and made people free from any labour for three years. He built canals, ponds and dikes. The Korean peninsula at that time was in the Ages of the Three Kingdoms. ( 37 B.C.E - 668 C.E. ) Japan had close and friendly relations with the Kingdom of Paekche known in Japan as " Kudara ". The allied troops of Japan and Paekche were defeated in 663 at Hakusukinoe by the allied troops of China of Tang dynasty and Silla. The Kingdom of Paekche, thus, perished for ever. In 668, the Kindgom of Silla unified the Korean Peninsula after defeating the Kingdom of Koguryo. The members of the Royal family, noblemen, and craftsmen of the perished Kingdom of Paekche fled to Japan. They were received with much respect. They were given land,high-ranking positions in the Japanese Imperial government. The craftsmen from Paekche contributed to building of the temples, palaces and to promoting other industries. Around the fourth century, there was a guild of gem makers called Tamatsukuri-be in the area which is called now " Tamatsukuri - gem makers ". The Chronicle " Nihon Shoki " compiled in 720 at the order of the Imperial House says that in 493, Hidakanokishi was sent to the Kingdom of Koguryo in the north of Korean Peninsula to look for expert jewel makers. The comma-shaped gems called " Magatama " are found only In Korea and Japan.They must have their origin in Korea but they developed more in Japan.They were associated with the Mythological Genesis of Japan. " Magatama "is one of the Three Heavenly Treasures " Sanshu no Shingi " that the Goddess of the Sun " Amaterasu Ômikami bestowed on the Heavenly Descendant Niigi-no Mikoto, as the symbol of his sovereign rule on Earth, when he descended to Earth. The Genuine Heavenly Magatama " Yasakani no Magatama " - the symbol of the Imperial rule has been handed down from generation to generation to the present Emperor. It is said that it is treasured in the " Kashikodokoro " shrine in the Imperial Palace. But, there is almost no public inofrmation about it. We don't really know how it looks like. Legend says also that the Godess of the Sun Amaterasu-no-Ômikami wore an ornament of magatama on her head. The god Susano-o-no Mikoto asked her to give it to him. Susano-o-no-Mikoto is said to have crushed it with his teeth and vomitted out 5 island creating gods. The Magatama are comma-shaped curved gems usually made of precious stones like green or greenish jades, blue agates,crystals or also many other materials. Why they are curved is not known and is a mystery. Some people say that they were shaped after fish,human kidneys, embryos, crescent moons, or the universe of Ying and Yang ( Moon and Sun). The Magatama were worn as ornaments by high ranking government officials and noblemen. Shintoist priests are believed to have used them to conduct some religious rites. The Magatama were charms and symbols of power. Ancient Japanese began to make Magatama in the third centrury C.E. and ceased making them in the seventh century C.E. , when Buddhism which had been introduced a few centuries earlier took firm root in Japan. In the grounds of the temple, there is a cottage-like house which is a house in ancient times of Kiritsuma style( gabled ) whose replicas called " Haniwa " have been discovered in many places archaeological sites of Japan. The small house is a mini-museum called " Naniwa Tamatsukuri gem Museum ". It houses many kinds of gems made in ancient times, and exibits of gem making. " Naniwa " was the ancient name for Osaka. It meant " rapid currents in the sea ". The shrine is on the south of Osaka Castle on Uemachi Plateau in Tamatsukuri 2-chome, Chûo-ku, Osaka. In the second half of the 6th century C.E., Japan had a short period of conflicts between Buddhists and Shintoists. Buddhism was a new religion and had not yet any firm root in Japan. The Soga clan and the prince regent Shotoku-Taishi, worshippers of Buddhism fought against the clans closely related to the Shinto priesthood led by the Mononobe clan. The Mononobe clan which had supported militarily the Imperial House since ancient times unknown were defeated and perished for ever in the war and Buddhism began to be popular supported by the Imperial House. He fought againt the Mononobe clan to introduce Buddhism to Japan but not to deny the Japanese gods of Shinto Religion. Although he declared in 594 in the name of the emperor the Imperial Rescript to propagate Buddhism and promulgated in 604 the Seventeen Article Constitution which provided that Buddha, Buddhist teaching and the Buddhist priests should be revered, he issued in 607 the imperial rescript to adore the gods of Shinto religion. The Shinto had been traditionally the religion of the Imperial House to which he belonged. The prestage of the Imperial House is closely related to the Shinto religion. To deny the Shinto religion would be therefore to denigrate the honor of the Imperial House. What he wanted was peace and harmony. He stated in the first article of the Seventeen Article Constitution, " WA - Harmony and peace " is to be most valued, and an avoidance of wanton antagonism to be honored. All men are easily infleunced by class and group feelings,and wise persons are rare among us. Hence there are some who disobey their lords, masters and fathers or who maintain feuds with the neighboring villages. But, when those above are harmonious and peaceful-minded and those below are friendly and discuss harmouniously and peacefully the matters of the communities and the State, there will be no discord and the right view-points of things naturally gain acceptance and prevalence. Then any difficult task can be accomplished smoothly and harmorniously. " From the starting point of the introduction of Buddhism and foreign cultures, PrinceRegent Shotoku wanted harmony, peace and coexistance between the religions, and between foreign cultures and Japanese culture. When he was 16 years old, he participated in the war to introduce Buddhism into Japan. It was an invevitable war for him to bring peace and harmony into Japan. He wanted coexistance of Buddhism and Shinto religion. In spite of his sincere wishes, the political conflicts would continue about a half century. In 643, prince Yamashiro -no-Ôeno-ô, son of Prince regent Shotoku was killed by the troop of Soga-no Iruka and the family of Prince Regent Shotoku perished for ever. In 645, Soga Iruka was killed in the Imperial Palace by Prince Nakano Ôeno-ô, Nakatomi-no Kamatari and their assassines to bring into Japan so called Taika Reform. At the foot of Chausuyama Hill, near Shitennôji Temple, there is a Shinto Shrine called Horikoshi-jinja Shrine. This shrine is said to have been built by Prince Regent Shotoku for the thirty third Emperor Sushun, uncle of Prince Regent Shôtoku. The emperor was assassinated in 592 by the assassin sent by Soga-no Umako, who was his father-in-law and and an important comrade in the combat to introduce Buddhism in Japan. What Umako did was against the principle of Prince Regent Shotoku who valued " WA - harmony and accord. " He and empress Suiko, however,should have wanted to make the most of the power that Soga-no Umako had.
According to a tradition of the Shrine, before the Prince Regent Shotoku Taishi ( 574 - 622 ) fought against the Mononobe clan which was strongly opposed to the introduction of Buddhism in 587, he had prayed to the god of the shrine, striking a piece of white chestnut wood stick into the grounds at this shrine,saying " Let me win, and bring forth branches and leaves as a sign of my victory. if we could win, we will build the temple for the four buddhist guardian gods. " The stick of the chestnut wood grew soon to be a tree with braches and leaves and he could win the battle.He build Shiteñoji Temple. The hill became to be called " Kurigaoka Yama - Chessnut Hill ". Some careful Western readers may wonder why the prince regent prayed to the Shinto god for the victory in the war against the pious Shinto believer Mononobe clan who was opposed to the introduction of Buddhism. He won the battle and built Shitennôji temple at the place called Arahaka in Naniwa ( Osaka ) in 587. The Mononobe clan believed firmly that the angers of the Japanese gods at the introduction of Buddhism brought about serious epidemics in the Asoka region. According to tradition of the Chôgosonshi-ji in Nara prefecture, while Prince Regent Shotoku prayed to Bishamonten god of the Buddhist temple for victory in war, the god appeared on the back of a tiger and taught him secret arts to win the war, and Prince Shotoku won the war. In the precincts of Tamatsukuri Shrine, there is a pond called " White Dragon Pond " and a bronze replica of a white dragon. At the side of this pond, there was a buddhist hall for the eleven-faced Kannon goddess carved from a chessnut wood of the tree in the hill by Prince Regent Shotoku. It is said that the goddess Kannon appeared riding a white dragon. We know from an essay written by Ihara Saikaku and a play script written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon that the Kannon Hall was visited by many worshippers. Prince Regent Shotoku was the son of the emperor Youmei. The ruling empress Suiko was his aunt. Some Western readers may again wonder why such a wise prince could not rise to take the throne. After the first ruling empress Suiko, Japan had 7 more ruling empresses mostly in the Asuka period. The Soga clan was the most powerful, but there were other powerful clans like Mononobe. Two of the ruling empresses re-assumed the throne with a different name for the second time, after having retired once already. This was necessary to maintain a peaceful balance of power between the conflicting clans. The empresses were elected to evade any disastrous confrontation between the clans. Several princes were assassinated in the Asoka Period but no princess was assassinated. No empress was treated ill like being expelled to a far-away island. The ruling empress Suiko had been the empress of the emperror Bitatsu. He was a widow, after the emperor died. The empress was a half brother of the emperor Susyun and the forth daughter of emperor Kinmei. Her uncle was the head of the Soga clan, Soga no Umako. Soga no Umako thought that she can be the best for the benefits of the Soga clan as a ruling empress. He thought that she would not be antagonistic towards the Soga Clan like the emperor Susyun who tried to ruin the Soga clan. If his son-in-law, Prince Shotoku would assume the throne, they must have conflicts. From the Heian Period until the present time, Japan has had only 2 ruling empresses. Both reigned. during the the Edo Period. At that time, the enthronement of an empress had nothing to do with the balance of powers because only the Shogunate had economic, military and political powers. The Imperial Court long ago lost its economic and political power. She was just a figurehead, as had been other emperors. The Shogunate exercised its strong political power in the succession issue of the emperors and empresses. The ruling empress Meisho was the grand-daughter of the second Shogun Hidetada. From 593 when empress Suiko assumed the throne until the end of 8th century, there were 6 ruling empresses and 8 imperial reigns,as two empresses once retired ascended once again the throne to fill the politicl vacuum.
During the battle in 1576, the main hall, the secondary halls and historical records of the shrine were burnt down. The Toyotomis considered the temple as the protector of Osaka Castle. Hideyori, son of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, constructed several building of the temple in 1603. It was burnt down again during the Battle of Summer of Osaka en 1615. The Osaka Castle was burnt down and the 2 generations of the Toyotomis ended. Now, we can see the Torii gate donated by lord Toyotomi Hideyori in 1603. A large part of it is burried underground and only the top of it is exposed out of the grounds. The Tokugawa Shogunate rebuilt the buildings of the temple. But, a great fire in 1863 which started in Shinmachi spreaded to the Tamatsukuri area, and they burnt again.
After a short period of the ruling by a warlord, Osaka soon belonged to the direct administration of the Shogunate. The Shogunate sent to Osaka governors. They were called " Osaka Jyodai " the depuly ruler of the Osaka Castle. Each of them stayed in office for some time. During the opulent Genroku era in the Edo period, the Buddhist Kannon Hall in the grounds of the shrine was the 10th site of the 33 Kannon pilgrimage temples in Osaka. There were 33 places where the buddhist godess Kannon was enshrined. It was crowded with many worshippers as described in two works of plays written by the playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon, and the short story writer Ihara Saikaku. They were rebuilt in the fourth year of the Meiji Era (1871). On 23rd March 1945, at mid-night, Osaka was covered by 274 American bombers B29. Almost all the central areas of Osaka city were reduced to ashes. The Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine could not be escaped from the bombings. They were all burned down. En 1954, the present temple buildings were built again by the worshippers and parishioners of the temple. In 1975, the road there was designated as the first " History Walk Road " by the Osaka city's government.. In 1976, the temple held the ceremony to pray for the coming successful celebration of the 2,000th anniversary of the foundation of the temple, inviting His Highness prince Mikasa-no-miya Tomohito, mayor of Osaka City, other important persons and the parishers. In 1989, Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine celebrated the 2,000th anniversary of its foundation. The main god enshrined in Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine is Ukanomitama-no-ôkami. The deity was a son born to the god Susano-o-no-Mikoto and the goddess Ôichi-no-Mikoto. " Uke " or "Uka " meant foods and the spirit they holds in ancient Japanese language,. " Ôichi " meant " large markets " or commerce. The two deities, put together, meant " distribution of foods " important for the humans. The god Ukanomitama-no-ôkami is the god of abundant harvest and foods and the goddess Toyouke- hime-Ôkami has the same character. The latter is enshrined in the Gekû shrine ( outer shrine) in the Ise Sanctuary. Both deities were confused and considered as the same sometimes. Foxes are considered as cunning and deceitful animals in the Western countries, as described in the fairy tales like Aesop's Fable. Aesop was a writer in ancient Greece, cradle of Western Civilazation. The ancient Greece had a rich mythology. The foxes appear in also their mythology. |
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Foxes in Japan have double images. There are good foxes and bad foxes. Both foxes and tanuki are considered as deceitful animals. But, Tanuki have somthing humorous. .We have a popular saying of " Deceiving game between fox and tanuki ", referring to two persons who try to deceive each other. In English speaking countries, they say " as sly as a fox ". Foxes are considered also as " cunning" and "crafty ". Some people think that foxes are beautiful and rare creatures. They have sharp minds, and fast and hard to catch. In America, in the 1970's , a cute boy or girl was referred to as a fox or as being foxy. Foxes are considered as mysterious animals for us in Japan, because they hide themselves very fast at the sight of the humans. Tanuki, on the contrary, are not mysterious. Recently in Kobe, they have begun coming down to the suburbs of the city from the mountains. Some people have begun feeding them so they have begun appearing everyday to be fed. They have become something like pet animals, although they litter garbage. Tanuki appear in fairy tales which Japanese mothers tell to their children. Many Japanese children at the age of six all over Japan know them in common. They are cunning animals but humorous animals for many Japanese children. There are many legends also about foxes, good foxes and bad foxes. But, most of them are well-known only regionally, not like the fairy tales of Tanuki with which Japanese children are familiar. In Europe, foxes are considered bad animals as they eat harvested crops. Foxes are considered, however, in Japan as good animals. They catch and eat rats and sparrows, which eat harvested crops. Scarecrows, which are in rice paddies, are actually used to scare off sparrows. In 1747, " Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura - Yoshitsune and 1,000 cherry trees " written by plywright Takeda Izumo and two other plywrights was put on the stage of puppet show plays. It was adapted later into Kabuki theater. Takeda Izumo made the fiction story of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He was a younger brother of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate. Yoshitsune was always loyal to his brother,and fought hard and bravely for his bother, but was tragically ill-treated and persecuted by the first shogun Yoritomo., as the shogun was jealous of the favors which his younger brother obtained from the Imperial Court and his fame as a brilliant warrior in so many battles. The shogun finally wanted to kill his younger brother Yoshitsune. Yoshitsune wanted to flee leaving the capital of Kyoto. His illigitimate wife Shizuka Gozen wanted to acompany him. Yoshitsune didn't permitted her to go with him. He gave her the wonderful hand drum called " Hatsune no Tsuzumi " given to him by the emperor and ordered one of his samurai Sato Tadanobu to stay with her to guard her. Lady Shizuka Gozen was humble by birth. She was an entertainer( dancer and musician ). She and Yoshitsune are the favorite doll characters on the carriages in many festivals specially in the Kanto region. The brave samurai Tadanobu was a fox in his real form. The hand drum was made of the skin of his parent foxes.He longed to see his parents and so wanted to become a retainer of Yoshitsune who owned the hand drum made of the skin of his parents. In the Kabuki play " Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura ", some actors are very skillful at depicting the momentary transformations that reveal Tadanobu's true identity - the white fox who longs who longs for his parents. In our Japanese culture, the trragic heroe, unsuccessful and ill-rewarded, have been beloved and admired more than the successful heroes by Japanese people. This cultural trait is called " Hangan Biiki ". or preference to Hangan, which was title bestowed on Yoshitsune by the Imperial Court. " Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura " is considered as one of the tree master-pieces of the Kabuki plays. It is very difficult to see foxes in the mountain, as they hide themselves quickly at the sight of the humans. On the contrary, In Kobe city, tanuki come down to its suburbs from the mountain. Some people feed them. So, they began to appear everyday to be feeded well. Foxes were sometimes considered as good animals, because they catch and eat rats and sparrows which eat harvested crops. Scare-crows which are in rice paddies are actually scare-sparrows. In the street in front of the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, there are many shops which sell grilled sparrows. Tourists and worshippers eat them heads, bones and all. It is believed that fried tofu is also a favorite food of foxes. Noodle in a soup with fried tofu on its top is called Kitsune Udon, or fox noodle. Kitsune Udon is one of the typical food of Osaka. Fried tofu stuffed with vinegared and boiled rice and other ingridients in it is called Inari Azushi. The word Inari is said to have come from " Ine Nari - rice growing " and also the practice of carrying sheaves of harvested rice on the shoulders to a shrine in order to offer it to the gods. As foxes protected crops, catching sparrows which eat cereals, they were considered as the messengers of the god Ukanomitama-no-ôkami. In the course of time, foxes became confused as being deities themselves. It is not known well when foxes began to be considered as gods. Since ancient times, they have been considered as messengers sent by gods to protect harvests, and would go back to mountains after havest times. Saint Kukai ( Kôhô Taishi ) returned to Japan in 806 after having learned in China the Esoteric Buddhism which he bagan propagating in Japan.The Hindu goddess Dakini ( Dakiniten in Japanese ) got confused with the Inari god. This gave birth to buddhist Inari Temples. Toyokawa Inari Temple in Toyokawa City, Aichi prefecture is the most important Buddhist Inari Temple. Its sub-temples are found in Tokyo and also in other prefectures. Toyokawa Inari temple was founded in 1441. Its 30 meter high Main Hall was completed in 1930, after 20 year long works. There are 100 temple buildings in a area of 110,000 square meters. The Inari gods which had been originally the deities of Abundant harvest and foods were the almighty gods of commerce, industries, ever-lasting prosperity and hapiness of people in the Edo Period. Now, the Inari gods are worshipped far and wide in Japan. Among 80,000 shintoists shrines, about 32,000 are said to be Inari Shrines. But, people have more small Inari Shrines in their factories, in their shops, restaurants, gardenes,offices, warehouses and individual houses, and many places. Even if they are not Inari shrines, many shrines have small inari sub-shrines which can be identified easily for their stone statues of foxes and vermillion-colored wooden Torii gates. ( See the above picture. ) The most important Shintoist Inari Shrine is Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine ( Grand Fushimi Inari Shrine ) in Fushimi-ku,in the south of Kyoto city. A large area of Fushimi-yama mountain is the sanctuary of the shrine and it has an area of 870,000 square meters, 22 times more larger than the Kôshien Baseball Stadium. The long tunnel of 10,000 red Torii gates at Grand Fushimi Inari Shrine are well-known. In the Edo Period, when people prayed to the the god of the Shrine and the god came through with the wishes, they associated the realized wishes with " go through the Torii gates " and donated Torii gates. Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine is a head shrine of 30,000 Inari shrines in Japan. The devided spirit of this head shrine must be transferred to a new Inari shrine. But, the buddhist Inari shrines and Tamatsukuri Inari shrine are independant from Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. Tamatsukuri Inari was founded seven centuries before the foundation of Fushimi Inari Taisha. Legend says that Hata no Irokogu enshrined a deity in the Inari mountain in 711, which is said to be the origin of Grand Fushimi Inari Shrine. Hata clan is to have come from China, but some historians believe that it is not a trustowothy legend and they should have come from Silla in the Korean Peninsula. They were experts in cultivation of silk worms and making silk textile goods. The Inari god was originally a god for harvested cereals became a good for prosperous business and industries, health of family, and for more in the Edo Period. During the three days of the New Year, 2 millions and a half people visit Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. |
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Children Taiko Parade The chief priest of Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine, Mr. Suzuki Kazuo was deeply concerned with recent sad and tragic ill-treatments of children and infants and crimes by children even murders which we did not know a few years ago and in any ages of our history, even in the times of successive wars. Something must be wrong in our society , in our education system or in our families. Mr. Suzuki Kazuo, to make children happier, decided to organize the children's parade of people who lived 400 years ago in Tamatsuruki area. The parade took place took place on August 6th 2004. The parade of children clad as warlords, samurai, ladies and princesses walked 2 kilometers fron Tamatsukuri Shrine to Osaka Castle. I hope that this parade will become a new tradition of Osaka and will be held every year. |
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 More About Tamatsukuri Shrine The Japanese Traditional Customs and ceremonies  |
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| The Holy Land Blessed by the gods ( Japanese Mythology )  |
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The remains of the well of Lord Hosokawa Ecchû-no-Kami Tadaoki  and Lady Gracia and the ages in which lived in. ( Near the Tamatsukuri Shrine ) |
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Shitennôji Temple and Prince regent Shotoku Taishi -  Introduction of Buddhism in Japan （ Under construction ) |
