Osaka: Location of Tragic Love Story Now Attracts People Seeking Love

By Ryoma Shintani / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

11:05 JST, March 28, 2026

OSAKA — Located near JR Osaka Station, surrounded by high-rise buildings and restaurants, Tsuyu no Tenjinsha shrine is known as the setting for a tragic love story from the 18th century.

In 1703, two lovers — the courtesan Ohatsu and Tokubei, a clerk at a soy sauce wholesaler — committed suicide together in the forest on the shrine grounds. Based on this actual scandal, the playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon wrote the legendary masterpiece “Sonezaki Shinju” (The Love Suicides at Sonezaki) for bunraku puppet theater.

The work, which Chikamatsu released that same year, caused a huge sensation, and visitors, regardless of gender or age, flocked to the shrine.

The shrine is affectionately known as “Ohatsu Tenjin,” taken from the heroine’s name, and is a guardian shrine for the surrounding area of the Umeda and Sonezaki districts. In recent years, it has also gained fame as a place for matchmaking.

The shrine features racks lined with heart-shaped ema wooden prayer tablets, filled with wishes related to love written in pink or red ink. They contain phrases like “Please let me meet my destined partner,” and “I want to be able to give my love confession letter.”

Many young couples can be seen on the shrine grounds, earnestly praying toward the main hall.

Some are even driven to visit by love for their favorite pop idols. A 21-year-old university student from Kobe visited, hoping to win tickets to a concert by the popular South Korean boy band BTS. It is also a form of matchmaking for her.

“I believe it brings blessings,” she said.

The shrine is now a power spot for love wishes over 300 years after the tragic story of Ohatsu and Tokubei, who died for their love.

Tsuyu no Tenjinsha offers adorable photogenic items, such as love fortune-telling slips whose letters appear when dipped in water, and heart-shaped ema for praying for good relationships and success in love. These items have been talked about on social media, and the shrine has been selected as a “Lovers’ Sanctuary,” designated by an NPO that certifies spots suitable for proposing.

The area, mostly farmland at the time of the incident, developed significantly after Osaka Station opened in 1874. The shrine, said to have a 1,300-year history, has witnessed the transformation of northern Osaka into a bustling downtown.

Despite hardships like the main hall burning down during World War II, eateries that gathered in the burned-out grounds became the origin of the Sonezaki Ohatsu Tenjin Dori shopping street, leading to its current vibrancy.

Recently, visitors have also come after learning about “Sonezaki Shinju” through last year’s massive hit film “Kokuho.”

“Just like Umeda’s cityscape has transformed and developed, the shrine will also change,” said Chief Priest Katsunori Yoshizawa, 72. “We hope our shrine will remain, creating bonds between people while watching over the changing city.”

Fate brought deities to shrine

On the grounds of Tsuyu no Tenjinsha lie auxiliary shrines such as Suitengu and Kotohiragu.

Suitengu enshrines the deity of safe childbirth, with the main shrine located in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. Kotohiragu is revered as the deity of the sea, with the main shrine in Kotohira, Kagawa Prefecture. These shrines originally had little connection to Osaka.

At first, these deities were enshrined in storehouses in feudal domains like Kurume and Takamatsu in Osaka during the Edo period (1603-1867). A record shows that the storehouse shrines drew crowds of worshippers, especially on the 10th of each month, the day of the Kotohira pilgrimage.

However, after the Tokugawa Shogunate fell, the storehouses were returned to the new government, and the deities were relocated into shrines nearby. In 1909, the shrines were damaged in a massive fire that hit northern Osaka, and so the Tsuyu no Tenjinsha shrine accepted them.

“Over its long history, the deities enshrined here have increased,” Chief Priest Yoshizawa said. “It’s the perfect shrine for making all kinds of wishes.”

Egg dish with highball

Nestled in an alley near Tsuyu no Tenjinsha shrine is Kita Samboa, a bar that has been open for about 80 years. Here, you can enjoy a butter steamed egg dish priced at ¥600.

The bar originally opened in the Kitahama district, south of its current location before World War II. It reopened in its current location in 1946, using a part of a counter and bottle rack that survived the war’s devastation.

The egg dish has long gained popularity since the postwar era when eggs were scarce. Its rich butter and gentle egg texture pair perfectly with the bar’s signature highball served without ice. The bottle rack and counter from the devastation are still in use today.

“We want customers to enjoy the atmosphere and taste that hasn’t changed since we first opened,” said owner Junpei Otake.

Closed Sundays, holidays, and the second Saturday of each month. Open 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Tsuyu no Tenjinsha

The shrine is accessible on foot from Osaka Metro Higashi-Umeda Station and JR Osaka Station. Parking is limited in the vicinity, so it is recommended that visitors come via public transportation.

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