Shitennoji

FYI: The central tower is closed for remodeling until 2022.
It is still a lovely complex to check out and be sure to show up for their monthly flea market.
A lot of fun for various festivals throughout the year.

Most Japan tourists come to Osaka to take a break from marvelous temples of Kyoto and Nara, but Shitenno-​ji Temple is still a recommended destination in Osaka! The first true Buddhist temple, Shitenno-​ji is a serene complex in the midst of the bustling city scene that is perfect to stroll especially in the early morning.
Shitenno-​ji Temple is dedicated to its namesake the Four Heavenly Kings, the Buddhist deities whom the emperor prayed for success and won against a rebellion. Though not in its original location, the temple still does not lose its Buddhist tranquility and historical significance. Unlike many notable Buddhist temples in the region, the majority of the complex excluding the main hall and the garden is free to access!
Be sure to walk around the main hall whether or not you are planning to pay to go inside to find the many interesting small halls and the large Hall of Perpetual Worship with its ponds full of sunbathing turtles. If you choose to pay, you can access the pagoda that has many primitive Japanese Buddhist wall paintings, the main hall that has one of the earliest Shitenno statues with beautiful wall paintings of Buddha’s life, and the lecture hall with two new large statues and colorful wall paintings of a monk’s journey to the west to acquire Buddhist texts.
Since almost all Osaka attractions open at 10, why not start your morning off with a religious tranquility? Though this is a walk from the closest subway stations, Shitenno-​ji Temple is definitely worth checking out!
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tl;dr version
1) First true Buddhist temple in Japan
2) Majority of area is free to access

This is one of the oldest temple in Japan opened by Umayado-​oji (Shotoku-​taishi).
Most buildings are burned by the years and renewed.
There are a tower, main hall, and a small pond that has a lot of turtles.
This pond is said to be connected to the other temple, Kiyomizu temple and makes waterfall.
It’s a old story and nobody knows the truth.
On 21^st every month, the flea market is held in the temple space.
That’s like a festival and you can find some very old treasures, can’t you?
厩戸皇子によって開かれた日本最古の寺の一つ。
すでに当時の建物は全て焼失していますが、鎌倉時代の建物は一部に残っています。
五重塔や本堂などは新しく、むしろ亀池の能舞台が貴重でしょう。
その亀池の水は、そのまま西にある清水寺の池とつながっていると言われていますが、本当のことは誰も知らないでしょう。
毎月21日はお大師さんが開催され、様々な屋台が出ます。
骨董品が見つかるかも？

Shitennoji Temple is probably one of Osaka’s top attractions, but if you’ve seen the temples in Kyoto, Shitennoji will likely pale in comparison. The pagoda is nice, but the lands surrounding the temple isn’t anything special. Cool paintings are housed in one of the buildings. One of the trams take you directly here.

I used to live very close to here and would often come to walk the grounds to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The outer grounds are pretty plain, but with a small admission fee you can enter the main area that has more artwork and a garden. Of course you have to check out the pagoda — which is amazingly beautiful.
This place is maybe not at the top of tourist spot lists so you won’t see long tourist lines. (which I liked a lot) You also won’t find lots of shops that cater to tourists, so overall it gives you a more authentic experience with the location.
ps — The turtles that sit out sunbathing in the pond area are adorable. (^_​^)

Prince Shotoku is said to have established this temple. It has a vast site in which various halls and a five-​storied pagoda stand surrounded by a corridor. Public facilities were established such as the dojo studio of Buddhist practices, the charity dispensary, the medical treatment house, and the house which accommodated persons without their relatives and aged persons.
In the same way as the present, I knew it in those days when there were the public facilities which helped people in hardship. A five-​storied pagoda is outstanding. It is a must only to see the pagoda.
Last year my husband and I come here to see Tanabata festival called «Tanabata no Yube».
Tanabata is a Japanese star festival on July 7 to wish for the reunion of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi. On the day we usually decorate bamboo branches with long narrow slips of colored papers on which our hopes are written.
There were a long path decorated with bamboos like a tunnel and a Milky Way in the precincts. It was very romantic night! We crossed under the ornamented and illuminated bamboo tunnel with beating hearts. It was unexpected to perform such a fantastic event in a solemn temple. But the legend of Tanabata comes from China and Buddhism was also introduced through China.
If you come here, I would like you to see the Tanabata festival. You will buy a strip of colored paper called Tanzaku. Won’t you write your hopes on it?

Shitennoji Temple is steeped with tradition. As one of Japan’s oldest Temples, Shitennoji is a very mystical realm, where the boundaries of the living modern world and spiritual landscape merge and become one.
There is a great amount of tranquility present here, with it’s wonderfully crafted gardens detailing the Amida Buddha’s Western Paradise. The treasure house offers a wide array of paintings and scriptures and many of the Buddha and offer a very insightful look into the world of traditional Buddhist practices. It really is a world of spirituality.