Osaka Tenmangu Shrine

The Osaka Tenmangu Shrine features a vermilion main gate that stands out against the gray concrete of the surrounding city. It serves as the primary home for the spirit of Sugawara no Michizane, a ninth-century scholar and poet. Legend says that after he was exiled, plum trees flew from his garden to join him, and today thousands of plum trees bloom here every February. Students flock to the gates during exam season to pray for academic success, often leaving behind small wooden prayer tablets.