八坂神社, Shinto shrine in Japan
Yasaka Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Osaka's Namba area, located in Naniwa ward. The main building was reconstructed in 1974 and features a striking prayer hall with a wooden lion-head sculpture standing about 39 feet (12 meters) tall and 36 feet (11 meters) wide.
The shrine was revered as a protective site for the Namba community over roughly a thousand years and held importance for local people. After damage from warfare and fires, along with the separation of Shinto and Buddhism during Japan's Meiji period, the current structures were rebuilt following World War II.
The shrine serves as a gathering point for the local Namba community throughout the year. Its annual rope-pulling ceremony in January keeps alive a mythological story about the god Susanoo that residents and visitors experience together.
The shrine is open daily from early morning until evening and sits just a six-minute walk from Namba Station. Visitors can enter at any time and find a quiet break amid the busy surroundings of shops and entertainment areas.
The prayer hall with its monumental lion-head sculpture is a modern creation from 1974 that stands out distinctly among traditional shrines. Visitors discover hundreds of wooden wish tablets hanging there where people have written prayers for health and safety.
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