Written by Aarohi Narain
Join the Obon festival at Osaka’s Shitennōji Temple for a combination of prayer, candlelight offerings, and spirited dancing.
What happens?
Obon is a time to honor and remember ancestors through temple visits, offerings, and the popular dance known as Bon Odori.
At Shitennōji, there will be Bon Odori dancing on select days. In addition, visitors can request a recitation of sutras by a monk in one of the temple halls, followed by incense offerings and the traditional floating of wooden prayer slips at Kameidō Hall. In the evenings, thousands of special candles inscribed with the names of the departed will be lit in the central temple area.
Schedule 2025
Candles will be lit every day from August 9 to August 16, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.. The Bon Odori took place on August 11 and 12, starting at dusk.
- 0.6 km from Shitennōji-mae Yūhigaoka Station Tanimachi Line (T26)
- 0.7 km from Tennōji Station Osaka Loop Line (O1)Hanwa Line (R20)Yamatoji Line (Q20)Midōsuji Line (M23)Tanimachi Line (T27)
- 0.9 km from Teradachō Station Osaka Loop Line (O2)
