Gazing upon this torii gate what stories could it tell? This is the Ichino Torii of Tatsumi Jinja. Today we are standing before Tatsumi Jinja’s Ichino Torii gate in Osaka. It marks a place of spiritual significance.
Tatsumi Jinja also known as Tatsumi Shrine. Once called Hachiman-gu. It is a Shinto shrine with a history tied to the local community. The shrine’s exact origins remain unclear.
In 1889 five villages merged. They were Daichi village, Ikaga village, Nishisugi village, Yatsuhata village and Shijo village. The new village was named Tatsumi. This was because it was southeast of Osaka Castle. Tatsumi means southeast. Later in 1907 Tatsumi absorbed five other local shrines. This was done under the Meiji government’s shrine consolidation policy. The shrine took the village name and became Tatsumi Jinja.
The shrines absorbed were Yokono Shrine Ikaga Tenjinsha Ten照皇大神熊野 Shrine Kumano Shrine and Koji no Tenjinsha. Tatsumi Jinja’s history shows how local areas changed over time.
Interestingly the shrine is linked to local legends. The area was once called “Ooaza”. This may be a relic from the Nara period.
Let your gaze wander to the guardian dogs. These stone figures stand before the worship hall. The worship hall was built in 1975. The stone dogs are crafted from granite. Their exact age is unknown. However their style suggests they were made between the Taisho and Showa eras. This puts them somewhere in the early to mid-20th century. These dogs replaced earlier Edo period figures.
Also there is the Tatsumi Jinja Yohaisho. It is located 700 meters west of Tatsumi Jinja. It contains a small shrine and another pair of guardian dogs.
As you pass through Tatsumi Jinja’s Ichino Torii consider the history. Think about the villages that came together. Also the shrines that merged. It is a place where the past and present meet.