One of the oldest and most important shrines in Osaka, dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane — the 9th-century scholar and statesman who was deified after his death as the god of learning. The shrine is covered in small ema (votive plaques) tied by students seeking exam success, and the atmosphere is intensely local compared to the tourist crowds around Osaka Castle.
The shrine is the starting point of the Tenjin Matsuri, held each July, which is ranked among the three greatest festivals in Japan. The two-day event builds from a ritual on the 24th to the great procession on the 25th, when over 100 boats process along the Okawa River carrying musicians, dancers, and the shrine's portable mikoshi. The river parade is one of the most spectacular sights in Osaka's calendar.