In front of you, covered in moss so thick you can barely make out the face, is Minami's most beloved image: the Mizukake Fudō, the "water-splashed Fudō". Fudō Myōō is a fierce-looking Buddhist guardian, with a sword to cut through passions and a halo of flames.
1The temple of a thousand days
Hozenji settled here in 1637. It was a Jōdo-school temple where the nenbutsu, the invocation of Amida, was chanted in thousand-day cycles. That is why it was called Sennichi-dera, "thousand-day temple", and it gave the district its name: Sennichimae, "in front of the thousand days".
The place had a gloomy neighbor. From the 17th century, a large cemetery stretched to the southeast, with a crematorium and an execution ground. They were moved away in the Meiji era, and at first almost nobody wanted to buy the land. In time it filled with theaters and cinemas, and the old burial ground became the entertainment district you see today.
2Water and moss
In the 1945 air raids the whole temple burned except this image. The story goes that shortly after the war a woman poured water over it as she prayed, and others followed her example. Decades of water have made the moss grow.
Don't touch or pull at the moss: it is part of Fudō himself.
3What to look for
- The moss that completely covers the figure.
- The lanterns donated by local businesses.
- The Hozenji Yokocho alley, made famous by Oda Sakunosuke's novel "Meoto Zenzai".
Documented
Hozenji has stood here since 1637 and gave Sennichimae its name through its thousand-day nenbutsu; in 1945 the whole temple burned except the image of Fudō.
Oral tradition
That the water-splashing custom began with a woman after the war is a story handed down by the temple and local residents.
Sources and credits
Hozenji Temple (temple information); Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (Osaka Info), Hozenji entry; Japanese Wikipedia, "法善寺" and "千日前".
Photos:
- The moss-covered Mizukake Fudō statue among lanterns and offerings: ＋－, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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