Osu Kannon Temple
The temple Kitanosan Shinpuku-ji Hosho-in in Nagoya, Aichi, is commonly known as Osu Kannon. The temple was originally built in 1333 in Gifu Prefecture, however, due to repeated flooding, it was moved to its present location in 1612 by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Today, the main hall is decorated with a large red paper lantern steadied with wires from its base; worshippers tie their wishes to these wires in hopes that they’ll be granted. An antique fair is also held on the temple grounds on the 18th and 28th of every month. The temple is also famous for its on-ground library with over 15,000 Japanese and Chinese Buddhist works. Among them is the oldest hand-written copy of the Kojiki, the earliest account of Japanese history. While worshippers flock to the grounds daily, you’ll also find flocks of pigeons—it’s a nice place to sit and admire the union of the surrounding city with the tranquility of the temple. Nearby visitors can also enjoy the Osu Shopping Arcade.