Tennōji-ku, Osaka

Tennōji (天王寺区, Tennōji-ku) is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. It is named after the Shitennō-ji (Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings), which is located in the ward.

General information

Tennōji Station is the city's main southeastern rail terminal with Osaka Municipal Subway's Tennōji Station Midōsuji Line and Tanimachi Line, JR Tennōji as the terminus of the JR Hanwa Line (and a major stop on the Kyoto Line, Osaka Loop Line, Yamatoji Line and Kansai Airport Line) and the Kintetsu Abenobashi Station, directly across the street from Tennōji station is the terminus of the Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line. As a result of its being a major railway hub, it has become a major built up area in southern Osaka. The buildings around the station include, the Kintetsu department store, Mio, Station Plaza, and Hoop shopping malls, Apollo Movie Theater and Lucias shopping mall, as well as the more recent Q's Mall. In addition, there are several shopping streets in the area including Abenobashisuji. The Kintetsu Abeno Harukas building, which houses the Kintetsu department store, was fully opened in the spring of 2014 and is currently the tallest building in Japan at 300 meters (984 ft.) in height.

Economy

Aigan, the eyeglasses (spectacles) chain, is headquartered in Tennōji-ku.^[1]

Attractions

Shitennō-ji Temple - the first Buddhist temple in Japan - is a historical site only a ten-minute walk from Tennōji Station.
Ikukunitama Shrine - Shinto shrine
Isshin-ji is a major Buddhist temple located between Tennoji Park and Shitennō-ji.
Tennōji Park, (immediately west of the station), includes the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art and Tennōji Zoo.
Chausuyama Kofun is a Kofun located inside Tennōji Park.

Entertainment

Tennōji ward is home to the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art, Tennōji Zoo, the Keitaku-en Japanese garden (built by the Sumitomo Corporation) and the Tennōji Botanical Garden.

There are four major shopping centers near Tennōji Station: Mio, a fashionable, upscale mall; Kintetsu Department Store; Hoop, and Q's Mall- targeted primarily at younger shoppers, but also home to a large number of restaurants and eateries.

The nearby Shinsekai entertainment district was established in the early part of the last century and still teems with scores of eateries. It is overlooked by the Tsutenkaku tower, one of Osaka's most famous symbols.