Sumiyoshi Taisha

The head shrine of more than 2,300 Sumiyoshi shrines nationwide, with tradition dating its founding to 211 AD. Its four main halls are built in the ancient Sumiyoshi-zukuri style, one of Japan's oldest shrine architectures, and the arched Sorihashi bridge over the pond is its most photographed feature.

Sumiyoshi Taisha is a Shrine in Osaka. You will find it at 2-9-89 Sumiyoshi, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-0045.

Osaka Metro's dense subway network and the JR Osaka Loop Line cover the center; an IC card handles all of them. Kita (Umeda) and Minami (Namba/Dotonbori) are each compact, flat and walkable districts.

Reaching Osaka: Osaka International Airport (Itami), about 12 km north of the center, handles mostly domestic flights. Kansai International Airport, on an artificial island in Osaka Bay about 37 km southwest, is the international gateway, Nankai and JR express trains reach Namba and Umeda in 40–50 minutes. Shin-Osaka is a major shinkansen hub: about two and a half hours from Tokyo by Nozomi, and 15 minutes from Kyoto. The JR Osaka Loop Line circles the city center.

Worth knowing: One IC card (Icoca, Suica, Pasmo) covers the subway, JR lines and private railways, no need for separate tickets. Dotonbori is best after dark, when the neon signs and the Glico Running Man light up over the canal. The castle park grounds are free to wander; only the tower museum has admission, with an elevator to the top. At kushikatsu shops, the no-double-dipping rule is strictly observed, one dip per skewer.