Tokoin Hagi no Tera: Temple of Bush Clovers

One relatively small temple nestled in northwest Osaka is locally famous for its hagi flowers. Formally known as Tokoin, it is more commonly called Hagi no Tera. This temple is famous for bush clovers, or hagi in Japanese, which signal the start of the fall season. 

Tokoin Hagi no Tera

According to the temple records, the temple used to be located near the Yodogawa River in Osaka City close to what is present-day Nakatsu Station. However, in 1915 the temple moved from Nakatsu to its current location during the construction of the Hankyu Railway. 

Tokoin is 10-15 minutes walk from Sone Station of Hankyu Takarazuka Line.

While Agonashi Jizo-do may not seem that special, it used to be in the building of Kawasaki Toshogu Shrine, the only shrine in Osaka that enshrined Tokugawa Ieyasu. Kawasaki Toshogu was almost completely destroyed, in part because the people of Osaka had immense disdain for Ieyasu. However, the main part of the shrine was relocated to Tokoin before it was completely demolished.  

The Hondo itself is rather new. The hondo also supposedly contains the statue of Buddha Gyoki carved. 

Hagi 

Throughout the temple are many beautiful hagi bushes, so be sure to visit the temple in the early fall. Hagi, one of the iconic flowers of fall in Japan, typically starts to bloom around mid-September