Nozaki Mairi, An Osaka Spring Tradition

During Golden Week, there is a big festival in Higashi-Osaka that people have loved for centuries, Nozaki Mairi.  Nozaki Mairi continues to be a popular and convenient choice for the people of Osaka to visit during Golden Week. 

Nozaki Mairi at Nozaki Kannon

Getting to Nozaki Kannon

To get to Nozaki Kannon , take the Gakkentoshi Line, as known as Katamachi Line, from Kyobashi Station and get off at Nozaki Station.

After getting off Nozaki Station, follow Nozaki Sando to Nozaki Kannon. There are many food vendors lining either side of Nozaki Sando during Nozaki Mairi, so you can’t miss it.

We visited Nozaki Kannon on May 2^nd, which is not one of the national holidays held during Golden Week. Since it was technically a regular weekday, there was less people than we expected.

Though now everyone can get there easily by train, in the Edo Period it was very common for people to go to Nozaki by ship. A famous rakugo, “Nozaki Mairi”, depicts that it was also common for people who went to Nozaki by ship to pick a shouting matching with those who chose to walk to Nozaki.

This odd tradition seems to have continued for a number years, eventually leading to the presumption that if you “won” this verbal tiff, you would get good luck.

Unfortunately, the rivers used by the people in Edo to sail to Nozaki were buried a long time ago, leaving the trains as the primary means to get to Nozaki Mari.

Nozaki Kannon

Though Nozaki Mairi started in the Edo Period, this temple itself originated much earlier. The origin of Nozaki Kannon is somewhere around the 8th century by a famous monk named Gyoki.

Held at Nozaki Kannon, formally known as Jigan-ji Temple, Nozaki Mairi lasts from May 1^st -May 8^th. The main even of Nozaki Mairi is on May 8th, when the temple holds a Buddhist service called muenkyou  that gives thanks to all living things in the world.

Once you enter the temple, you will see another food venders and a little stage. The temple is not so large, but there were many people there. 

On the ceiling of the hondo are hundreds of small paper made dogs.

A large monument on the temple grounds is dedicated to the unfortunate couple Osome and Hisamatsu. The couple committed suicide here centuries ago would later become the basis of a famous bunraku by Chikamatsu Hanji.