(4) Aizen Slope
Aizen is the name of a temple located at the top of this slope, Aizen-do. The length is 100 meters and the difference in height is 14 meters. This area was the best place to watch the sun setting into the sea, Osaka Bay, in the ancient times, and so the surrounding area is called the “Sun-Setting Hill” even now.
Aizen-do Temple is a temple which was built by Prince Shotoku, and there is a big two-storied pagoda in its precincts. This temple is also famous as a spiritual hot spot of matchmaking.
Oe Shrine is located next to Aizen-do Temple. From the precincts of this shrine, ancient people watched beautiful sunsets in the period of Prince Shotoku.
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The slope is quite steep.
Two-storied pagoda in Aizen-do
Torii gate of Oe Shrine
Steep stairs leading to the shrine
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Stone wall of the shrine
Gate of Aizen-do
Cliffs seen from Aizen-do
Precincts of Oe Shrine
Guardian Tigers, usually guardian dogs
(5) Kiyomizu Slope
Kiyomizu Temple, located on the north side of this slope, gave name to the slope. The length is 70 meters, the difference in height is 10 meters, and the width is about twice of that of the previous slopes.
It is not certain whether or not the Kiyomizu Temple in Osaka has some relation to Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. The temple has “Tamade-no-Taki” (Tamade Waterfall), which is the only natural waterfall in Osaka-City, and ascetic practitioners standing under the waterfall have sometimes been seen.
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Stage of Kiyomizu
Steep stairs leading to the main hall
Tamade Waterfall
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Bell on Stage
Sanmon Gate
Tamade Waterfall
(6) Tenjin Slope
The slope leads to Yasui Shrine, which deifies Tenjin-san. Tenjin is a nickname of Sugawara-no-Michizane, who was a nobleman in the Heian Period and was good at scholarship, and people have respected him as a god of learning after his death. The length of the slope is 190 meters and the difference in height is 14 meters.
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Steep Slope
Torii gate and steps leading to Yasui Shrine
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Tap Water System in the Edo Period
Daily life water ran in the groove in the Edo Period.
Another Torii Gate
(7) Ousaka Slope
The slope is now a part of a national road of which the traffic volume is very heavy. The length is 320 meters and the difference in height is almost zero, 12 millimeters.
Shitennoji Temple stands on the east end of the slope.
How about the Tennoji Seven Slopes? There are many temples around the slopes, and you may not notice the noise and bustle of the city. You don’t feel that the slope is steep when you walk up the slope, and you might quite run out of breath when you go up from the platform of an underground railway to the ground. However, when you finish walking up the slope and look down the town spreading under your eyes, you must be surprised “have I walked up to such a high place?” I recommend you stroll around there, if you have time.
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