Tennoji Park Area and Walk To Shitennoji Temple


I felt a lot lighter with most of my baggage being left in the hotel room. I got my camera ready and made a mock plan on the places that I was going to visit. The sun was starting to set so I was pretty limited with the daytime sightseeing activities. The closest shrine that I could visit was Shitennoji shrine so that was my first destination. I had to be quick on my feet because the sun was setting pretty quickly.

The walk to the temple was interesting because I was able to see the locals do their things. It was a Saturday so there were many locals around with their families, especially in the park area. From the park area I was able to watch people play soccer in a caged area, and there were couples being cute and mothers ogling at their babies. There were people working on their hobbies, and there was one guy playing with a kendama. 


Once upon leaving the park area, I found myself walking trough a touristy street area with many shops and vendors selling traditional Japanese snacks. Of course there were an uncountable amount of convenience stores. You could almost get a sense of how dependent some people are with the convenience stores because even the tourist maps used convenience stores to help you locate yourself in the map.

As I was walking I heard some music and singing behind me. I didn't think much about it until the music was getting louder and closer. As I looked back, there were a few people dressed in their traditional gear and playing a mixture of interesting instruments, playing a foreign, but cute jingle. It seemed as though this was uncommon among the locals here as well because many people were turning their heads to see what was happening. I didn't know what exactly they were doing  but I think they were trying to promote something. 



Upon reaching the temple district, things started to quieten down and the sound of the city were not as vibrant. The shops and vendors around the streets were closing and only a few were open. They seemed like they were selling temple related things like incense, beads and many other religious objects. I picked up some fragrant incense that one of the vendors had recommended. I am burning it as I write this. 

Shitennoji temple was a beautiful place and it was a great appetizer, hinting at the many amazing shrines and temples that I would get to see. It was a quiet place with quiet people just walking and sitting around on benches. There was a sense of peace and reflection.

Once I was done with the temple I made my way back to the park area where the Abeno Harukas building was located. The observatory in the building was my next destination. 



















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