Off-season is the best time to visit! Historical Mystery Spots in Senshu, Osaka.

The Senshu area, located in the southwestern part of Osaka Prefecture, was once the site of the capital during the period of the “Yamato Administration. In fact, there are many spots that hold mysteries that have yet to be solved. We recommend that you visit in February or March during the off-season, because students visiting the area on school trips and excursions increase from April onward. Enjoy “solving mysteries” while experiencing history and thinking about our predecessors.

Became famous after being registered as a World Heritage site! Daisenryo Kofun, the world’s largest mausoleum with many mysteries.

In 2019, the Mozu and Furuichi Kofun Tumulus Group was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among them, the Daisenryo tumulus is famous for being the largest keyhole-shaped tumulus in Japan, and many people may have learned that it is the mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku. Although it has been excavated several times, it has not yet been clearly identified as the mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku, and it is still a place of great mystery. With a total length of 486 m, it is said to be the largest tomb in the world, surpassing the Pyramids of Egypt (230 m in length). Entry is restricted, so you can’t go inside, but you can approach the entrance and feel the solemn atmosphere. The nearby Sakai City Museum exhibits materials about the tomb, so if you are interested, visit there as well. If you want to see the shape of the keyhole-shaped tumulus clearly, check out the plan to fly over the area by Cessna or helicopter to see the view from the sky.

Opening Hours	Internal Private
Address	Daisen-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture
Access	7 min. walk from Mikunigaoka Sta. on the Nankai Koya Line. From Kanku Izumiotsu Washington Hotel, a shuttle bus runs to Izumiotsu Sta. on the Nankai Main Line. Take this line for 15 minutes, change to the Nankai Koya Line at Tengajaya Sta., and arrive at Mikunigaoka Sta. in 6 minutes.
URL	https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/en/spot/detail/126

“Nanshuji Temple” where different stories and legends of the Osaka battle have been told.

From the Sengoku period to the Edo period, Sakai developed as a commercial city with the largest port in the Kansai region. The Nanshuji Temple was built by Miyoshi Nagayoshi, the Sengoku period warlord who ruled Sakai. For some reason, Tokugawa Ieyasu’s tomb is located within the temple, and has long been known as a mystery place. The tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu is located at Nikko Toshogu Shrine, but there is a different story Ieyasu was seriously wounded during the Osaka Summer Battle and died after fleeing to Sakai, where he was buried. There are also records of visits to the shrine by descendants of Tokugawa Hidetada and Iemitsu, and the fact that the shrine seems to have a deep connection with the Tokugawa family is another reason for the deepening mystery. There are also many things to see in the Buddhist temple, including a “the dragon appears to be staring at the viewer from wherever it is seen in everywhere” painted by the Kano school and a spot related to Sen no Rikyu. Accessible on foot from the Daisenryo burial mound, it is recommended not only for history lovers but also for those who want to tour Sakai’s sightseeing spots.

Visiting Hours	9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Address	3-1-2 Minami Hayago-cho Higashi, Sakai-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture
Access	15 min. walk from Minato Sta. From Kanku Izumiotsu Washington Hotel, a shuttle bus runs to Izumiotsu Sta. on the Nankai Main Line. Take this line for 15 minutes, and arrive at Minato Sta.
URL	https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/en/spot/detail/121

Shinodanomori Shrine, where the mystery of the birth of the Onmyoji, Abe no Seimei still remains.

Abe no Seimei, an Onmyoji during the Heian period (794-1185), is a popular historical figure who was also featured in the 2023 historical drama. The legend that Abe no Seimei’s mother was a fox remains at the Shinodanomori Shrine, also known as the Kuzunoha Inari Shrine. Once upon a time, a young man named Yasuna Abe was injured while trying to protect a fox from a hunter during a visit to the shrine. The wounded Yasuna recovered thanks to the care of a young woman named Kuzunoha, and the two eventually became husband and wife and gave birth to a boy (later to become Abe no Seimei). However, according to legend, Kuzunoha was actually a rescued fox, and when it was found out, she returned to her fox form in tears and disappeared into the shrine. In the precincts of the shrine, there is a sacred tree that is said to have been transformed by Kuzunoha and is guarded by guardian foxes, giving the shrine a somewhat mysterious atmosphere. The shrine is also famous as a sacred places for matchmaking and good luck, so how about visiting for good luck?

Visiting Hours	9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Address	1-11-47, Kuzunoha-machi, Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture
Access	4 min. walk from Kita-Shinoda Sta. From Kanku Izumiotsu Washington Hotel, a shuttle bus runs to Izumiotsu Sta. Take the Nankai Bus bound for Makiosan-guchi, get off at Izumifuchu Sta. (5 stops), then take the JR Hanwa Line at Izumifuchu Sta. for 4 minutes and arrive at Kita-Shinoda Sta.
URL	http://www.kuzunohainari.com/