■Introduction
Ciao a tutti‼ (Italian for ‘Hello, everyone’). I’m Rebi (Rebecca) from Italy, the last time I wrote an article aboutJapanese Visual Kei bands. I last posted an article on here in July 2023, so it’s been more than a year. Do you guys remember me? I started studying fashion design at a vocational school, and as I was busy every day without realizing a year has passed. There is, however, something that didn’t change in the past year. That is my love for visual kei bands. Whenever I have some free time, I go to live shows of visual kei bands (and other artists as well), and I keep doing my do my “fangirl activities” (推し活) even if I don't have time to sleep (lol). I think that my favorite bands are great, and no matter how hard things get, I can overcome them if they are with me! I hope you will all find your favorite band as well and cherish it every day!
■Did you know that there is a place in Osaka as well that’s famous for Daruma?
This time I would like to introduce you to Katsuo-ji Temple and Minoh Waterfall in Minoh City, Osaka Prefecture. I was told about these two places by a classmate at my new school, but at the time I thought they were difficult to get to and could only be reached by car, so I never ended up going.
By chance though, one day, a few months later, a Japanese friend asked me to tag along with her to go visit Minoh Falls together. When I actually visited the place, I found it so full of nature and mysterious that I genuinely wondered why I hadn’t visited it earlier. So, this time, I would like to introduce you to the charms of Katsuo-ji Temple and Minoh Otaki Waterfall in Minoh City, Osaka Prefecture, which I ended up visiting this past summer.
※For more information on the location, please visit the official website here.
・Official website of Katsuo-ji Temple
・Official website of Minoh Tourist Association
・Official website of Minoh Park, where Minoh Great Falls are located
■Attractions of Katsuo-ji Temple: great scenery and countless of “winning” daruma (勝ちダルマ)
Usually people think of Shorinzan Daruma-ji Temple in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, when they think of temples famous for Daruma, but did you know that there is actually another temple in Minoh City, Osaka Prefecture, which is also famous for Daruma?The name of the placeis Katsuo-ji Temple.
It is a 15-minute walk from the entrance to the main hall of Katsuo-ji, but when you pass through the gate towards the entrance to the temple, a fantastic landscape unfolds before your eyes.It’s very difficult to describe in words how moved I felt at that time, but from the moment I passed through the temple gate, I felt as if I had travelled back in time to Japan more than 1,000 years ago.
I passed through the ‘purification bridge’ at the end of the gate and went towards the main hall and was very nervous as I was so impressed by the beautiful scenery, which was far beyond my imagination. (A simpler example might be like the nervousness you feel when you step into a famous cathedral in Italy. Isn’t it a little nerve-wracking to go to a sacred place that holds so much history?).
As I went further in, I was greeted by the Kachi-Daruma Houno-Dana, which is decorated with countless Daruma of victory.On a side note, the darumas at Katsuo-ji Temple don’t mean that you ask the Buddha to grant you a wish, it’s the opposite, it means that you must make your own wish come true by yourself. So, all the daruma displayed there have been delivered to the temple by people who have fulfilled their own wishes by themselves. I think it’s a very interesting concept for a temple as it goes against what’s usual for temples in Japan. (There were also some daruma that had English words written on them like “I Love you” or “Get better” and such).You can buy these daruma at the little shop that sells omamori in front of the main hall. If you do buy one, write down your specific wish and take it home with you! Then, if you are able to fulfil that wish yourself, please visit Katsuo-ji Temple again to place the Daruma on the temple ground!
※A small ‘Daruma omikuji’ is also available at Katsuo-ji Temple. This small Daruma can be taken as a gift or left on the temple ground. You can read the paper slip inside of it and return the Daruma to the temple or bring it home with you. (I took home to have a souvenir if my trip).
※A stamp campaign is currently being held inside the temple grounds. If you visit all six stamp locations in the precincts of the temple, you can complete a beautiful picture, so if you like treasure-hunting games, why not give it a try?
■Attractions of Minoh Great Falls: a dynamic waterfall full of power
Minoh City, where Katsuo-ji Temple and Minoh Great Fall are, is in the northern part of Osaka Prefecture, where there are many mountains.
For this reason, it is not very popular and is a very quiet place. Walking along the mountain path to Minoh Falls, you can hear the wind rustling the leaves and birds singing, which soothes your mind as you’re walking. It is difficult to convey the power of this waterfall in words, but if you search for ‘Minoh Falls’ on YouTube or Instagram, you will find many videos uploaded, so if you are interested in seeing it please give it a try.
Actually, Minoh Falls is one of the famous waterfalls that has been selected as one of the 100 best waterfalls in Japan, and unlike the famous sightseeing spots in Kyoto, there are relatively few people here outside of the autumn koyo season, so you can take your time and enjoy viewing the fall with its full power. The collaboration between the autumn leaves and Minoh Fall in autumn is beautiful, but the collaboration with the maple trees in summer is also beautiful and I personally recommend it!
■Recommendations for Minoh City
・Maple Tempura: ‘Maple Tempura’ is famous in Minoh City! If you find it, please try it!
・If you have time walk: The waterfall is a 2.5 km walk from the nearest station, so if you have enough time take a walk from the falls to the station
・Souvenir shop in the middle of the forest: On the way back to the station from the waterfall, I stopped at a small shop in the forest and bought matching frog ornaments made of glass. The atmosphere of this shop is very unique, and you will never notice it if you take the bus, as it’s a bit hidden between the trees. This is the main reason why I recommend walking back from the falls to the station.
■ Summary
This time, I introduced to you the attractions and my personal recommendations of Katsuo-ji Temple and Minoh Great Falls in Minoh City, Osaka Prefecture, which I visited this summer. To be honest, not many people visit these places, even if they live in Osaka, as they’re not that famous. However, once you visit, you will surely fall in love with Minoh, as you will experience a tranquility that you can never experience in the city or in more touristic places, a feeling of being surrounded by nature that you can’t find anywhere else.
Even if youre not used to taking long walks, I think you can reach your destination quickly if you walk with your friends while admiring the beautiful nature. Which is why when you visit this place, please walk from the nearest station to the falls instead of taking the bus! I would like to visit again during the koyo season this year! Thank you for reading until the end.