A mecca for food tours and fortune telling! Enjoy everything from gourmet food to day trips to hot springs on the Showa-era retro approach to Ishikiri Shrine

Ishikiri Sando Shopping Street in Higashi-Osaka City is a popular spot where you can enjoy shopping and eating, with a row of Showa-era retro shops lined up from Ishikiri Station on the Kintetsu Nara Line to Ishikiri Tsurugiya Shrine (hereinafter referred to as Ishikiri Shrine). It is also famous as a "holy land of fortune-telling."

Recently, swords such as Ishikirimaru and Kogitsunemaru, which are owned by Ishikiri Shrine, have appeared as characters in the online game "Touken Ranbu," and many young people are visiting the shrine on a pilgrimage.

This time, we will introduce a model course starting from Shin-Ishikiri Station on the Kintetsu Keihanna Line.

Circling the grounds 100 times! Ishikiri Shrine's "Ohyakudo Mairi" (100-step pilgrimage) to pray for recovery from illness

"I used to live in Higashi-Osaka, but this is my first time coming to Ishikiri, which is close to Nara Prefecture!" says San-hee. First, we visit Ishikiri Shrine, about a 10-minute walk from Shin-Ishikiri Station.

Ishikiri Tsurugiya Shrine, affectionately known as "Ishikiri-san," is known as the god of denbo (swellings), and many people visit to pray for recovery from illness. It is said that if you pray repeatedly, your wishes will come true, and the "Ohyakudo Mairi" (100-step pilgrimage), in which you walk back and forth between the 100-step stones on the grounds 100 times, is also famous. In front of the main hall, there is a camphor tree that is about 500 years old, which has been designated as a natural monument of Higashi-Osaka City.

Also, to the left of the torii gate of Ishikiri Shrine is Suijinsha, a pond where the god of water is enshrined, and there are many turtles. In the past, it was said that if you wrote your wish on a live turtle shell and released it into the pond, your wish would come true. Nowadays, people make their wishes by offering ceramic turtles at a shrine in a different location.

Rice crackers and mugwort skewers. Eat Ishikiri specialties along the approach to the shrine

After praying, take a stroll through Ishikiri Sando Shopping Street, which is about 1 kilometer long and lined with over 100 stores. Enjoy some Ishikiri gourmet food!

The first thing I picked up was a rice cracker from Kobai-yaki Otaya, which stood out in the shopping district. The gourd-shaped rice cracker had the word "Ishikiri" engraved in large letters.

Next up is Ikutaya's mugwort grilled skewers. The moment you put it in your mouth, the aroma of mugwort fills your mouth, and the freshly baked mochi becomes soft and chewy. It's delicious as is, but it's also fun to try it with toppings such as sauce, soybean flour, coarse bean paste, and smooth bean paste.

If you come to Ishikiri, you can't miss the mugwort udon and potato oden!

Next, we recommend the mugwort udon noodles at Yamatoya, a local specialty, for lunch in Ishikiri. Many visitors to Ishikiri Shrine suffer from illnesses, so they started serving udon noodles because they are easier to eat than mochi. This long-established restaurant has been in business for about 70 years and has been run by three generations, and the owner is also the chairman of the Ishikiri Sando Shopping District Promotion Association.

The crispy mugwort tempura, which is popular as a snack to eat while walking around, is made from mugwort that grows wild at the foot of Mt. Ikoma and is harvested and stocked from around spring.

Since many people visit Ishikiri to pray for good health, they don't use ingredients that are easily cut, such as octopus or beef tendon. This shows the owner's consideration.

You won't be short of souvenirs! Walk around the city and check out the unique shops

After lunch, we strolled along the approach to the shrine, which continues on for a while. As we walked along the shopping street, we came across a variety of shops, including an old-fashioned toy store, a shop selling hard-baked rice crackers, and small goods.

Musashiya is a long-established toy store that has been in business for 70 years. It is also the only store that Ikoma Confectionery Honpo wholesales Rainbow Ramune.

Nunoichiya is a shop that sells the hardest baked rice crackers in Osaka. There are various theories, but it is said that they were highly valued as portable food for ninjas because they are hard to break and can last for over six months.

Yasuda Shoten Jun sells clothing accessories and crafts. The 86-year-old wife still runs the store, and it's fun to chat with her. Daruma dolls are popular with foreigners.

"Shichimi Togarashi Chinmidou" has been in business for about 60 years. You can purchase flavorful handmade shichimi togarashi. The rich flavor of ichimi togarashi and the fragrant powdered sansho pepper are also popular.

The place with the most fortune tellers in Japan!? I actually tried fortune telling

As you continue up the approach, you will see many fortune tellers. The Ikoma mountain area was once a place of Shugendo (mountaineering asceticism), and it is said that Ishikiri, located on the slope of the mountain, was a natural place where fortune tellers, who could be considered religious figures among the people, gathered. Another theory is that because Ishikiri Shrine is home to a god who can cure illnesses, people who wanted to seek fortune telling also began to visit, and the number of fortune tellers there increased.

Since I had the chance, I decided to actually get my fortune read!

Yumi Ikeda is a fortune teller with 26 years of experience who runs the "Fortune Telling Salon Orange." Originally interested in fortune telling, she attended a vocational school and has been working as a fortune teller in Ishikiri for nearly 20 years. She became independent in March 2023.

Ishikiri is known for having trustworthy fortune tellers no matter which store you go to, but it seems that compatibility with the fortune teller also matters, so it's best to respect your own intuition.

Enjoy a panoramic view of the Osaka Plain from the terrace! Hotel Seiryu's day-trip natural hot springs

After a long walk, relax your body and mind in the natural hot springs at Hotel Seiryu. It is located just over 20 minutes up the hill from Shin-Ishikiri Station.

The great thing about this hot spring is that they offer day trip plans as well as overnight stays. Towels are also available for rental, so you can enjoy the hot springs empty-handed.

Many hot springs prohibit tattoos, but at Hotel Seiryu, you can bathe as long as the tattoo is small enough to be covered with tape!

After the hot spring bath, head to the Sky Terrace for a panoramic view of the Osaka plain. The view from a height equivalent to about 70 stories above ground is spectacular, day or night.

This is also a recommended spot for train enthusiasts, as the Kintetsu and Hanshin trains run directly underneath.

Bonus: What makes it the third largest in Japan? The mysterious "Ishikiri Daibutsu"

On the way to Hotel Seiryu, you'll find the Ishikiri Daibutsu. It was built in 1980 by the fourth generation owner of Sakamoto Kampo Pharmaceutical, known for its Aka Mamushi (Red Viper) medicine.

It says "third in Japan," but even the locals don't know what that means.

Ishikiri Sando Shopping Street is a place where faith has been alive since ancient times. Pray for good health at Ishikiri Shrine, enjoy delicious food along the Showa-era retro approach to the shrine, get a glimpse of the future with your fortune-teller, and then relax in the hot springs. Come experience a day that will refresh both your body and mind!

*This article was migrated from “Shittonka Osaka.” The information provided is current as of November 2024 and may differ from current conditions. Please check the official websites of each store or facility for the latest operating hours and details.