Japanese required: None
Cost: Temple is free to enter, Shopping options vary from a
100 yen store to a gemstone and jewelry shop (costs varying from 5000 yen to
upwards of 3 million yen)
Good for: Everyone
There are two parts to Osukannon: the marketplace and the temple. The shopping street was
the more interesting of the two experiences for me, so I'll start by talking
about that.
The marketplace is runs the length of a street right outside one of the Osukannon temple exits. I had a lot of fun just walking up and down and looking
at all the different shops. They were mostly clothes shops, but even the
variety of clothing was interesting. It ranged from casual, more Western
clothing (jean jackets, levi's, etc) to kimonos and full length dresses. Most
of the clothing stores were surprisingly cheap (the kimono and dress ones being
exceptions), ranging from 700 to 5000 yen depending on whether clothing was
branded or unbranded.
There were a couple
of stores that were unique: a wooden toy store and a gem / jewelry shop. The
toy store had puppets, shape blocks, figurines, a rocking horse, and several
other types of wooden creations. It's a small store (barely room for five
people inside), but the variety was enjoyable.
I call it a jewelry
and gem shop, but they had a much larger selection than that. In the shop, they
sold life sized statues of dogs, paintings, necklaces, and a lot of other things
that would take too long to even list. Even if you don't plan to buy anything,
simply looking around is a treat all on its own (be careful, though: no
pictures allowed). It's possible to spend five or more minutes just looking at
all the things sold here.
A store that might
be of interest for anybody looking for more general things would be the 100 yen
shop. When I walked around, there was a variety of toys and things for children
(ranging from small toys to magic card decks). They also sold stationary, pots
and pans, normal dishes, and other household goods.
Aside from all of
the different stores and such, there's also a large number of food stalls. Almost all of the stalls sell different food, including hot dogs (with Japanese toppings),
ice cream, hamburgers, fruit smoothies, and more. The places have
a small seating area, so it's simple to just stop at one, grab some food, and
take a break after walking around.
I actually had no
intention to stop at any of these places at first. Then I got called out to by
a pair of very friendly Turkish guys (in English no less) working at a place called Mega Kebab. They talked with me
for a while, made recommendations about what to order, and shared some
information about themselves (in Japanese). In the end, I only had a coke because I had eaten
earlier, but the food looked good and they were great guys.
One of them actually
tried to set me up with a girl when a couple of them came into the shop. He
initiated this by asking them if they're interested in foreign guys, if they
liked being talked to while eating, and a bunch of questions about themselves.
Then he turned to me and gestured toward them. Although it was awkward, I did
talk with the girls a little before they left.
The temple was a very different experience from what I was
expecting. Although the Osukannon temple is large, most of it isn't available
to the public. When I walked through the different parts of the temple that
were accessible, it took roughly fifteen minutes total. Entry to the temple is
free, and there are a sizable number of events that happen there. It's
worth it to go two or three times to experience festivals and flea markets. The
temple sells candles made by the monks, from a small 500 yen size to a very
large 2500 yen size. I don't know if they're scented or what they're made of,
but you can find out for yourself when you go (they are on display). There are
also several talismans and good luck charms for sale, and you can buy a bundle
of incense sticks to burn in the temple.
On a normal day, the temple is rather boring to me, but I
have also been there on a flea market day. When a flea market is going on, the
temple courtyard becomes packed with stalls and people. The things being sold
vary, but I saw Japanese style bracelets and Seto-style
plates as well as children's toys and figurines. Just a warning to families: I did see
some pornography on sale. Overall, the flea market took me an extra twenty
minutes of just looking around all the stalls.
I quite enjoyed my experiences at Osukannon, and I would
definitely recommend it for people who have a few hours to spare. It's an
adventure if you're willing to be adventurous, and it's just a relaxing time if
you want to relax.
