According to the statistics issued by Agency of Cultural Affairs, there are over 81,000 Shinto shrines and 77,000 Buddhist temples in Japan. Some are huge and some are tiny -- what shrines and temples have in common, are trees and open space.
In the middle of the concrete jungle in Osaka, there is a little shrine nicknamed Ohatsu Tenjin. Although this shrine has a history of over 1,300 years, one event that occurred there in 1707 made this shrine nationally famous.
A couple committed double suicides in this shrine, and Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1725) who is still today widely regarded as among Japan's greatest dramatists, created a tragedy called "Sonezaki Shinju" (曽根崎心中) based on this suicide. The play turned to be a huge hit and the shrine won an instant fame thanks to the play. Even today Ohatsu Tenjin is one of the destinations for lovers.
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