Tenma: Mint Museum, Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, and Japan's Longest Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street

Starting on foot from the Fujita Museum, cross Kawasaki Bridge over the Okawa River to the Mint Museum located on the grounds of the Japan Mint. After visiting Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, walk north along Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street—known as the longest shopping arcade in Japan—and conclude your journey at the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living at Tenjinbashisuji 6-chome.

History and Local Charm

The Tenma district, stretching northward from the banks of the Okawa River, has flourished since ancient times as a town in front of the gate of "Tenjin-san." Osaka Tenmangu Shrine is said to have begun in 949 (the third year of the Tenryaku era) when a shrine was built by imperial decree of Emperor Murakami, and it enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of scholarship. Since the early Edo period, the street that is now Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street bustled with pedestrians as the main approach to the shrine, and in 1653 (the second year of the Joo era), the Tenma Vegetable Market was established nearby along the Okawa River.

In the Meiji period, the new Meiji government established a western-style mint factory on the banks of the Okawa River, beginning coin production in 1871. This is the present-day Japan Mint. During the same Meiji era, the Osaka-based entrepreneur Fujita Denzaburo collected artworks to prevent cultural assets from flowing overseas, and his collection has been passed down to the Fujita Museum on the opposite bank of the Okawa River.

Walking to near the northern end of the shopping street brings you to the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, which recreates a full-scale townscape of Osaka from the Tenpo era (the 1830s), allowing you to experience the historical journey of Tenma tracing back to life in Edo. Please note that the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living will be closed from September 1, 2026, to January 5, 2027.

Key Highlights

• ​Fujita Museum​​: An art museum exhibiting a collection centered on ancient East Asian art built by Meiji-era entrepreneur Fujita Denzaburo and his sons. Among approximately 2,000 items, it holds 9 National Treasures and 53 Important Cultural Properties, notably famous for the National Treasure Yohen Temmoku tea bowl. In the building reopened after reconstruction in April 2022, doors from the storehouse of the former museum are used as entrances to the exhibition rooms.
• ​Mint Museum​​: Built in 1911 (the 44th year of the Meiji era) as a thermal power plant, this is the only remaining Meiji-era Western-style brick building on the Japan Mint grounds. Approximately 4,000 items are exhibited, including oban and koban gold coins, ancient coins, currency from the Meiji era onward, honors, and medals. Visitors can also view the 17.5-centimeter-long Tensho Naga-oban and experience the actual weight of a senryobako coin chest.
• ​Osaka Tenmangu Shrine​​: An ancient shrine affectionately known as "Tenma no Tenjin-san." On the compass dial at the Omote-daimon gate, the Rooster (tori) direction is represented by a phoenix because Michizane is said to have disliked roosters. The Tenjin Matsuri, centered on July 24 and 25 each year, is one of Japan's three major festivals, and on the north side of the grounds stands Tenma Tenjin Hanjotei, a dedicated theater for Kamigata rakugo.
• ​Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street​​: Extending about 2.6 kilometers from north to south, from Tenjinbashi 1-chome to 7-chome, it is known as Japan's longest shopping street due to its length. Lined with shops frequented by Osaka locals for everyday shopping, it is a great place to stroll while hopping between casual treats like takoyaki, croquettes, and traditional Japanese sweets.
• ​Osaka Museum of Housing and Living​​: Osaka City's museum of living and housing. On the 9th floor, you can walk through a life-sized recreation of an Osaka townscape during the Tenpo era and step inside the traditional merchant houses; on the 8th floor, the towns and lives of the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras are presented through diorama models and videos. The museum will be closed from September 1, 2026, to January 5, 2027.

Recommended Route and Duration

The estimated time required is about 5 hours. Begin walking from the Fujita Museum, located a 1-minute walk from Exit 3 of Osakajokitazume Station on the JR Tozai Line. Take your time enjoying the masterworks in the dimmed exhibition room as your eyes adjust to the light. After leaving the museum, cross the Okawa River via Kawasaki Bridge—a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists connecting Amijima-cho and Tenma—and head about 340 meters west-northwest to the Mint Museum.

Walking about 820 meters west from the Mint Museum brings you to Osaka Tenmangu Shrine. Look up at the compass dial at the Omote-daimon gate before paying your respects, and if time permits, drop by Tenma Tenjin Hanjotei on the north side of the grounds to see a traditional rakugo performance. The shrine is located along 2-chome of the shopping street, from where you will walk north under the covered arcade. Because walking the entire length of the shopping street is said to take more than 40 minutes, take a leisurely stroll while dropping into shops along the way.

Walking north about 1.6 kilometers from the shrine brings you to Tenjinbashisuji 6-chome. The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living is located on the upper floors of a building directly accessible from Exit 3 of Tenjinbashisuji 6-chome Station; the visit starts from the 10th-floor observation area and proceeds down through the 9th and 8th floors. However, please note that it will be closed from September 1, 2026, to January 5, 2027, during which time you should conclude your shopping street stroll at Tenjinbashisuji 6-chome Station. Since there are several stations along the shopping street, you can also return from any station along the way if you get tired.

Experience Summary

An art museum created by an entrepreneur who sought to safeguard national treasures, a brick museum recounting Meiji-era modernization, and a Tenjin shrine cherished for over a thousand years. Walking through Japan's longest shopping arcade, born from the shrine's approach, lets you feel the vibrant daily life of Osaka's people firsthand. Finally wandering into the Edo townscape, the profound layers of history that the Tenma neighborhood has accumulated will unfold before you as a single continuous story.