Though this temple is not the original structure, nor is this the original location of the temple, it is one of the more important temples in the history of Japan. The current buildings are 20th century reconstructions of the original buildings established just prior to the Edo Period at the end of the Sengoku War Period by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The temple was moved after the original structures suffered repeated damage from flooding at its original location in Gifu Prefecture. Just looking at the buildings, it’s hard to understand why anyone would think this temple as a key institution in Japan’s history, but that’s because its true worth is not the building or the statues, it’s the documents it holds. In particular, Osu Kannon holds in its archives the oldest copy of the Kojiki, one of two official documents detailing the Imperial Family and its lineage from divinity as well as the mythology that surrounds it.

For the casual: 2. For the educated: 9.

So let me address our casual readers first before I geek out a little. For you, I don’t particularly recommend this temple as a place that you need to go to. However, surrounding the temple is a wonderful strip mall with fun stores and lovely cafes. So should you find yourself with someone who has more of an interest in the details of Japanese history and mythological origin, then feel free to leave them be and enjoy yourself. At the same time, the temple is small so if you wouldn’t mind taking 5 minutes or so to look around, I still think the temple is a very beautiful place to visit, I just don’t think it will have any sort of pull for casual visitors.

Fellow nerds! What I said before is certainly true: the temple is small and really only takes about 5 minutes to enjoy, so please be considerate of your friends! Also, before you ask, no, you cannot see the Kojiki. Why? Becase it’s very old and very fragile so it’s kept locked away except on the rare occasions it’s brought out for academic study or for museums.