A fairytale set in Osaka
Issun-boshi (Little One Inch)

The tale of “Issun-boshi”, also called “Little One Inch” or “The One-Inch Samurai” in English, is an old fairytale about an incredibly small boy who was born to a couple who longed for a child of their own. The story goes, that the couple visited the well-known Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine to pray for a child. Their prayers were answered with an very small son, who never seemed to grow any larger than one sun (an ancient unit of measurement equivalent to slightly more than an inch).

Realizing that he would never grow any bigger, Issun-boshi set off on a journey to the big city in Kyoto when he reached the age of 16, hoping to become a great man. He traveled by river to Kyoto using a bowl as a boat and a chopstick to steer. In his scabbard was a needle, which he used as his sword. Eventually Issun-boshi met a giant ogre and was swallowed whole. He then used his needle-sword to stab the ogre from within its stomach and defeated the monster. He claimed the monster’s magical hammer and used it to transform himself into a regular sized man.

A few places in Osaka are mentioned in the story, so I set out to visit some of them and retrace the steps of “Little One Inch”.

●Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine– Issun-boshi’s Birthplace

First, I boarded the Hankai Tram from Tennoji Station.

The Hankai is fun to ride too, because it is a street tram. It runs right through the middle of Tennoji and nearby neighborhoods, so you can enjoy the sights as you go.

Just a few stops and I arrived at the entrance to Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine.

As you approach the shrine you will either cross or, if you take a side route, pass Sorihashi Bridge. It’s beautiful red reflection shines in the pond making it appear like a round drum (earning it the nickname Taiko-bashi, meaning drum bridge). And on the shrine grounds there are over 600 stone lanterns!

I headed to the Tanekashi-sha Shrine area of the shrine grounds to visit the birthplace of Little One Inch.


Here he is! He’s so tiny, navigating the waters of the hand-cleansing area.

He’s so cute in his little bowl holding a chopstick!

There’s even a photo spot, where you can pose as Issun-boshi and imagine what it would have been like to travel by bowl.

This particular bowl is about 2 meters wide and was built to scale for what Issun-boshi would have experienced. This bowl was actually used in the Issun-boshi race, which was held in 2002 in the Dotonbori Canal.

This little girl was so cute pretending to be Issun-boshi. (Adults are allowed inside the bowl too, in case you’re wondering.)

The Tanekashi-sha Shrine is a popular place for couples hoping to bear children to visit.


Look at all the little Tanekashi dolls. They are little mothers holding their babies and are said to bring you good luck.

●Dotonbori– The Beginning of Issun-boshi’s Journey

Next, I headed to Namba to see where Issunboshi set off on his adventure.

Namba is only one train ride away from Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine. You can go straight there from Sumiyoshi Station on the Nankai Line.

First I walked through the small alleyways in Hozenji Yokocho, turned a few corners and… Here I am, in Ukiyo Koji. Now this is a tiny alley!

Somewhere in here I heard there was a spot related to Little One Inch. And what do you know? I found it.

It’s just a tiny little shrine. How cute. It’s the perfect size for someone small like Issun-boshi!

The shrine is very near to Dotonbori, which is where Issun-boshi is fabled to have passed or possibly even began his journey.

You can purchase a fortune from the shrine for ¥100. (Please note: the fortunes are written in Japanese.)

Sidenote: Based on my calculations, it would have taken Issun-boshi a very, very long time to reach Kyoto. Not only would he have been traveling against the current, but judging from his size, it would have been the equivalent of us making a 3,000 kilometer journey. That’s more than the length of modern-day Japan!