

Osaka Bob FAMILY
Preparing for a Test? Head to Tenjin-san for Luck in Your Next Exam!
In Japan, entrance exams are a big deal and students study vigorously leading up to the exams. The long and arduous preparation season is finally coming to an end!
Students are extra cautious not to catch a cold, and are full of exam anxiety as their exam dates approach.
With these students in mind, I have written a special article that I hope can help them, if even in a small way!
Praying and bringing good luck charms might be helpful, right? It’s a common practice in my home country of Thailand.
In addition to all that study prep, how about a visit to one of Osaka’s most famous temples, known for its connection to scholarship.
Ask for the help of Tenjin-san, the god of learning, and for that topping of extra luck!
[Exam Luck List]
- Visit the Famous Osaka Tenmangu Shrine
- Pray for Success at the Toryumon Gateway to Success, Dates and Times for 2025 (Reiwa 7)
- Recharge Your Energy on the Osaka Tenmangu Shrine Grounds
- Eat Suberan Udonfor Good Luck
- Meet Some Owls for Happiness and Good Luck
Step 1: Visit the Famous Osaka Tenmangu Shrine
Sugawara no Michizane, aka Tenjin-san, who is considered the god of learning, is enshrined here. Students from all over Japan make a special trip to this shrine during exam season to pray for good luck. Osaka people affectionately call the shrine Tenma’s Tenjin-san, since it is locate in a neighborhood called Tenma.
It’s similar to a Ganesha temple in Thailand.
Osaka Tenmangu Shrine is famous for the summer Tenjin Festival, one of Japan’s three major festivals. And it’s also very popular among students and their parents as a shrine where they can pray for success in exams and academics!
When you visit, the first step is to receive blessings from Tenjin-san.
Pass through the main gate of Osaka Tenmangu Shrine and purify yourself by washing your hands at the purification fountain on your right.
Afterwards, line up in front of the main shrine, to make an offering. After placing a monetary offering in the offeratory box, pray with all your heart.
“Tenjin-sama, please! Please! I beg of you! Let me pass my exam!!”
♪
Then, the kami will be on your side after all your hard work. You can face the exam day with peace of mind.

It’s Quiz Time! Do You Know The Difference Between A Shrine And A Temple?
At the gift shop behind the purification fountain, you can find a variety of charms, fortune slips, and talismans. You can also apply for a goshuin stamp or special prayer here. Choose whichever one best suits the wish you want to make come true. There are a lot!
If you feel like they’re a bit too much for you or its hard to navigate all the choices, maybe a prayer ema (votive plaque) for passing the exam would be a good idea! Every year, so many prayer ema are hung on the shrine grounds, which are said to bring blessings. You can see how popular this tradition is by the number of ema hanging.
There are so many…
I hope everyone passes!!!
Step 02: Pray for Success at the Toryumon Gateway to Success, Dates and Times for 2025 (Reiwa 7)
Osaka Tenmangu Shrine’s famous “passing through worship” for passing exams can be done at the Toryumon gateway to success.
Take this rare opportunity to pass through the main hall of the shrine, which is believed to be a sacred place of learning. Normally, worshippers cannot enter the hall, but they can pass through only on certain days! This is a really rare opportunity. Head through the gateway right away and break through to the other side of your exams!
Check the following dates and times of the “Passing Through Ceremony (Prayers for Success) 2025 (Reiwa 7)”
[Schedule]
January 12th (Sun) 3:00pm-4:00pm
January 13th (Mon. Holiday) 3:00pm-4:00pm
January 24th (Fri.) 2:00pm-3:00pm Hatsutenjin Plum Blossom Festival Eve
January 25th (Sat.) 2:00pm-3:00pm Hatsutenjin Plum Blossom Festival
February 11th (Tue. Holiday) 3:00pm-4:00pm
February 23rd (Sun. Holiday) 3:30pm-4:30pm
March 2nd (Sun.) 3:00pm-4:00pm
You will need a ticket to visit the main shrine to participate in the passing through ceremony (prayers for success)!
Tickets are distributed to those who have a “charm” or “prayer” for passing exams (試験合格祈願), finding employment (就職成就祈願), or improving learning and virtues (学徳向上), which can be purchased at the shrine office. It is advisable to purchase one in advance to get in smoothly.
Step 03: Recharge Your Energy on the Osaka Tenmangu Shrine Grounds
■ Koma-ushi, the divine messenger
The deity enshrined here, Sugawara no Michizane shares a deep connection with cows. And the divine messenger of Tenmangu Shrine is the cow!
Considering the circumstances it makes sense. Michizane was born in the year of the ox and a cow saved his life. After all, cows are very precious divine messengers.
There are a handful of cows on the shrine grounds. This cow statue is a nade-ushi (rubbing cow), and it’s said that if you stroke the same part of the cow as a body part that’s ailing you, you will be cured!
The statue has clearly been stroked on the head many times. This shiny head shows that a lot of people have stroked it in hopes of getting smarter.
■ Power from the Earth “Tenman Tenjin Water”
When you pass through the front gate, there is a small shrine on the right which holds the sacred water known as “Tenma Tenjin no Mizu.” It is considered a power spot that is still slightly under the public’s radar. Here you can get a sip of the sacred water that springs from beneath the shrine grounds. This crystal shrine is only open for three days each month, on the 1st, 10th, and 25th! It’s also possible to buy bottled sacred water at the gift shop. Tenjin is really good at finding business opportunities. I hope our business will be just as successful!
Step 04: Eat Suberan Udonfor Good Luck
While walking around the shrine grounds, I spotted a “Suberan Udon” sign that caught my attention.
After praying for success, I started to feel hungry. It was time to recharge my energy from the inside. And what better way to get good luck than to eat some special foods!
So I headed to “Udon Futoshiki” a small noodle shop next to the Kame-no-ike pond, which is just across the street from Tenmangu Shrine.
Their special noodles are called Suberan Udon and they are unusually shaped, with vertical slits in the noodles. This is a popular food for exam takers because you can stick your chopsticks through the noodles and they won’t slip off. The idea is that you won’t fail in eating your noodles or in passing your test.
This spot is actually famous with comedians too. They don’t want to fail in getting a laugh.
The flavor is very representative of Osaka udon too! The dashi stock is robust and the taste is really delicious. It will warm both your body and soul.
They also serve plum juice, which is made from plums picked on the grounds of Osaka Tenmangu Shrine.
■ Make a Wish at Hoshiai-no-ike Pond (Turtle Pond)
It is custom to throw the wishing tokens (negai-dama) into the pond at the floating plum-blossom. Each petal is painted a different color representing a certain category of wishes. If your wishing token lands on one of the petal, your wish is supposed to come true. Aim for the green one, which corresponds to wishes regarding academics.
Personally, I want a good relationship, all dreams to come true, good health… Ok, so I just want them all!! Maybe next time I can come back and aim for every single one.
Step 05: Meet Some Owls for Happiness and Good Luck
Owls have some mysterious charms, but did you know they actually bring happiness?
In Japanese, the word owl “fukuro” is pronounced similarly to the words fukuro (福来郎) meaning good fortune and fukurо̄ (不苦労) meaning absence of hardship!
Owls also appear in ancient Greek mythology, and are called the wise ones of the forest and are seen as symbols of wisdom and learning!
When I heard that there is a shop near the Osaka Tenmangu Shrine with owls, I just had to go⭐︎
The shop is called Owl Family and it’s located about a 5-minute walk from Osaka Tenmangu Shrine. There are several kinds of owls you can see here, from tiny palm-sized owls to huge ones! You aren’t allowed to touch any of the owls normally, but it is still comforting to be around such cute and fluffy creatures.
Have a look at all the adorable owls while you’re in the shop. And you’ll notice an array of owl-themed products and accessories too.
If you carry around something with an owl on it, I’ve heard that your luck will improve.
This shop even sells owls as pets! Their big, round eyes seem to say, “Take me home!” And I wanted to so badly, but I know I can’t keep an owl….My dad would get angry if I came home with a new pet. Of course, if you can, it’s wonderful to bring an owl into your home. For me, I had to settle with some owl goods and get a gift for my younger brother who’s studying for exams back home♪ If you do decide to get an owl yourself, the shop has many resources for you and can even care for it if you need.
Ok! So how do you feel? Did you get that burst of extra exam energy?
You’re fine now! Guaranteed to pass! You must be perfectly prepared!
Tenjin-san and I are cheering for you, so let go of those pre-exam jitters.
To all the test-takers across the country, take care of yourselves leading up to the test! I hope all your preparation efforts will be rewarded☆
Have a great day!
Good luck!
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Osaka Bob FAMILY
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