Amagasaki Castle, its surrounds and Teramachi
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Amagasaki Tourist Information Center (in front of Hanshin Railway Amagasaki Stn.)
Amagasaki Tourist Information Center (in front of Hanshin Railway Amagasaki Stn.)
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Amagasaki Castle
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Zensho-ji Temple
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Honko-ji Temple
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Kotoku-ji Temple
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Kanro-ji Temple
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Ho’on-ji Temple
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Zentsu-ji Temple
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Joraku-ji Temple
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Daikaku-ji Temple
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Jo’on-ji Temple
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Nyorai-in Temple
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Sennen-ji Temple
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Sakurai-jinja Shrine
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Kifune-jinja Shrine
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Amagasaki Ebisu-jinja Shrine
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Amagasaki Shinkin Bank Amashin Museum
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Amagasaki Shinkin Bank World Piggy Bank Museum
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Amagasaki Cultural Center (Amashin Archaic Hall)
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Amagasaki Cultural Center Kazuo Shiraga Memorial Gallery
Basic information
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1Amagasaki Tourist Information Center (in front of Hanshin Railway Amagasaki Stn.)
The Amagasaki Tourist Information Center is in Chuo Park, north of Amagasaki Stn. on the Hanshin Railway. Here you can find information on Amagasaki Castle, the Teramachi area, shopping arcades, and all the wonderful local products that residents and visitors love.
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2Amagasaki Castle
Built in 1617 by Toda Ujikane, Amagasaki Castle was dismantled under an 1873 government edict that ordered some domain castles to be abandoned.The current structure is a reconstruction completed in March 2019.
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Teramachi
To the southwest of Amagasaki Stn. on the Hanshin Railway lies the Teramachi area, home to a number of temples. It is one of the city’s Urban Beauty Precincts, which are subject to official preservation for their historical significance. Teramachi has 11 temples, of which many are Important Cultural Assets, conveying the atmosphere of an old castle town.
Temple
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4Zensho-ji Temple
Originally established by the Toda clan as a family temple in Otsu City, it was relocated here in 1617 when Toda Ujikane became lord of the Amagasaki domain. Today, it is the only Soto Zen temple in Teramachi.
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5Honko-ji Temple
Honko-ji Temple was established in 1420 by the high priest Nichiryu. Three of the temple’s pavilions (among other items) were made official Important Cultural Assets as superior examples of architecture from the 1300s to the 1600s.
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8Kotoku-ji Temple
Legend says Kotoku-ji Temple was established by Gongai Sochu of Kyoto’s Daitoku-ji Temple in 1390, and it was one of Daitoku-ji’s Nyoian sect temples in the middle ages before relocating to Teramachi with the construction of Amagasaki Castle between 1615-1624.
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9Kanro-ji Temple
Said to have been established by Gen’ei, the high priest En’yo, in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), Kanro-ji Temple was relocated from Daimotsu to the Teramachi area to coincide with the construction of Amagasaki Castle.
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10Ho’on-ji Temple
Said to have been established by the high priest Shoyo Eiko Ho’on, Ho’on-ji Temple was relocated to the Teramachi area to coincide with the construction of Amagasaki Castle.
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11Zentsu-ji Temple
Said to have been established by the high priest Kakua between 1558 and 1569, Zentsu-ji’s attractions include a monument to Hada-no-Takebun and the Hakkakudo Pavilion, where the object of worship is a headless jizo statue.
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12Joraku-ji Temple
Said to have been established by the high priest Shin’yo Joun in 1504, Joraku-ji Temple was relocated to the Teramachi area to coincide with the construction of Amagasaki Castle. A branch temple was built in the Ogaki Domain (in modern-day Gifu) when Toda Ujikane, lord of the Amagasaki Domain, was transferred there in 1635.
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13Daikaku-ji Temple
Amagasaki’s oldest surviving temple, Daikaku-ji Temple is one of the Ritsu sect of Buddhism. It was lost to fire in 1877 and rebuilt. Daikaku-ji is said to have been ordered built in 600 by Prince Shotoku.
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14Jo’on-ji Temple
Said to have been established in 1350 by the high priest Nichion, Jo’on-ji Temple was relocated to its current location to coincide with the construction of Amagasaki Castle. The government has designated the main pavilion and the Tahoto pagoda important cultural assets as superior examples of Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600) architecture.
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15Nyorai-in Temple
Nyorai-in Temple is said to have originated in the Nara Period (710-794) when Emperor Shomu asked the priest Gyoki to build a temple worshipping Gautama Buddha in the Kanzaki area.
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16Sennen-ji Temple
Sennen-ji Temple is said to have been established by the monk Shinjaku in 1177 when Taira-no-Shigemori took religious orders under the high priest Honen. The temple is sometimes called “Red Gate Temple” for its distinctive red mountain gates.
Shinto shrine
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3Sakurai-jinja Shrine
Established in 1882 to worship Matsudaira Nobusada, an ancestor of the clan that ruled the domain, Sakurai-jinja Shrine was relocated to its current location in 1961 to make way for National Route 43.
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17Kifune-jinja Shrine
“Kifune-san of Amagasaki” is dedicated to the guardian deity of seafarers and the rain gods. Here, the Amagasaki clan prayed for rain to end droughts and for victory against Commodore Matthew Perry’s “black ships” at the end of the Edo period. The lively summer festival is known for its distinctive floats.
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18Amagasaki Ebisu-jinja Shrine
Home of the annual (January) Toka Ebisu festival where people pray for business prosperity and safety in the home every January 9, 10, and 11, this shrine is close to the city’s largest shopping precinct and bustles with shopper-worshippers.
Cultural facility
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6Amagasaki Shinkin Bank Amashin Museum
Built in 2001 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Amagasaki Shinkin Bank, the Amashin Museum seeks to promote local culture and community development. Regular exhibits include priceless materials about Amagasaki’s history as a castle town.
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7Amagasaki Shinkin Bank World Piggy Bank Museum
The Amagasaki Shinkin Bank World Piggy Bank Museum—Japan’s first—has more than 13,000 items from 62 countries. With one of the world’s most comprehensive collections, the museum has become a source of local pride.
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19Amagasaki Cultural Center (Amashin Archaic Hall)
Comprising Amashin Archaic Hall, as well as facilities for art, cultural classes, and conferences, this complex is a popular venue for concerts, theater, traditional performing arts, and the like.
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20Amagasaki Cultural Center Kazuo Shiraga Memorial Gallery
Amagasaki native Kazuo Shiraga had a unique painting style and garnered international renown. The Kazuo Shiraga Memorial Gallery serves to praise his achievements and share the wonders of his works with the world.