Minami-mido (Shinshu Otani-ha Namba Betsuin)
A beloved temple where the poet Matsuo Basho died.
Minami-mido (Shinshu Otani-ha Namba Betsuin)Placeholder image
This Shinshu Otani-ha temple, Namba Betsuin, is affectionately called “Minami no Mido-san.” It is just south of Exit 13 of Hommachi Station. The grounds are known as the place where the haiku poet Matsuo Basho died, and a stone monument bears his death poem, “Ill on a journey, my dreams wander over withered fields.”
History & legend
- Fact
It began in 1595, when Kyonyo, the 12th head of Hongan-ji, founded Otani Hongan-ji in the Watanabe district of Osaka; it moved to its present site in 1598.
- Fact
It was destroyed in World War II and rebuilt in 1961.
Local tips
- Basho’s poem monument stands in the grounds. Each November the temple holds a Basho memorial (check the official site for dates).