Tourism Osaka: multi-storey hotel built over ancient temple

[thomas]

I'm not sure I like the idea. However, reading the article below, it appears this construction project is seen as a splendid idea and a win-win game for both parties involved: Candeo Hotels is constructing a multi-storey hotel on top of Mitsutera temple in Ōsaka's Chūō Ward has been a part of the landscape since it was founded in 744. Belonging to the Omuro school of the Shingon Buddhism sect, its eleven-faced Kannon is the main deity enshrined in the temple. The current structure was built in 1808, having escaped damage from U.S. bombing raids on Osaka in 1945 during World War II.

The Candeo Hotels Osaka Shinsaibashi is set to open on the site of the temple on Nov. 26, 2023. It is planned to be a 15-story building, plus three underground floors. The 180-room hotel will occupy the fourth floor up, and there will be a spa featuring a sauna and open-air bath on the top floor. The exterior of the completed Candeo Hotels Osaka Shinsaibashi is seen in this mockup image provided by Candeo Hotels. The temple's main hall will fit snugly within the building's first three floors, becoming an unprecedented sight along Osaka's Mido-suji Avenue. Hotel guests will reach the lobby via a route that goes past the temple's main building. There are plans to let visitors experience temple practices such as morning prayers, meditation, and "eshakyo," or contemplation through the transcription of Buddhist sutras and images of Buddha. Teruaki Hozumi, president of Candeo Hospitality Management Inc., enthused, "This is a competitive area for hotels, but I want the prospect of experiencing (the temple's) religion to be a way for ours to stand out."

Serene stay: Large hotel being built above ancient Buddhist temple in Osaka - The Mainichi

OSAKA -- A history-rich Buddhist temple here is undergoing a rebirth, in a project to integrate the site with a high-rise hotel. A representative for

mainichi.jp

A screenshot of the construction site from Google maps:

Link:

七宝山大福院 三津寺 | 大阪・ミナミの観音さん　

大阪・ミナミの観音さん。七宝山大福院　三津寺のホームページです。

mitsutera.jp

 

[mdchachi]

I'm sure it's a win-win. The temple's caretaker/monk probably is having trouble paying for his Mercedes with just the coins in the kane-bako alone.