Katsuoji Temple is located in the hills of Minoh City, north of Osaka. It is a scenic spot surrounded by forest, and it is especially well known for its beautiful flowers and foliage that change with the seasons. It is said that during the Heian period, a monk prayed for the health of Emperor Seiwa here and his illness was cured. This led the temple to be called Katsuoji, the characters for which literally mean “win,” “king,” and “temple.” Throughout its history, the temple has been popular as a bringer of good fortune, and people come here to pray for victory and success for important events, exams, and competitions.
The grounds of Katsuoji Temple are covered with the small, round figures of daruma dolls. Worshippers will purchase a doll and write their goals and resolutions for the coming year on it. They will then bathe the doll in incense smoke to imbue their feelings of gratitude, then color in the right eye as a pledge to work towards achieving their goal. Visitors can also purchase omamori lucky charms in daruma motifs as inspiration to pursue their goals or as souvenirs for family and friends.