NAMBA

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Namba is district of Osaka, Japan. Some of the most famous images of Osaka, including the Glico Man and the Kani Doraku Crab, are located around the Dōtonbori canal in Namba. Namba is also known as an entertainment district, and hosts many of the city's most popular bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and arcades. 

Namba is home to a number of famous shrines, but one of the most popular is definitely Namba Yasaka Shrine. In many ways Namba Yasaka Shrine is actually quite mysterious, and houses an unusual deity. 

This temple is famous from it’s lion-shaped stage, which is a one of a kind in Japan and was built in 1975. 

The lion shaped head (Ema-den) is 12 meters high and is 11 meters wide.

The shape of the lion is chosen, because it is believed the huge open mouth of the lion will swallow the evil spirits and bring good luck to those in school or in business. Therefore, this temple is popular with students and businessmen.