Let’s continue to take a look at the Kotohira Shrine.
Since the cherry blossoms haven’t bloomed yet, what we see are all bare branches.
I’m sure it will be quite beautiful in spring.
Haiden of main shrine
Near the main gate, you can see this.
Typically, next to the gates of temples, you would find wooden carvings of guardian deities.
However, next to the main gate of Kotohira Shrine, there are these two rather special statues of warriors.
There are four stalls set up here.
Originally, there were supposed to be five people setting up stalls, but today one is missing…
It is said that the five individuals (known as the “Five Commoners”) who set up stalls here have been specially permitted to do so because their ancestors made significant contributions to the construction of Kotohira Shrine.
Therefore, their descendants are allowed to conduct business here. However, it seems like the businesses at the foot of the mountain might be doing better.
Sakurababa
The cherry blossoms here must be beautiful when they bloom. Unfortunately, there weren’t even any buds when we visited.
Konpira Dog
It’s said that in the past, if someone couldn’t come to visit for worship, they would entrust the task to a small dog to carry out the pilgrimage on their behalf…
Actually, there’s still some distance from here to the main hall.
Additionally, this torii gate is made of bronze, which is quite rare.
Shinme
Since Konpira Shrine is dedicated to the safety of maritime travel, there are also some items related to ships present here…
This is just the Asahi Shrine.
The journey from Asahi River to the main shrine is where it gets a bit more tiring.
The corridor next to Asahi Shrine, and the torii gate behind it, is made of brass, which is different from the bronze torii gate mentioned earlier.
Sakakimon Gate
It’s this section that has a bit more stairs.
But still, it’s manageable to walk through.
Hyakudo Stone
This is the Main Shrine.
Looking down
Honestly, I found it quite boring up there. However, it’s similar to Ise Jingu. Just looking with the naked eye, there’s not much to see that’s visually striking. But, it represents a spiritual significance…
The amulets here are quite cute.
The fortune slips of Konpira Dog
Ema Hall
After finishing the visit, it’s time to walk down…
Fortunately, going downhill is faster.
Just then, I saw someone preparing to be carried up in a palanquin.
After coming down, many shops started opening up one after another. Why take a special note of this?
Because according to my wife’s previous experience, there are many places selling udon noodles in Kagawa, but only this place has the tastiest ones: Hinode Seimenjo (in Japanese: 日の出製麺所).
Later, when I brought some back to Taiwan to cook, it indeed turned out to be super delicious. So, here’s a recommendation…
That wraps up the simple introduction to Konpira Shrine.
Since we were walking and taking photos along the way, after reaching the main shrine, we also spent some time buying souvenirs and wandering around. Then, walking back down, the total time spent was about 100 minutes.
Hopefully, this can serve as a reference for those interested.
Konpira Shrine(Official Website)
Address: 〒766-8501 Kagawa Prefecture, Nakatado District, Kotohira Town, 892-1
Map:
『Original Source：https://nicklee.tw/1246/』
