Kagawa · Town
Kotohira
琴平町ことひらちょうKotohira-chōThe seafarers' shrine at the top of the steps
Kotohira is a small shrine town in western Kagawa at the foot of Mount Zōzu, home of Kotohira-gū, popularly called Konpira-san, the guardian shrine of seafarers. Pilgrims climb 785 stone steps to its main hall, and the town preserves the Kanamaru-za, Japan's oldest surviving kabuki theatre.
Overview
Kotohira grew up entirely around its shrine. Kotohira-gū stands on the slope of Mount Zōzu, "elephant's head mountain", and is dedicated to Ōmononushi, revered as the protector of sailors, fishermen and sea trade. In the Edo period Konpira pilgrimage was among the most popular in Japan, second only to Ise in the imagination of many travellers, and pilgrims arrived by boat at Marugame and walked inland along the Konpira roads.
The approach begins in the town among souvenir shops, udon counters and old inns and climbs through the Ōmon gate to the main shrine at step 785, from which the view reaches across the Sanuki plain to the Inland Sea. Along the way stand the ornate Asahi-sha hall and the shoin reception halls with sliding-door paintings by Maruyama Ōkyo. A further 583 steps lead to the inner shrine.
Below the hill, the Kanamaru-za of 1835, with its revolving stage and trapdoors worked by hand, is the oldest surviving kabuki theatre in Japan and hosts performances by leading actors each spring. The wooden Takatōrō lantern near the station once guided ships at sea.
Landmarks
Kotohira-gū
金刀比羅宮Kotohira-gūThe seafarers' shrine on Mount Zōzu, reached by 785 steps to the main hall and 1,368 steps to the inner shrine.
Asahi-sha
旭社Asahi-shaAn elaborately carved hall of 1837 on the approach, an Important Cultural Property.
Omote-shoin
表書院Omote-shoinThe shrine's reception hall with sliding-door paintings by Maruyama Ōkyo; an Important Cultural Property.
Kanamaru-za
旧金毘羅大芝居（金丸座）Kyū-Konpira Ōshibai (Kanamaru-za)The oldest surviving kabuki theatre in Japan, built in 1835, with a hand-turned revolving stage; an Important Cultural Property.
Takatōrō
高灯籠TakadōrōA wooden lantern tower of 1865 about 27 metres tall, near Kotoden Kotohira Station.
Gonin Byakushō
五人百姓Gonin ByakushōFive hereditary stalls under white parasols inside the precinct, selling kamiyo-ame candy.
Kinryō no Sato
金陵の郷Kinryō no SatoA sake museum in a historic brewery on the approach road.
Districts
Omotesandō
表参道OmotesandōThe shop-lined approach and the first flights of steps.
Station area
琴平駅周辺Kotohira-eki shūhenJR and Kotoden stations, the Takatōrō and the Kanakura River.
Kanamaru-za area
金丸座周辺Kanamaru-za shūhenThe park at the foot of the hill with the theatre and hot-spring inns.
History
Until 1868 the shrine was known as Konpira Daigongen, a syncretic cult combining a Buddhist guardian deity, the crocodile god Kumbhīra of Indian origin, with Shinto worship. Under the patronage of the Tokugawa it held its own temple lands, and its fame spread through songs, woodblock prints and the custom of sending barrels of offerings or even dogs on pilgrimage in their owners' place.
With the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the Meiji era the shrine took the name Kotohira-gū. The railway from Marugame reached Kotohira in 1889. The Kanamaru-za, closed and later restored, was designated an Important Cultural Property and returned to use for kabuki in 1985.
17th c.
Konpira Daigongen grows into a major pilgrimage site under Tokugawa patronage.
1835
The Kanamaru-za kabuki theatre is built.
1837
The Asahi-sha hall is completed after decades of construction.
1865
The Takatōrō, a 27-metre wooden lantern, is erected as a beacon for ships.
1868
Under the separation of Shinto and Buddhism, the shrine becomes Kotohira-gū.
1889
The Sanuki Railway opens between Marugame and Kotohira.
1985
The first Konpira Kabuki performances are held in the restored Kanamaru-za.
Culture
Kotohira's culture is that of a pilgrim town: inns, souvenir shops and udon counters line the approach, and the rhythm of the day follows visitors climbing the steps. The folk song Konpira Fune Fune, about boats sailing to the shrine, is known throughout Japan. The spring kabuki season at the Kanamaru-za brings leading actors from Tokyo to perform in a hall lit largely by daylight through shuttered windows, much as in the Edo period.
Festivals
Shikoku Konpira Kabuki
四国こんぴら歌舞伎大芝居Shikoku Konpira Kabuki ŌshibaiSpring kabuki at the Kanamaru-za, with the townspeople helping to run the theatre.
Kotohira-gū Grand Festival
金刀比羅宮例大祭Kotohira-gū ReitaisaiIn October, a solemn night procession descends from the shrine to the town and returns.
Sakura no Baba cherry blossoms
桜馬場Sakura no babaCherry trees along the upper approach bloom in early spring.
Food
Sanuki udon
讃岐うどんSanuki udonServed along the approach; some shops let visitors make their own noodles.
Kamiyo-ame
加美代飴Kamiyo-ameFan-shaped amber candy broken with a small hammer, sold only within the shrine.
Local sake
金陵KinryōSake brewed in Kotohira since the Edo period by a brewery on the shrine approach.
Shōyu-mame
しょうゆ豆Shōyu-mameBroad beans in sweet soy sauce, a Sanuki side dish found in local shops.
Getting around
- JR Kotohira Station is on the Dosan Line, with limited expresses from Okayama in about an hour and connections from Takamatsu via Tadotsu.
- Kotoden Kotohira Station, terminus of the line from Takamatsu, is a few minutes' walk from the approach.
- The town is walkable; the climb to the main shrine takes about 30–40 minutes at a steady pace.
- Palanquin carriers once took visitors up the first steps; today most people climb on foot.
Day trips
Zentsū-ji
善通寺Zentsū-jiKūkai's birthplace and Henro Temple 75, one stop by train.
- 丸亀Marugame
Castle on towering stone walls and the old Konpira pilgrims' port.
Mannō-ike
満濃池Mannō-ikeJapan's largest irrigation reservoir, restored by Kūkai, a short drive south-east.
- 祖谷・大歩危Iya, Ōboke
Mountain gorges and vine bridges, about an hour south on the Dosan Line.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to climb to Kotohira-gū?
About 30–40 minutes to the main shrine at step 785, and another 30 minutes or so to the inner shrine at step 1,368.
What is the Kanamaru-za?
A kabuki theatre built in 1835, the oldest surviving in Japan, with human-powered stage machinery; kabuki is performed there each spring.
Why is Konpira-san associated with the sea?
Its deity is revered as the protector of seafarers, and sailors and fishing communities throughout Japan have long prayed there for safe voyages.
How do you get to Kotohira from Takamatsu?
By the Kotoden Kotohira Line or JR trains, both about an hour.
Related
Sources
- 1.琴平町ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 琴平町
- 2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
- 3.金刀比羅宮 (opens in a new tab) — 金刀比羅宮
- 4.国指定文化財等データベース (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁