Home to one of Shikoku’s most important shrines, Kotohira lies along the banks of the Doki River. It was established as a market town at the gates of Kompirasan, which has attracted pilgrims for centuries and is said to have one of the most challenging shrine approaches in Japan.
Things to do in Kotohira
Interested in how sake is made? Visit the Kinryo Sake Museum, which occupies a historic storage facility. It displays vintage sake-making tools within the recreated setting of an Edo-period brewery, complete with life-size figures illustrating various tasks. At the end of your visit, you can taste sake beneath an 800-year-old camphor tree.
On the wooded slopes of Mount Zozu is Kompirasan, a revered shrine dedicated to sailors and seafaring. It combines both Shinto and Buddhist elements in its design, with the Ema Hall displaying images of battleships and space rockets, as well as a miniature submarine. Climb the 1,368 stone steps that lead to the shrine for sweeping views across Kotohira before continuing along the forested trail to the inner shrine.
Nearby is the historic kabuki theatre of Kanamaruza, which was originally built in 1835. It is the oldest surviving kabuki playhouse in Japan and still stages performances featuring well-known kabuki stars. Even if your visit doesn’t coincide with a show, you can go behind the scenes to see the rotating main stage, dressing rooms and basement trapdoors.
Getting around Kotohira
Kotohira is around 45 minutes’ drive from Takamatsu and 40 minutes from Takamatsu Airport, which has flights to destinations across Asia. JR trains connect to the Kotohira railway station while electric services stop at the Kotoden-Kotohira station. Buses travel through Kotohira, although many of its attractions can be accessed on foot.