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Matthew Haswell | profile | all galleries >> Japan 日本 >> Shikoku 四国 >> Kotohira and Zentsū-ji 琴平と善通寺 tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Takamatsu 高松 | Kotohira and Zentsū-ji 琴平と善通寺 | Shōdo-shima 小豆島 | Marugame 丸亀 | Imabari 今治 | Matsuyama 松山 | Ōzu and Uchiko 大洲と内子 | Uwajima & the Shimanto-gawa 宇和島と四万十川 | Kōchi 高知 | Iya Valley 祖谷渓 | Tokushima and Naruto 徳島と鳴門

Kotohira and Zentsū-ji 琴平と善通寺

The premier pilgrimage site of Kagawa Prefecture, the small town of Kotohira is home to Kotohira-gū, a mountaintop shrine famed for its longtime association with seafaring. Best known by the name of Kompira-san, the shrine is also notorious for the long, steep ascent up some 785 steps to its main hall (1,368 to the less visited inner shrine).

Nearby Zentsū-ji is a small town named after its famous Buddhist temple, the 75th on Shikoku's 88 Sacred Temple circuit. The birthplace of Kōbō Daishi, founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, Zentsū-ji's great temple is also the largest among the 88 and arguably its most visited.
Stone gate marking the entrance to Kotohira
Stone gate marking the entrance to Kotohira		 Historic Takadōrō lantern tower
Historic Takadōrō lantern tower		 Kotoden Kotohira Station
Kotoden Kotohira Station		 View down the Kanakura-gawa
View down the Kanakura-gawa
Saya-bashi wooden bridge
Saya-bashi wooden bridge		 Main approach to Kompira-san
Main approach to Kompira-san		 Sake barrels on Kotohira's main tourist street
Sake barrels on Kotohira's main tourist street		 Hawker outside a well-known local udon shop
Hawker outside a well-known local udon shop
Kanamaru-za
Kanamaru-za		 Paper lantern with crane image in the theater
Paper lantern with crane image in the theater		 Interior of the Kanamaru-za
Interior of the Kanamaru-za		 Ō-mon gate at the start of the ascent to Kompira-san
Ō-mon gate at the start of the ascent to Kompira-san
Great torii on the main path to Kompira-san
Great torii on the main path to Kompira-san		 Stone lanterns along the path, Kompira-san
Stone lanterns along the path, Kompira-san		 Bronze torii by the Hōmotsu-kan (Treasury)
Bronze torii by the Hōmotsu-kan (Treasury)		 Kompira-san's Sho-in (Reception Hall)
Kompira-san's Sho-in (Reception Hall)
Stone lantern and markers along the steps up
Stone lantern and markers along the steps up		 Lesser shrine along the ascent, Kompira-san
Lesser shrine along the ascent, Kompira-san		 Younger couple climbing the steps past a smaller shrine
Younger couple climbing the steps past a smaller shrine		 Asahino Yashiro (Shrine of the Rising Sun)
Asahino Yashiro (Shrine of the Rising Sun)
Beneath the roof of the Asahino Yashiro
Beneath the roof of the Asahino Yashiro		 The final set of steps up to the main hall
The final set of steps up to the main hall		 View over the hazy central plains of Kagawa-ken
View over the hazy central plains of Kagawa-ken		 Central Kotohira viewed from the main shrine
Central Kotohira viewed from the main shrine
Gohon-sha, the main hall of Kompira-san
Gohon-sha, the main hall of Kompira-san		 Long corridor linking the hall and Ema-dō
Long corridor linking the hall and Ema-dō		 Maritime votive plaques in the Ema-dō
Maritime votive plaques in the Ema-dō		 Votive plaque with ship image, Kompira-san
Votive plaque with ship image, Kompira-san
Vermilion shrine on the path up to the Oku-sha
Vermilion shrine on the path up to the Oku-sha		 Entrance to the Oku-sha - Kompira-san's peak
Entrance to the Oku-sha - Kompira-san's peak		 View out from the top of Kompira-san
View out from the top of Kompira-san		 The small Oku-sha under restoration
The small Oku-sha under restoration
Shikoku pilgrim asking for alms
Shikoku pilgrim asking for alms		 Kompira-udon lunch set
Kompira-udon lunch set		 JR Kotohira Station
JR Kotohira Station		 Elementary school kids on an outing, Zentsū-ji
Elementary school kids on an outing, Zentsū-ji
Entrance to Zentsū-ji
Entrance to Zentsū-ji		 Pathway into Zentsū-ji
Pathway into Zentsū-ji		 Five-tiered pagoda at Zentsū-ji
Five-tiered pagoda at Zentsū-ji		 Outer main hall, Zentsū-ji
Outer main hall, Zentsū-ji
Belltower, Zentsū-ji
Belltower, Zentsū-ji		 Assembly of arhats at Zentsū-ji
Assembly of arhats at Zentsū-ji		 Niō guardian at Zentsū-ji
Niō guardian at Zentsū-ji		 Statue of Kōbō Daishi and monk trio
Statue of Kōbō Daishi and monk trio
Main hall at Zentsū-ji
Main hall at Zentsū-ji		 Ema (votive plaque) with image of Kōbō Daishi
Ema (votive plaque) with image of Kōbō Daishi		 Auxiliary hall, Zentsū-ji
Auxiliary hall, Zentsū-ji		 Ancient camphor tree at Zentsū-ji
Ancient camphor tree at Zentsū-ji

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