Trip Moments Recommendations
1368 steps to the inner shrine of Kotohira -gu
Kotohira shrine in Kagawa prefecture in Shikoku is a shrine dedicated to sailors and seafarers. It is situated at 521 m - halfway to the top of Mount Zozu.
The journey starts from the Kotohira town where there is a row of souvenir shops and restaurants, and it will gradually go uphill with a long stretch of stairs. There is a large tori at the entrance of Kotohira- gu, while the two sides stood many stone pillars marking the “millions “ of yen contributed to the shrine over the years.
There were many large and small shrines as we walked up the long flight of stairs, and we made our first stop at 477 steps where there were two beautiful white horses that werr 14 and 18 years old. There was also a cafe at 500 steps but it was already closed when we arrived.
Our next stop was the Main Shrine at 785 steps. The view of the nearby towns and fields from there was quite spectacular! However as it was closed to 5pm we noticed the workers started to close some of the windows of the shrine. Just as we were about to start uphill again, we were told that the premise gate will close by 6pm, and we should start to go downhill. As much as we wanted to reach the top, we couldn’t make it this time.
If you are planning to complete the whole journey uphill, I would recommend to start from 2 or 3 pm latest as there are many interesting things to see and photos to be taken. You would also want to take your time to walk slowly and rest from time to time. There is no admission fee to visit Kotohira gu.
#Kotohiragu #Kotohira #shrine ##japan #kagawa #shikoku
Luxurious Ryokan in Shikoku - Kotohira Kadan
Kotohira Kadan is a luxurious ryokan in Kotohira Onsen town. As the town is not big, it is easy to walk to the ryokan from the town center.
The lodging premise is large and has parking a few spaces in front of the ryokan lobby, and a large parking lot just across the street.
We booked a four person room with private spa , and it was truly enjoyable. The room has a separate bedroom with two full size beds which were very comfortable. Two other futons were set in the living room in the evening. The bathroom was spacious with a private spa. There is also a balcony with sofa, overlooking the lovely Japanese garden below.
We checked in quite late in the evening but the staff were helpful to drive us back into the Main Street and to the few izakayas that were opened.
The premise is well maintained. It has two public spa for male and female guests. It also has private spa that can be booked in advance - including a private room with TV, sofa within the spa room. Each guest can book the private spa for one 45 minutes session for free during their stay.
Guests can also enjoy a glass of sparkling wine in the bar after 9 pm as well as enjoy the foot bath overlooking the garden.
Overall we had a great time at this ryokan and would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Kotohira.
#ryokan #japan #shikoku #Kotohira