Street corner information of Kanonji City, Kagawa Prefecture

Kamiichi Shopping District Map

Kamiichi Shopping District Illustrated Map Chosa Festival/Zenigata Town This street is lined with cherry blossoms in the spring and maple trees in the fall, and is located in the center of the shopping district.

Jin'ei-in Temple & Kannon-ji Temple (The 88 Wonders of Shikoku)

It was founded about 1,300 years ago by the monk Nissho as the head priest of Kotobiki-gu Shrine, and was renamed Kannon-ji Temple during the Daido era (803) when Kobo Daishi was the seventh chief priest of the temple.

Of the 88 sacred sites in Shikoku, Kotobiki Shrine is number 68 and Kannonji Temple is number 69.

In the early Meiji period, following the separation of Shinto and Buddhism, the local Buddha of Kotobiki Hachimangu Shrine was moved to Nishikando and made the shrine the 68th temple of Jin'ei-in, making it the only shrine in Shikoku with two sacred sites at one temple.

Kotobiki Park

  • The "Kan'ei Tsūhō" coin, familiar to viewers as Zenigata Heiji, is a gigantic sand painting measuring 122m east to west, 90m north to south, and 345m in circumference, and appears as a beautiful circle when viewed from the top of Mt. Kotobiki. It is generally believed to have been created overnight in 1633 (Kan'ei 10) to welcome the feudal lord, Ikoma Takatoshi, and is a one-of-a-kind piece. It is said that if you see this coin, you will never be short of money, and many people visit the area.

    *On November 11, 1999, it was selected as one of the 100 best sunsets in Japan.

Konpira Shrine

The stone steps leading to Kotohira Shrine total 1,368 steps. The path continues on through the forested mountainside, and there are many sights to see, such as lanterns, stone fences, and torii gates, that delight the eyes of worshippers who work up a sweat.

Chosa Festival

  • Toyohama Chosa Festival: 3 days, ending on the 2nd Sunday of October Kannonji City Chosa Festival: 3 days, ending on the 3rd Sunday of October

    The main shrine is located at the top of 381 stone steps from the large torii gate. According to legend, in March of the third year of the Taiho era (703), black clouds hung over the Ariakehama area, and darkness continued for three days.
    Soon, as the light returned to the sea, a boat appeared, and the sound of a koto could be heard from the boat. When the residents approached, they replied, "I am the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman."

    When the head priest at the time, Nichisho Shonin, asked the boat for evidence, the seawater turned into a bamboo forest, the sandy beach turned into a green pine forest, and the sound of the koto rang out once again.
    The astonished priest Nissho gathered several hundred boys and girls who had remained faithful to the deceased, pulled the boat up the mountain, attached a koto to it, and placed it in the treasure hall; he then named it Kotobiki Hachiman Shrine.
    Even today, a ritual based on ancient customs is held at the autumn festival, known as "Ojisan."