Storied temples of the Shikoku Henro Pilgrimage, a historic National Treasure shrine—these and more lie nestled in the Goshikidai Highland.
Each mountain in this ancient home for worship is named after a principal color in Buddhism. In fact, Goshikidai literally means “five-color highland.”
As you hike through abundant nature, notice the subtle differences between the Buddhist temples of the pilgrimage and the Shinto shrines of Japan’s native religion. Both have existed side by side since long ago.
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JR Kamogawa Station
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1 day
JR Kamogawa Station- 40-minute walk
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1Kandani Shrine
Kandani Shrine has a bright red worship hall (haiden) rebuilt in 1930, and behind it the Main Sanctuary, a smallish wooden structure that is one of the oldest extant shrine buildings in Japan. Although unembellished, it is historically significant. Repairs conducted in the Taisho era (1912–1926) led to the discovery of a number of wooden markers detailing the history of the building. The oldest of these ridge tags (munafuda), which describe the timing and circumstances of repairs and reconstruction work undertaken on a structure, revealed that the present Main Sanctuary was constructed in 1219. The building sits on a platform made of natural stones and its curved roof, covered with layers of hinoki cypress bark shingles, extends over the wooden steps in front of the structure. The extension is supported by four square pillars. These architectural features are typical of the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and contributed to the designation of the Main Sanctuary as a National Treasure in 1955. The shrine itself is thought to be even older: the sanctuary’s own records indicate that it was founded in the year 812. It possesses a number of historic documents and other artifacts, including a Kamakura-period statue depicting a Shinto guardian deity (zuijin), though these treasures are displayed only on select occasions. The shrine is located near the banks of the Kandani River in the shadow of Mt. Shiramine, one of the five peaks of the Goshikidai Plateau between the cities of Takamatsu and Sakaide.
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- 100-minute walk
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2Shiromineji Temple
Shiromineji Temple stands on Mt. Shiramine, one of the five peaks of the Goshikidai Plateau, between the cities of Takamatsu and Sakaide. As the 81st temple on the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage, it receives a steady stream of pilgrims who come to say their prayers at the temple’s many mountainside halls. Six of these buildings, some of which date back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, are dedicated to Buddhas represented by one or several of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. The Buddha corresponding to the year one was born in is considered that person’s protector deity. Small statues are placed in front of the halls to help visitors find the sanctuary that stands for their zodiac sign.
Another interesting structure at Shiromineji is the Tonshoji Hall, which consists of a worship hall (haiden) up front and, behind it, three smaller shrines connected to the worship hall with corridors—a rare architectural solution that is not employed anywhere else in Japan. The sanctuaries on the left and right are dedicated to a Shinto kami and a Buddhist deity respectively, while the one in the middle enshrines Emperor Sutoku (1119–1164), whose defeat in a power struggle at court led to him being exiled to this remote region long ago. Emperor Sutoku died here and is buried in a modest grave next to Shiromineji.
After touring the temple grounds, visitors can walk or drive a few hundred meters back along the road from the Shiromineji entrance to the Shiramine Park Center. The center has a café and a scenic lookout, which offers impressive views over the city of Sakaide, Seto Ohashi Bridge, and the perfectly cone-shaped Mt. Iino, also known as “the Mt. Fuji of Sanuki” (Sanuki being the old name for Kagawa Prefecture). Further up the mountain is Shiramine Onsen, hot springs where the views from the open-air tub rival those of the aforementioned scenic lookout.More Details
- 100-minute walk
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3Negoroji Temple
Negoroji Temple is the 82nd temple on the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage circuit, located on Mt. Aomine, which is the main Goshikidai Highland peak in Kagawa Prefecture. The temple grounds and path to the main hall are surrounded by lush greenery and lined with Japanese maples which make the scenery turn red in autumn. This is one of the most well-known maple leaf spots in the prefecture.
The pilgrimage path leading to Negoroji Temple is believed to have been used since the first half of the Edo period in the 17th century. There are still numerous road signs and milestones left from that era. You will also find other relics along the path, including a marker called gejoishi, which indicated the entrance to a sacred area and meant all pilgrims had to get off their horses or vehicles and continue on foot. Due to its importance as part of Japan’s national heritage, the path was designated a Historic Site in 2013.
Once you get to the temple grounds, you can continue down a straight path that will take you to the main hall, which houses about 33,000 bodhisattva statues, all donated by worshipers. Visitors who travel here by car are greeted by an unusual and perhaps slightly intimidating statue located on the parking lot near the temple.
It is a statue of ushi-oni, a supernatural monster (yokai) from the folklore of western Japan. The name literally translates as “ox demon”, which explains its bovine appearance. Ushi-oni were by nature extremely ruthless and savage. Legend has it that about 400 years ago, an ushi-oni from Mt. Aomine constantly terrorized a nearby village. One day, the villagers asked a master archer named Yamada Kurando Takakiyo to get rid of the demon once and for all. The archer accepted the task and went out to look for the demon, but the demon was nowhere to be found. The archer did not give up and decided to pray at Negoroji Temple. Finally, on the 21st day, he managed to spot and strike down the creature. It tried to escape, but the archer chased it down and cut off its horns. He gave the horns as an offering to the temple, where they have been preserved to this day.More Details
- 120-minute walk
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4Kokubunji Temple
Kokubunji Temple represents the 80th temple on the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage circuit. It was founded in the 8th century in Sanuki Province, which is nowadays known as Kagawa Prefecture. At the time, Japan was ruled by Emperor Shomu, who wanted to restore peace and stability in a country that had been ravaged by rebellions, natural disasters, and epidemics. In order to achieve that, he decided to establish a series of state-maintained Buddhist temples called Kokubunji all across Japan as the foundation for unity and prosperity. This is the Kokubunji Temple that represented Sanuki Province.
Kokubunji Temple is located about seven minutes on foot from Kokubu Station on the JR Yosan Line. The temple grounds are strewn with pine trees and a series of stone Buddhist statues lining the path that leads to the main hall, which has been designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. There are exactly 88 statues along the path, and they represent a miniature version of the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage for worshipers who are unable to go through the entire journey. Walking down this path constitutes a good deed equal to completing the actual pilgrimage.
After the 88 statues, the path will take you past a group of large flat rocks. These are the foundation stones of Kondo Hall (main hall) that used to be there many centuries ago. The 33 stones have remained virtually intact, suggesting that the hall they supported was 28 meters long and 14 meters wide. In addition, there are 15 foundation stones in front of Jizo Hall (a hall dedicated to Jizo Bosatsu, an important Buddhist deity in Japan), which indicates that a pagoda 10 meters wide and 63 meters tall used to stand there. These are also the only two locations on Shikoku Island to be designated Special Historic Sites.
Visitors who wish to learn more about the history can visit the Sanuki Kokubunji Temple Site Museum, which is located in the temple’s vicinity. The museum houses ancient pottery, metal artifacts, and other objects excavated in the area. There is also a 1/20 scale model of the original Kondo Hall with informative illustrated panels and a video booth offering a virtual reality tour of the site.More Details
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