2015 Golden Week travel from Miyajima to Awaji③

2015/05/03 - 2015/05/06

We drove through Ehime and Kagawa to Kurashiki, tonight place to stay. We stopped at the Konpira-san (Kotohiragu).

エリア 香川

• 同行者: カップル・夫婦
• 交通手段: レンタカー
• 旅行の手配内容: 個別手配

After leaving Imabari, we took the highway to Sakaide, Kagawa. I thought that it would be nice to have Udon in Kagawa, their speciality, to the restaurant in Tabelog. But we were too lazy to drive another 20 minutes to go there, and ate at the normal self service Udon restaurant. First we needed to order the style of Udon, and chose other things to eat with (like rice balls, temperas).
I chose 3 tempras, Kobu (sea weed), Renkon (lotus roots) and chicken skin, and put a lot of temkasu (crumble of tempera) and sliced leak on. It was so yammy and quite cheap, less than 500yen.

Outside of the Udon restaurant. A kind of first food place.

It is the entrance of Konpirasan (Kotohiragu). This is one of famous shrine and constructed in 12 century. It was popular to visit there in Edo period. It has 1368 stairs! We should not visit there in summer time;)

It is the Big Gate (Daimon), we felt that we had already climbed enough stairs but it was just only less than half!

There were many maple trees, and it might be beautiful in autumn time,

We saw the group who were running up the stairs with bare foot! What for...? Is it the new trend for health scheme?

This is the 祓戸社 (sorry, I could not read this Kanji, maybe "Kitosya"), this place is not still the final schrine.... yet! Only about 600 stairs. This place is dedicated for the gods who clean and sway away the sins.

This is the "Asahisya", and situated at almost half of the stairs. It looks like main shrine, but not yet! We needed to climb up more. This spot also is good for taking photos.

This is the "Sakaki mon", old times it is written with Kanji of upside-down tree. In 16 century, the warrior who intruded surrounding area also destroyed shrines and temple. He tried to attack Kotohiragu, when he saw trees and plants as they looked as soldiers. His men talked him this happened because he destroyed sacred things and then he changed his thought and dedicated the gate to Kotohiragu. But he made it in hurry, and mistook to put a wood upside down ("Sakaki").

At last we arrived at main shrine, there was steep and long stairs in the last part. Many people waited for praying.

Even there were many people on the top (main shrine), it still has a sacred atmosphere.

I thought that it related to soft bank Otosan dog, but we can get Omikuji (fortune telling paper). Cute!

This kanji "Kin" (Kon of konpirasan) is a bit strange shape.

The view from the top. We climbed up quite high! It was a really good exercise.

My husband noticed there was something interesting close to our parking lot. After Konpirasan, we checked it, it was "Takatoro", a kind of light for the ships passing Setonaikai. It has 27.6m height and built in 1865.