Kotohira

We took a local train from Takamatsu to Kotohira, staying on the Park Hotel,
In the morning, we visited Kanamaru-Za, the oldest extant Kabuki theatre in Japan dating from 1835 to provide entertainment for pilgrims to the Kotohira-gu shrine. There are rare performances now. We walked under the stage and saw the equipment for the revolving stage which would be operated manually.
Some of us climbed the 1368 steps to the Okusha Shrine near the top of Mt. Zozu at 521m. The walk was very steep but there was a great view of Kotohira and the surrounding countryside. On the way down, I stopped for lunch at a posh cafe.
Continuing my descent, at Omote Shoin, there were 90 painted door panels, some from the Edo period, with cranes, tigers and Mt. Fuji amongst the scenes, plus a garden. There was only one other visitor at this Important Cultural Property.
I visited an art gallery and then the Homotsu-kau Museum with lots of wall paintings, Samurai headwear, and statues.
I couldn't find another museum so I walked back to town down a rarely-used path in a forest of very tall and straight cedar trees. To end the walk, I visited the covered bridge over river.
We went to a beef bbq restaurant for dinner.Read more