[Kochi Prefecture, Western Otsuki Town] Visit a picturesque shrine with a unique atmosphere

Otsuki Town is dotted with many shrines with a charming atmosphere, just like those seen in anime and movies. We recommend visiting the shrines to spend a day feeling as if time has stopped. You can tour the area by car, motorbike, bicycle, buggy, or other means, and it's also nice to visit a shrine near your accommodation.

Written by

Hata Region Tourism Bureau

The Hata region of Kochi Prefecture is located at the southwestern tip of Shikoku, and is a peninsula that juts out into the Pacific Ocean, facing Tosa Bay to the east and Bungo Channel to the west. It is made up of three cities, two towns, and one village: Hara Village. It is a natural powerhouse rich in blessings, including the nationally famous Shimanto River and Cape Ashizuri, the blessings of the Kuroshio Current that flows along the coast, and the blessings of mountains that boast the largest area of forests in the country.

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Visit picturesque shrines like those seen in anime and movies

Otsuki Town, on the edge of Kochi in Shikoku, is dotted with many shrines with an atmosphere reminiscent of those seen in anime and movies. If you want to spend a day as if time had stopped, visiting the shrines is a recommended plan. It's good to go around many of them by car, motorbike, bicycle, buggy, or other means of transportation, but it's also nice to pay a visit to a shrine near your accommodation. Feel free to visit!
Shrines are very important places for local people. Please be mindful of your manners and visit with a calm mind.

Hiromi Shrine (Otsuki Town Center)

The gods of the shrines in the nine districts of Hiromi, the center of Otsuki Town, gather here! It is a shrine that acts as a summit for the Hiromi area. On festival day, the sight of all the flags of the original shrines gathered together is spectacular.
During the lunar New Year, there is an event called "Yumihiki," and during the summer and autumn festivals, a portable shrine is carried on a truck and paraded around the area. It takes about an hour and a half to go around all the areas.

Gassan Shrine (Tsukigaoka) Otsuki Pilgrimage Route and Shikoku Pilgrimage Extra Temple

This historic shrine got its name from Nansho-ji Temple, where Kukai, who established the Shikoku pilgrimage of 88 temples, is said to have practiced, and changed its name to Gassan Shrine when Shinto and Buddhism became syncretized. It is deeply connected to the name "Tsuki-nada," which refers to the southern half of Otsuki, and as it enshrines the god who controls the moon and the ebb and flow of the sea, it attracts devout worshippers from professions related to fishing and aquaculture.
Although Gassan Shrine is an extra temple away from the 88 temples, there are mountain paths around it that retain the atmosphere of the old pilgrimage routes, and the "signposts" hung by elementary school students with illustrations and words written on them can be seen everywhere, giving people energy, making it a popular spot for devout pilgrims.

Ryugasako Tenmangu Shrine

Amanachi Inari Shrine

Kasuga Shrine

Kashiwajima Inari Shrine

Kashiwajima Mountain God

Hirayama Kasuga Shrine

Komame Kasuga Shrine

Head Collection Otonashi Shrine

Hachioji Shrine

Hokodo Tenmangu Shrine

Ootoyama Ooto Shrine

Spring Shirao Shrine

Jizo in the tree

Shimafujisan

Seio Daishido (large cedar)

Fudo Falls (Seio, Suogata)

Suogata Shirao Shrine

Benten Island Itsukushima Shrine

Kashinoura Hachiman Shrine

Nishidomari Tenmangu Shrine

Akadomari Otonashi Shrine

Himenoi Niida Shrine

Akiyoshi-san

Oura Sumiyoshi Shrine

Jizo statue under the tree

Kozaikaku Himuro Tenjin Shrine

Written by

Hata Region Tourism Bureau

Kochi

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