|
Kotohira's main attraction, Kotohira-gu , is usually known as Kompira-san, which comes from the nickname for Omono-nushi-no-Mikoto, the spiritual guardian of seafarers. This is appropriate enough, since Kompira was originally Kumbhira, the Hindu crocodile god of the River Ganges, and was imported as a deity from India well before the ninth century, when Kobo Daishi chose the shrine as the spot for one of his Buddhist temples. For one thousand years Kompira-san served as both a Buddhist and Shinto holy place and was so popular among the Japanese that those who could not afford to make the pilgrimage themselves either dispatched their pet dogs, with pouches of coins as a gift to the gods, or tossed barrels of rice and money into the sea, in the hope that they would be picked up by sailors, who would take the offering to Kompira-san on their behalf. When the Meiji Restoration began, Shinto took precedence, and the Buddhas were ousted from the shrine, along with Kompira, who was seen as too closely associated with the rival religion. While there are no representations of Kompira at the shrine today, an open-air gallery decorated with pictures and models of ships serves as a reminder of the shrine's original purpose, and the Chinese flavour of some of the buildings hints at the former Buddhist connection. A big deal is made of climbing the 785 steps to reach the main shrine buildings, and you'll see many people huffing and puffing on the lower slopes beside the tourist shops. Some tourists choose to part with Y5000 to be carried up in rather cramped palanquins, but the climb is far from strenuous, has places to rest along the way, and should take you no more than thirty minutes. The shrine grounds begin at the O-mon, a stone gateway just inside of which you'll pass the Gonin Byakusho - five red-painted stalls shaded by large white umbrellas. The souvenir sellers here stand in for the five farmers who were once allowed to hawk their wares in the shrine precincts. Further along to the right of the main walkway, lined with stone lanterns, are the Homotsu-kan (Treasure House) and the Gakugei Sanko-kan (both daily 9am-4pm; Y200), two small museums which can be passed over in favour of the Shoin (daily 9am-4pm; Y200), a study and reception hall built in 1659. You can walk around the verandas and peer through the grills at the delicate screen paintings by the celebrated artist Okyo Maruyama (1733-95) - look out, too, for the screens he painted with playing tigers, which have been designated an Important Cultural Property. Just before climbing up to the next stage of the shrine, you'll notice a giant gold ship's propeller, a gift from a local shipbuilders. At the top of the steps is the grand Asahi-no-Yashiro (Sunshine Shrine), dedicated to the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, decorated with intricate woodcarvings of flora and fauna and topped with a green copper roof. A couple of paths lead from here to the thatched-roof Hon-gu , the main shrine, built in 1879 and centre of Kompira-san's daily activities. Priests and their acolytes in traditional robes rustle by along a raised wooden corridor linking the shrine buildings. Visitors bow deeply, clap their hands, toss their coins and sigh with relief on reaching here, but the hardy, and truly faithful, trudge on up a further 583 steps to the Oku-sha . This inner shrine, located almost at the top of Zozu-san, sports a rather cartoonish stone carving of the long-nosed demon Tengu on the side of a cliff. Returning to the main shrine area, head for the wooden platforms for magnificent views of the surrounding countryside - on a clear day you can see as far as the Inland Sea. To the left of the main shrine is the open-air Ema-do gallery, which displays votive plaques, paintings and models of ships. These are from sailors who hope to be granted good favour on the seas. The commendations extend to one from Japan's first cosmonaut, a TV journalist who was a paying passenger on a Russian Soyuz launch in 1990.
Your Tip for Kotohira-gu (Kompira-san)
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Kotohira-gu (Kompira-san) - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Kotohira-gu (Kompira-san) - visit the main Kotohira-gu (Kompira-san) forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Kotohira-gu (Kompira-san) webguide section below! Thanks.
|
