Kagawa Prefecture

Formerly known as Sanuki, Kagawa Prefecture (香川県) is the smallest of Shikoku's four regions and the smallest of the country's 47 prefectures. The region's hospitable weather and welcoming people have always been a comfort to pilgrims as they come to the end of their journey. To henro, Kagawa is known as Nehan-no-dōjō, the 'place of completion', as it has the last 22 of the 88 pilgrimage temples.

Attractions

Must-see attractions for your itinerary

Konpira-san
Kagawa Prefecture
Konpira-san or, more formally, Kotohira-gū, was originally a Buddhist and Shintō temple dedicated to the guardian of mariners. It became exclusively a…
Ritsurin-kōen
Kagawa Prefecture
One of the most beautiful gardens in the country, Ritsurin-kōen dates from the mid-1600s and took more than a century to complete. Designed as a walking…
Temple 75: Zentsū-ji
Kagawa Prefecture
Zentsū-ji, Temple 75 of the sacred 88, is the largest of the temples – most of the other 87 could fit in its car park. This is where Kōbō Daishi was born,…
Temple 66: Unpen-ji
Kagawa Prefecture
Unpen-ji, aptly meaning 'Temple of the Surrounding Clouds', is the highest of the 88 Temples at 900m. Surprisingly, it actually sits in Tokushima…
Shikoku-mura
Kagawa Prefecture
About 500m north of Yashima station, Shikoku-mura is an excellent village museum that houses old buildings transported here from all over Shikoku and…
Marugame-jō
Kagawa Prefecture
This small castle dates from 1597. It took five years to build and is one of only 12 castles in Japan to have its original wooden donjon intact. It's…
Temple 88: Ōkubo-ji
Kagawa Prefecture
The last of the Shikoku pilgrimage's 88 Temples sits in the mountains in the southeast of Kagawa Prefecture and is well worth a visit. It's fitting that…
Kanamaru-za
Kagawa Prefecture
This is Japan's oldest kabuki playhouse, though it had a lengthy stint as a cinema before falling out of use. Nowadays it has sporadic shows, but can be…