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Our guide
Kotohiki Hachimangū in the city of Kan'onji, Kagawa, stands in Kotohiki Park, part of Setonaikai National Park. Its founding legend tells how the god Hachiman appeared to the 8th-century monk Nisshō Shōnin as he played the koto on board a ship; the legend is recorded in the shrine's engi scrolls, a city Important Cultural Property. When Buddhism and Shinto were separated in the Meiji period, its image of Amida Nyorai was moved to nearby Kannon-ji. The shrine holds a lively annual festival.
Kan'onji Station on the Yosan Line is about 1.3 km away in a straight line, and Motoyama-ji about 4.4 km.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Kotohiki-hachiman haiden — nnh · Public domain · source · resized
- Kotohiki-hachiman-gū, Auxiliary Sumiyosi Shrine 01 — Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kotohiki-hachiman-gū, Auxiliary Suga Shrine 01 — Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kotohiki-hachiman-gū, Auxiliary Miyasaka-Tenjin Shrine 01 — Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kotohiki-hachiman-gū, Auxiliary Matsudo Shrine and Kora Shrine 01 — Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kotohiki-hachiman-gū, Auxiliary Kuratani Shrine 01 — Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kotohiki-hachiman-gū, Auxiliary Kotohiki-Ebisu Srine 01 — Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kotohiki-hachiman-gū, Auxiliary Koshin Shrine 01 — Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kotohiki-hachiman-gū, Auxiliary Kazeno Shrine 01 — Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kotohiki-hachiman-gū, Auxiliary Inari Shrine 01 — Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Kotohiki Hachimangū (琴弾八幡宮) is a Shinto shrine in Kan'onji, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. Located within Kotohiki Park, itself part of the Setonaikai National Park, there is an aetiological legend that sees the god Hachiman appearing to the eighth-century monk Nisshō Shōnin while he was playing a koto on board ship. The legend is depicted in the Sanuki-no-kuni Shippōzan Hachiman Kotobikigū engi, records that are an Important Cultural Property of the city. As a result of the enforced separation of Buddhism and Shinto during the Meiji period, the enshrined image of Amida Nyorai was transferred to nearby Kannon-ji. There is a lively annual festival.
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Shrine
Nearby station
Nearby station: Kan'onji (Yosan Line), about 1.3 km from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
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