Home/Kagawa/Takamatsu/Negoroji (Takamatsu)

Negoroji (Takamatsu)

Locally knownKnown to people who live here. Not in the international guidebooks.

Researched and written by Hinato

NegorojiShikoku pilgrimageushi-oniGoshikidaiautumn maples

Photo: Reggaeman / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · original

Ask where to send a first-time visitor for a temple or shrine in Kagawa, and Negoroji (Takamatsu) comes up more than once.

Negoroji is the eighty-second station of the Shikoku pilgrimage, in cedar forest on the Goshikidai plateau above Takamatsu, and the first thing at the gate is a bronze ox-demon. The ushi-oni of local legend terrorised this area until an archer killed it and dedicated its horns to the temple, which is said to still hold them.

Beyond the demon the approach descends and then climbs again through old cedars, and the buildings sit in a hollow that feels considerably more remote than forty minutes from the city. In November the maples here are among the best in the prefecture, including a tree that turns five different colours at once, and the car park backs up accordingly. The stamp office is open from seven to five.

Visiting essentials

Best time to visit

November for autumn colour | Spring for fresh green

Hours

Stamp office 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Grounds accessible in daylight

Closed: Open year-round

Admission

Free

Time to allow

60 minutes

Finding your way there

Getting there in detail

Nakayama-cho 1506, Takamatsu, on the Goshikidai plateau along the Goshikidai Skyline. By car from JR Takamatsu Station; public transport is infrequent and a car or taxi is recommended. The grounds are free. A bronze ushi-oni figure stands near the mountain gate. The maples are a well-known autumn site and the car park congests in November.

Beyond the guidebook

**The ox-demon is at the gate.** A bronze figure of the ushi-oni that legend says was killed here, with its horns said to be kept by the temple. It is the first thing you meet and it is not subtle. **November congests the car park.** The maples here are among the best in Kagawa and the road up is single carriageway. Early morning on a weekday is the difference. **Find the five-coloured maple.** One tree between the hall and the approach turns several colours at once and is signed. It is the local curiosity. **Public transport barely serves it.** Buses are few. This is a car or taxi destination from Takamatsu. **Combine with Shiromineji.** Number eighty-one is on the same plateau road, and the two are usually walked or driven together by pilgrims.

View on Google Maps