Takaya Shrine

Little knownBarely documented in English. This is the kind of place the site exists for.

Researched and written by Hinato

Takaya Shrinesky toriiKanonjiMt. Inazumiviewpoint

Kagawa · Kanonji

34.1501°N, 133.6606°E

Before Takaya Shrine became a stop on any list, it was — and still is — a working place of worship in Kagawa.

The main hall of Takaya Shrine stands on the summit of Mt. Inazumi at 404 metres, and its torii sits at the top of a stone stair that drops away so steeply that from behind the gate there is nothing beneath the crossbeam but the city of Kanonji and the Seto Inland Sea. That is why it is called the sky torii.

Getting there is regulated. On weekdays you can drive or ride up the forest road; at weekends and on public holidays private vehicles are banned and a shuttle bus runs instead. On foot it is 270 stone steps from the lower shrine and about fifty minutes, and the steps are steep enough that most people who walk it once take the bus the next time. The gate is free and the view is the point.

Visiting essentials

Best time to visit

Year-round | Clear days for the Inland Sea

Hours

Open access | Shuttle bus on weekends and public holidays only

Closed: Open year-round | Private vehicles prohibited on the forest road at weekends and public holidays

Admission

Free | Shuttle bus and shared taxi charged separately

Time to allow

90 minutes | 2 hours on foot

Finding your way there

Directions

Takaya-cho, Kanonji, with the main hall on the 404 m summit of Mt. Inazumi. On weekdays private cars and motorcycles may use the forest road, and a shared taxi also runs; at weekends and on public holidays private vehicles are prohibited on the forest road and a shuttle bus operates instead. On foot it is 270 stone steps and from the lower shrine. Free to visit. Confirm the current shuttle timetable and access rules with Kanonji city before travelling.

Visiting etiquette & tips

**Weekends mean the shuttle.** Private vehicles are banned from the forest road on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Driving up on a Saturday is not an option. **270 steps and fifty minutes on foot.** From the lower shrine, and steeply. It is a genuine climb rather than an approach. **Stand behind the gate looking out.** The composition only works from above the stair, with the city and the sea framed under the crossbeam. **It is an active shrine.** The summit hall is the main sanctuary, not a viewpoint with a gate. Conduct accordingly. **Check the rules before you go.** The access arrangements have changed more than once as visitor numbers rose, and the city publishes the current position.

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