{"id":95049,"date":"2024-10-22T11:45:13","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T02:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/?p=95049"},"modified":"2024-10-22T11:46:35","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T02:46:35","slug":"kotoden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/kotoden\/","title":{"rendered":"Carrying Pilgrims: Kotoden connects the sacred temples, all the live long day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From Takamatsu Chikko Station, which connects the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kotoden.co.jp\/publichtm\/kotoden\/eg\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kotoden<\/a>\u2019s short, three-colored trains run East, South, and West. The red line heads to Shido, home of the 86th temple of the Shikoku Pilgrimage; the green line goes to Nagao, where the 87th temple is located; and the yellow line travels to Kotohira, home of the famous Kotohira-gu Shrine, aka Konpira-san. Among the regular commuters and students onboard the Kotoden, tourists stand out clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Kagawa, especially Takamatsu, has a lot of flat terrain,\u201d says Manabe-san. \u201cFor distances within about 5 kilometers, many people might choose to cycle. With the inevitable challenges of a declining birthrate and aging population, as well as depopulation, we need to think about making the railway enjoyable and tourist-friendly if the number of local residents along the line continues to decrease.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"614\" height=\"458\" src=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u7434\u5e73\u6025\u884c\u96fb\u8eca\u30c1\u30e9\u30b7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-95034\" srcset=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u7434\u5e73\u6025\u884c\u96fb\u8eca\u30c1\u30e9\u30b7.jpg 614w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/\u7434\u5e73\u6025\u884c\u96fb\u8eca\u30c1\u30e9\u30b7-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Kotoden\u2019s tracks have been following the pilgrimage routes to temples for decades. On the Shido Line, you\u2019ll find not just Shido-ji, but also Yashima-ji, the 84th temple, and Yakuri-ji, the 85th temple. The Nagao Line ends at Nagao Station, where the 87th temple, Nagao-ji, is located, and some pilgrims even walk from there to the 88th temple, \u014ckubo-ji. The Kotohira Line passes by Ichinomiya-ji, the 83rd temple, and, of course, goes all the way to Kotohira-gu. We hope that by combining train routes, the pilgrimage will feel even more accessible. In addition to Kotoden\u2019s IruCa IC card, passengers can also use nationwide cards like Suica and ICOCA.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Manabe, a visionary known for introducing numerous reforms, shared his insights on the future. Kotoden faced bankruptcy in 2001, but his father, Yasuhiko Manabe, who was running a car dealership at the time, took on the challenge of revitalizing the company. Yasumasa took over management in 2014, and since then, he has introduced a variety of community-focused initiatives. These include the &#8220;Kotoden Onsen Train &amp; Bath Ticket&#8221; for <a href=\"http:\/\/busshozan.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Busshozan Onsen<\/a>, the &#8220;Kotoden Story Project&#8221; literary prize held in collaboration with the cafe\/bar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakazora.jp\/nakazora\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hanzora<\/a>, and many other projects that have gained support not only from the locals but from fans across the country, transforming Kotoden into a beloved local railway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Before joining the company, I worked in Tokyo as a regular office employee, but for me, my identity isn&#8217;t just tied to my hometown of Takamatsu\u2014it&#8217;s connected to all of Shikoku. The pilgrimage routes link the different parts of Shikoku, and I hope people experience the pilgrimage with a sense of long-distance trail hiking, discovering and enjoying the deep culture of the region.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20240308-papersky-DAY9-00150-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-95038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20240308-papersky-DAY9-00150-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20240308-papersky-DAY9-00150-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20240308-papersky-DAY9-00150-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20240308-papersky-DAY9-00150.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">photography | Eriko Nemoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being deeply rooted in the local community, it&#8217;s no surprise that Kotoden has strong ties to the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Beyond extending its lines to pilgrimage temples, the railway has donated retired Taisho-era trains to be refurbished into rest stops for pilgrims and even organized bus tours specifically for pilgrimage routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The appeal of the pilgrimage isn\u2019t just about visiting the 88 temples of Shikoku. For example, a visit to Konpira-san would be a memorable experience, and there are plenty of delicious local udon shops here and there along the route, not just on the pilgrimage path itself. The key is how we can offer ways to enjoy the journey, like encouraging travelers to hop off and explore. I feel there\u2019s a need for new initiatives that intersect the traditional pilgrimage with modern travel experiences.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"last wp-block-paragraph\">In the long tradition of the Shikoku Pilgrimage, pilgrims are affectionately called &#8220;ohenro-san&#8221; and are treated with great care through the custom of \u201cosettai\u201d\u2014hospitality extended to pilgrims. Manabe-san recalls seeing pilgrims regularly during his childhood, with locals offering them oranges as part of this customary kindness. For him, this osettai was simply a natural part of life. The idea of creating a local railway that brings joy to its passengers is closely linked to this local spirit of hospitality, and it\u2019s no doubt a reflection of Manabe-san\u2019s personal commitment to the tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><br><br><strong>Yasumasa Manabe<\/strong><br>Born in 1976, Yasumasa Manabe is a native of Kagawa Prefecture and the president of the Kotoden Group. He joined Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway in 2009 and served as CEO from 2014 to 2023. Manabe successfully revitalized Kotoden, which once faced bankruptcy, transforming it into one of the most popular local railways in Japan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kagawa may be the smallest of Japan&#8217;s Prefectures, but its iconic Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad, affectionately known as &#8220;Kotoden,&#8221; has an extensive network throughout the region. We spoke with Yasumasa Manabe, president of the Kotoden Group, about the railway&#8217;s more than a century-long connection with the Shikoku Pilgrimage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":95045,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,117],"tags":[3697,8502,8505,7835,7833,8504,8503],"place":[219],"writer":[],"class_list":["post-95049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-guides-en","category-culture-en","tag-kagawa","tag-kotoden","tag-local-train","tag-ohenro","tag-shikoku","tag-takamatsu","tag-train","place-kagawa-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Carrying Pilgrims: Kotoden connects the sacred temples, all the live long day<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kagawa may be the smallest of Japan&#039;s Prefectures, but its iconic Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad, affectionately known as &quot;Kotoden,&quot; has an extensive network throughout the region. 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