Better Know a Ken: Kagawa

Welcome to Kagawa!  We’re Japan’s smallest prefecture, home to less than a million people.

But just because we’re small, don’t think “little” of us.  Our small size is actually a great advantage because it means all of Kagawa’s treasures are well within reach!

Coming to Kagawa, you have to know the word “Sanuki.”  It’s Kagawa’s old-time name that everyone still uses.  Most people here speak Sanuki-ben: a dialect of Japanese only to be compared to the thickest Cockney or rural Arkansas accents.  Don’t be intimidated, though.  It’s easy to learn and fun to use!

The most important Sanuki experience is Sanuki Udon.  We have a saying: “If you stand on a mountain and throw a stone, it will hit the roof of an udon shop.”  We live on udon here, most people eat it at least three times a week; some people eat it every day.  We’re also famous for mikan (Japanese oranges) and olives.  But don’t put mikan and olives in your udon; not even the most hard-core Sanuki-jin do that.  Try tempura, raw egg, or gyuudon (beef-udon) instead.  My favorite is kitsune udon: udon with golden-brown tofu (it was the only thing on the menu I could read when I first came to Kagawa and it’s still awesome).

Kagawa is also super famous for Uchiwa.  You know: those flat promotional fans that have the names of banks, cell-phone companies or out-of-office politicians on them?  Kagawa makes 90% of those babies – a staple of Japanese culture.  There’re a couple of museums in Marugame City where you can learn about the flat fan’s grand history and even try your hand at making one yourself.  Back in the day, people bought uchiwa for souvenirs because they were cheap, light-weight and easy to pack.

So what’s cool in Kagawa, besides food and fans?  How about the world’s largest sand sculpture: Kanon-ji’s Zenigata? (golfing not permitted)  It’s by the beach and sports an awesome look-out point from which you can see the Seto Inland Sea in all its sunset glory.

How about the birth-place of Kukai, the man who brought Buddhism to Japan and established the 88 Temples of Shikoku?  It’s in Zentsuji.  I really like this place because of the shrine at the spot of Kukai’s birth.  To get to it, you have to walk through an underground tunnel in complete darkness.  After paying your respects in a small meditation room, travel back into the light amidst the images of bodhisattvas on your own journey into enlightenment.

Still not impressed?  Then maybe you’d like to climb the tallest, original, in-tact, ninja-proof castle walls in all of Japan!  Marugame-jo has stone walls 60 meters high.  The keep at the top is the real deal and still houses swords, spears and armor.  There’s also a well at the top of the Castle hill that has its own history.  Grab a guide book at the bottom to get onboard the ghost story.

To tell the truth, the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in Japan was right here in Kagawa.  The festival at Konpira-san in Kotohira (just down the road from Zentsuji) was well worth my effort.  A procession of guards, dancers, musicians, lantern-bearers, miko, priests, and courtiers descend from the mountain’s 1300+ steps to bring the goddess of the sea and her golden palanquin to Earth for a single day.  Aside from being hauntingly beautiful, it was also an amazing feat of strength.

Hey, but I’m assuming that you’re interested in Japanese history and culture.  Who cares about a bunch of noodles, old buildings and shrines?  For those leaning more to the present than the past, there’s still plenty to enjoy!

Did you know that Kagawa is the core of modern art in Japan?  The island of Naoshima has so much art on it that it could be declared a living museum and no one would be surprised.  It’s also home to a James Bond Museum because one of the more recent 007 novels by Raymond Benson took place there.  But really, Naoshima is just the beginning.  Last year Kagawa hosted the Seto-Uchi International Art Festival.  You can still enjoy over 100 pieces of interactive modern art on 7+ islands around the beautiful Seto Inland Sea.  We also have the MIMOCA Museum of Modern Art in Marugame (the same place as the uchiwa and the castle).  It’s dedicated to Japanese modern art pioneer Genichiro Inokuma although it also hosts a lot of international displays that change about every three months.

But really, this is just the tip of Sanuki-Fuji, our most famous mountain.  There’s a lot more to do and see in Kagawa, from the world’s longest two-tiered suspension bridge (Seto O-Hashi) to naturally occurring whirl-pools (Naruto).  We have battle-fields (Yashima), international marathons (Marugame), and the most prestigious Kabuki festival in all Japan (Kotohira – tickets by lottery only).

Next time you have three days off in a row, scope out Kagawa: the biggest little prefecture in Japan!  If you have questions, contact the good folks at I-PAL, Kagawa International Exchange Center at www.i-pal.or.jp or 087-837-5908.  They’ll hook you up.

Best wishes for your Sanuki Adventures!

Julia Mace

Second Year JET, Mitoyo-shi, Kagawa-ken