Kotohiki Park
Kotohiki Park in the city of Kanonji is famous for the mysterious Zenigata Sand Coin, a seventeenth-century sand sculpture said to bring long life and luck in money matters to anyone who lays eyes upon it. The sizable sculpture can be viewed from the park’s elevated vista point, which also offers a panorama of the Seto Inland Sea. The sculpture is illuminated at night. Besides the Zenigata Sand Coin, the park is noted for its seaside environment, which is part of Setonaikai National Park, and for its historic sites, including several Buddhist temples and a Shinto shrine.
Seen from the vista point, directly beyond the Zenigata Sand Coin is Ariake Beach, a 2-kilometer strip of white sand. The shallow waters near the shore are a popular wading spot. Kotohiki Hachimangu Shrine stands on the summit of the forested Mt. Kotohiki nearby. A 381-step staircase leads up to the shrine from the main torii gate, located near the park entrance. Two Buddhist temples, Jinnein and Kannonji, which are the 68th and 69th temples on the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage, are located partway up the steps.