琴平の文化や歴史を次世代へ伝える

An 800-Year Candy-Making Tradition, a Symbol of Kotohira

As you walk along the approach to Kotohira-gu Shrine, a sweet aroma gently drifts through the air.
Following that scent, you will find Gonin Hyakusho Ike Shoten.
This long-established shop has been making Kamiyo Ame, a local specialty of Kotohira, for nearly 800 years.

“Gonin Hyakusho” refers to the five families who accompanied the deity of Kotohira-gu Shrine when the god came to this land.
Only these five families were granted permission to sell candy within the shrine grounds, making them a very special lineage.
With a reservation, visitors can also experience traditional candy making, creating their own candy as a memorable part of their pilgrimage.

Born and Raised in Kotohira, Becoming a Storyteller

Protecting this historic shop is Mr. Ike, the 28th-generation owner.
Born in Kotohira, he worked as a bank employee and in public administration before taking over the family business.
Today, through his “Storyteller Project,” he is also dedicated to passing on the town’s culture and history to future generations.

What is the charm of Kotohira?

I think the greatest charm is the warmth of the people.
Within Kagawa Prefecture, the smallest prefecture in Japan, Kotohira is the second smallest town.
Because of that, there’s a closeness like a ‘small world,’ where you often run into people you want to see by chance.
Many shops are open and welcoming, making it easy to connect with others.

Kotohira also has a long history of welcoming people from outside, so there’s little sense of division toward newcomers.
Another feature is the number of long-established businesses that have lasted over a hundred years within such a small area.
People born here and those who moved here work together to shape the town, and that, to me, is the true charm of Kotohira.

Thoughts from your student days

In my graduation album, I wrote that I wanted to work to improve Kagawa Prefecture.
I am the only child born after my parents underwent many years of infertility treatment, so from a young age, I naturally felt a sense of responsibility to protect this family and its legacy.

My parents never told me to take over the business, but I grew up watching my grandfather and father help with shrine rituals at Kotohira-gu.
Seeing them deliver blessings across Japan through candy always looked incredibly admirable to me.

I didn’t decide from the start to inherit the business.
Rather, after returning to Kagawa and helping with shrine rituals, I wanted to make my hometown a better place.
Even while working in administration, I enjoyed sharing the town’s appeal through coming-of-age ceremonies, schools, and community lectures.

Why did you start the Storyteller Project?

It began with a self-introduction during my first year at university.
When I talked about my hometown, my friends became interested in Kotohira and actually came to visit Kagawa.
Some even bought our candy and ate it during class.

When I asked why they went to Kotohira, they said, ‘Your stories were so interesting that we wanted to see it for ourselves.’
That’s when I realized the stories and knowledge about Kotohira passed down in my family held real value.

From that experience, I wanted to create a chain where someone who hears my story invites another person, and that person then tells someone else.
That idea became the foundation of the Storyteller Project.

I believe that when people living outside Kotohira say, “Kotohira is a wonderful place,” it truly enhances the town’s value.
To speak passionately about a place you don’t live in—that’s powerful.
Passing Kotohira’s charm on to the next generation is my mission.

What you felt after inheriting the family business

I truly feel glad that I took over Ike Shoten.
At first, there were very few successors of my generation, and I was the only young one.

vOur parents’ generation remembers the boom after the Seto Ohashi Bridge opened.
As tourism declined, many parents hoped their children would work freely outside the town, which meant fewer people returned home.

Even so, I inherited the shop with the strong belief that this nationally renowned tourist town must not end here.
Seeing that, people of my generation began to think, ‘Maybe I should do something too,’
leading more to renovate shops or return to town.
Being the first is lonely, but when others follow, you can feel the town slowly begin to change.

Motto and beliefs

Our company philosophy is ‘With pride in Gonin Hyakusho, sharing happiness for a thousand years.’
Everything rooted in a place has meaning and value, and nothing is exactly the same as another.

Respecting what our predecessors left behind, being grateful for human connections, and sharing happiness together—these are what matter most to me.

Ike Shoten shares the blessings of Kotohira-gu in the form of candy.
I hope to carry that spirit forward for another thousand years.

Words that stay with me are Steve Jobs’ ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ and Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.’
With that mindset, I give my best every day.

One day, I may no longer be able to run for this town.
That’s why we need people who will take the baton and keep running.
Kotohira’s charm is preserved not only through scenery or history, but through values carried on by people.
As a storyteller, I want to pass those values on to the next generation.

Books you have read recently

I often read books related to work and community building.
Recently, Kazuo Inamori’s Kyocera Philosophy and Yuta Chikauchi’s The World Is Made of Gifts left a strong impression on me.
I also enjoy works by Yasutaka Kitagawa, and I especially recommend The Driver and Tegamiya to young people thinking about their future paths.

In Closing

Mr. Ike’s words were filled with deep love for his town and a strong passion for carrying it into the future.
If you visit Kotohira, be sure to stop by along the shrine approach.
You’ll surely feel the spirit of “sharing happiness” contained within a single piece of candy.

Gonin Hyakusho Ike Shoten

Kotohira Town, Nakatado District, Kagawa Prefecture
Official website: https://www.ikesyouten.com