The ``Pilgrimage'', which involves following in the footsteps of Kobo Daishi (Kukai) and visiting 88 sacred sites in Shikoku, is a rare wide-area cultural asset that has been passed down for more than 1,000 years.
Since ancient times, part of the pilgrimage culture has been the custom of offering food and drinks to pilgrims, a practice called ``omashi'' or ``omotenashi,'' which has deepened interpersonal exchanges.

Here in Kagawa, too, the Shikoku Pilgrimage culture of ``entertainment'' and ``hospitality'' has been nurtured, with a landscape dotted with round mountains that look like upside down bowls, with a climate that is warm and rainy throughout the year. We welcome everyone who comes to Kagawa not only from Japan but also from all over the world with a "heart of hospitality."