Kotohira-gū

Overview

Kotohira-gu is a Shinto shrine on the mountainside of Mount Zozu in the town of Kotohira, Kagawa Prefecture, affectionately known as Konpira-san of Sanuki. Before the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the early Meiji era its name was Konpira Daigongen. Revered as a guardian of maritime travel, it is the head shrine of a nationwide network of Kotohira shrines.

Highlights

• ●A shrine set on the mountainside of Mount Zozu
• ●A long stone stairway of 785 steps to the main shrine and 1,368 in total to the inner shrine
• ●Faith that spread as protection for sailors and fishermen
• ●A scene holding an Important Cultural Property and chosen among the 100 Landscapes of Heisei

History

The shrine's principal kami is Omononushi, and it is also dedicated to Emperor Sutoku. Before the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the early Meiji era it was called Konpira Daigongen, becoming a Shinto shrine thereafter. It is the head shrine of a network of about 600 Kotohira shrines throughout the country. When travel by commoners became possible in the Muromachi period, pilgrimages to shrines and temples spread, and by the Edo period hundreds of thousands of visitors are recorded as making their way each year to what was then Konpira Daigongen.

Map

34.1843, 133.8096 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Begin climbing the stone-stepped approach that rises from the town below
2. 2Ascend 785 steps to the main shrine, about 251 meters above sea level
3. 3Learn of the origins of its faith as a guardian of maritime travel
4. 4Climb a further 583 steps toward the inner shrine, 1,368 steps in total

Did you know?

💡 The stone stairway runs 785 steps to the main shrine and 1,368 steps in total to the inner shrine.

Nearby spots