Kotohira-gu
金刀比羅宮
A shrine devoted to the protection of sailors and sea transport, requiring a climb of 785 steps to the main shrine on Mount Zozu.
〒 766-8501How to get there
琴平Dosan Line20 min walk from the station
Kotohira-gu is a Shinto shrine located in the town of Kotohira that is devoted to the protector of sea transportation and sailors. To reach the shrine, visitors must climb a path of 785 steps to the main shrine and a total of 1368 steps to the inner shrine. The shrine is situated on Mount Zozu at an elevation of 521 meters.
Since the Muromachi period, Kotohira-gu has been a popular destination for pilgrims, attracting hundreds of visitors every day who climb the steps of Mount Zozu. Along the way, there is a sake museum, stores, and stones bearing the names of donors inscribed in kanji.
Before the Meiji era, the shrine was also a Buddhist site. Its main deity, Omononushi-no-mikoto, is a spirit connected to seafaring and is known as the Buddhist deity Konpira. In 1165, the spirit of Emperor Sutoku was enshrined at the shrine.
Kotohira-gu boasts several Important Cultural Properties, including a statue of the eleven-faced Kannon Bosatsu from the Heian period and four ink paintings by Maruyama Okyo.
Getting There
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