Kotohira-gū

Kotohira-gū (金刀比羅宮) (also known as Konpira-dai-gongen (金比羅大権現), Konpira-san (金比羅さん), or Konpira Shrine in English) is a Shinto shrine in the town of Kotohira in Kagawa, Japan. This shrine is patron of sea ship transport and sailors.

It is a Kotohira Shrine or one dedicated to Ōmononushi. It is the head of a network with 683 shrines in it.

Located at 521 metres (1,709 ft) halfway up Mount Zōzu, the shrine stands at the end of a long path, with 785 steps to reach the main shrine and a total of 1368 steps to the inner shrine. Since the Muromachi period, pilgrimages to the shrine became popular, and even today usually hundreds of visitors in a day climb the steps of Mount Zōzu. On the way to the shrine is a sake museum, stores, and stones with the names of donors carved in kanji. The shrine sells a yuzu-flavored hard candy called kamiyo ame. Visitors break the candy with a small hammer to share pieces (and good fortune) with those who are not able to manage the difficult climb.

Before the Meiji era, Kotohira Shrine was also a Buddhist site as well (see honji suijaku).