One thousand twenty-two… One thousand twenty-three… How long have I been climbing? I thought to myself as I hauled my aching leg up to the next stone step. It was an early May morning, already warm enough to promise a brutal afternoon, and I was nearing the end of a grueling ascent up Kagawa’s famed Kotohira-gu. Trying to beat the coming midday heat, I had speedrun the ascent up the 1,368 stone steps to the inner shrine, hoping to reach it before things became unbearable. With the lactic acid burning in my legs and the path ahead still climbing into the forest, I still had over 300 steps to go before I reached the top.
Haven’t heard of Kotohira-gu (sometimes also referred to as Konpira-san) before? Welp, I doubt you’re alone. This now-Shinto shrine in Kagawa Prefecture is rather off the radar for international tourists. Situated on the eastern slope of Mt. Zozu at the edge of the Sanuki Plain, this sanctum and the auxiliary shrine buildings that comprise its greater grounds became popular as a pilgrimage site during the Edo period (1603–1868). You see, back then, the movements of common folk were quite limited, but traveling as pilgrims afforded them rights to the road they otherwise wouldn’t have had.
Enshrined at Kotohira-gu is the deity Omononushi, a god who is associated with the sea, safe voyages, medicine, fertility, and a whole grab bag of other blessings. The shrine also enshrines the tragic Emperor Sutoku, whose deified spirit was added in 1165 after he was exiled to Sanuki Province and died there. In other words, Kotohira-gu is not just another generic mountain shrine with a lot of stairs and a good view. Its identity sits at the messy intersection of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism, imperial tragedy, and maritime faith.
While not necessarily the kind of attraction that visitors from overseas should make a pilgrimage to Kagawa solely for, Kotohira-gu is indeed the perfect addition to any itinerary that takes a traveler to this part of the prefecture. Yes, you’re going to need to haul your behind up a number of stairs on your journey to reach the main hall, but Kotohira-gu is exactly the kind of hidden gem in Japan that I suggest people explore. It has all of the same trappings as more famous mainstays without any of the overtourism that plagues Japan’s other popular attractions.
How to Get There
Kotohira-gu is surprisingly not too hard to get to, but you do need to think about how it fits into the rest of your time in Shikoku. For example, if you’re coming from Takamatsu (or somewhere else in Kagawa Prefecture), you’ll want to take the train from Takamatsu Station over to Tadotsu Station and then connect to the JR Dosan Line, which will take you to JR Kotohira Station. Alternatively, you could also ride the Kotoden Kotohira Line over from Takamatsu-Chikko Station to Kotoden Kotohira Station. As always, though, just refer to Jorudan or a similar service when calculating transportation.
Once you arrive in the area, you’ll need to hoof it over to the entrance to Kotohira-gu. This is located at the edge of a small town that sits at the bottom of the shrine’s famous stone steps. Like with the pilgrims from the days of yesteryear, the traditional ryokan, shops, and restaurants here exist to cater to the needs of people coming to pray at the shrine. You’ll find a number of udon noodle restaurants and even facilities like the Kinryo Sake Museum that are all worth checking out before or after exploring the revered shrine.
In terms of time, you’re going to want to budget around three to four hours for Kotohira-gu. While I was able to reach the inner shrine in just under an hour, the ascent is brutal, and you’ll want to take your time during the climb. Be honest with yourself about your fitness level, and don’t try to push yourself to race to the top. You can always pause on your way and say some prayers at any one of the many sub-shrines that can be found on the Kotohira-gu shrine grounds.
Oh yeah, and please don’t do a Donny here… Be sure to grab walking sticks for yourself and anyone else traveling with you. These can be procured at any one of the town’s many souvenir shops that line the pathway to Kotohira-gu’s entrance. Trust me when I say you’re going to thank yourself later when you’re partway up Mt. Zozu and your legs are starting to give out on you. Consider yourselves warned!
The Kotohira-gu Shrine Grounds
The Kotohira-gu shrine grounds can be broken up into several sections. The first that visitors will encounter is the aforementioned town. Right after that, you’ll encounter the first of many stairs, which is what I’d call the second section. This continues up to the main shrine that is dedicated to the guardian god Omononushi. Lastly, the final part of the shrine is the stretch from the main hall all the way up to the inner sanctum toward the top of Mt. Zozu.
Where the town ends and where Kotohira-gu actually begins is rather hard to tell. Even all the way up to the first gate, which dates back to the era of Shinbutsu Shugo and reflects the site’s syncretic past, there are still countless souvenir shops that line the stairs. From there, though, things get much more shriney as the buildings fade away and the route continues upward to the main shrine. Before you get there, though, you have 785 stone steps to climb.
Luckily, this doesn’t need to be done in one go. Unlike with somewhere such as Mt. Haguro in Yamagata Prefecture, there are ample stops along the way. Just beyond the main gate, you’ll encounter Kotohira-gu’s Omote Shoin, a designated Important Cultural Property that houses all sorts of paintings and other priceless art. In addition to this museum-like facility, there is also a café you can pop into if you need to cool off before making the push to the main shrine.
By the way, keep an eye out for the Konpira inu dog statues. These are connected to an old practice where people who couldn’t visit themselves would sometimes send offerings with dogs, relying on strangers along the way to help the animals reach Kotohira-gu in their stead. It’s a wonderfully Japan-coded bit of religious culture, and also a reminder that, yes, even centuries ago, people were looking for ways to avoid doing these stairs themselves.
The 785 Stone Steps to the Main Shrine
The first few stairs that lead up to Kotohira-gu’s main shrine are still somewhat within the town limits. As noted before, where the shrine actually starts and where the town ends can be rather hard to tell. For the first 10 minutes or so, you’ll be walking through a stretch that is lined on either side by souvenir shops, restaurants, and other businesses catering to visitors. Eventually, you’ll make it to the main Buddhist temple-looking gate, and thereafter, you’re definitely now on shrine grounds. Technically, the shrine starts at the first torii, but this is where it actually starts to feel like you’re leaving the town behind.
From there, you’ll have a long and painful trek up a straight set of stairs until you eventually reach a flat rest area. Here is where you can find the previously mentioned Omote Shoin as well as one of the Konpira inu dog statues. After recovering your strength, you can continue onward, and the next major landmark is the Asahi Shrine. This hall is the largest building in the entire Kotohira-gu shrine complex and sits on the last flat area before the final steep push to the main shrine. From there, it’s just a few more arduous minutes up to Kotohira-gu’s main hall.
Kotohira-gu’s main shrine is known as Gohon-gu in Japanese and this is the point that most visitors treat as the goal of the climb. Here, sailors, fishermen, and everyday pilgrims alike have long come to pray to Omononushi for protection at sea, safe voyages, and a whole host of other blessings. Before heading back down, be sure to take a look around the shrine buildings themselves, as well as the view of the Sanuki Plain spread out to the east. After 785 stone steps, seeing the town below is a pretty good reminder that your legs were, in fact, doing something this whole time.
It’s worth noting that the shrine grounds are covered in cherry blossom trees. Thus, a visit during the spring is highly advised. While you can drop by at any time of year, the shrine is probably at its best when the cherry blossoms are in bloom and the weather is still forgiving enough that you won’t feel like you’re slowly being boiled alive on the climb up. Not only are the temperatures cooler than when I visited in mid-May, you also get to enjoy one of the marvels of spring.
Onwards to Kotohira-gu’s Inner Shrine
If you’re feeling energetic, you can continue on past the main shrine to Kotohira-gu’s inner shrine. Known as Izutama Shrine, this sanctum is located farther up Mt. Zozu at the end of a long forested path. Seeing as Gohon-gu is located only at stair number 785, though, that means you still have more than 40% of the climb remaining if you plan on making the pilgrimage to the innermost shrine. On top of that, you still need to make the descent back down to the town too, so don’t feel bad if you throw in the towel at the main shrine.
On the way up to Izutama Shrine, you’ll pass a number of auxiliary shrines such as Shiramine Shrine. These represent a good opportunity to pause, catch your breath, and say a prayer or two. While the remaining distance may look manageable on paper, the trek up the remaining 583 steps to the inner shrine can take just around as much time as getting to Gohon-gu because the incline gets much steeper the higher up you go. Put another way, you’re going to be panting pretty hard during this part of the climb.
Once you finally reach the top and pay your respects to the gods at Izutama Shrine, you’ll be rewarded with a less obstructed view from a higher vantage than what you got at Gohon-gu. From here, the Sanuki Plain spreads out far below, and you can pick out Kagawa Prefecture’s Mt. Iino, the so-called “Sanuki Fuji” due to its resemblance to the ever-iconic Mt. Fuji. After all of that climbing, the view hits a little differently than it would from some roadside observation deck that you just drove up to.
That said, the most dangerous part of the entire experience is probably the way down. The climb up is taxing on the cardiovascular system for sure, but your main risk there is falling forward when your legs start to give out. On the descent, if your knees buckle and you lose your footing, you can easily tumble down a long and very unforgiving flight of stone stairs. That is how you break something, so this is the time when you need to be most vigilant while making your way back down to town.
Other Nearby Attractions
In terms of a destination for international tourism, Kotohira-gu works well because it is located in a part of Kagawa where there are a number of other quality stops within striking distance. To the northeast, you have Takamatsu City, Kagawa’s prefectural capital and home to Ritsurin Garden, one of the most celebrated traditional gardens in Japan. Closer by, there is Marugame Castle (pictured above), one of Japan’s twelve surviving original castle keeps and a spot with some seriously impressive stone walls. Then, farther west, you have Takaya Shrine, the so-called “torii in the sky” that looks out over the Seto Inland Sea.
Kotohira-gu also makes a lot of sense if you’re moving across northern Shikoku. The shrine isn’t directly on the Limited Express Shiokaze route from Okayama to Matsuyama, but it’s close enough to the broader rail corridor that the detour isn’t especially painful. This is especially true if your route is already taking you through places like Marugame, Tadotsu, Imabari, or Matsuyama City. Rather than treating Kotohira-gu as a standalone outing, think of it as one of the better inland add-ons for anyone slowly working their way west across Kagawa and Ehime.
Finally, don’t sleep on nearby Zentsu-ji. This temple is one of the major sites associated with Kukai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism, and is traditionally regarded as his birthplace. He later restored his family’s ancestral temple here and renamed it Zentsu-ji in 807. The temple is also stop number 75 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, meaning it pairs naturally with Kotohira-gu if you want to lean into the religious side of things while you’re in this neck of the woods.
Until next time travelers…
