Kotohira-gū, also called Konpira-san, is a Shinto shrine in the town of Kotohira in Kagawa Prefecture. It is the head shrine of about 600 Kotohira shrines across Japan. The founding date is unknown, but it is believed to date to the Heian period. Its main kami is Ōmononushi, and Emperor Sutoku was enshrined here in 1165.
Visitors climb 785 steps from the town to the main shrine, which stands 823 feet (251 meters) above sea level. Another 583 steps lead to the inner shrine at 1,381 feet (421 meters), for 1,368 steps in total. The shrine holds a Heian-period statue of the eleven-faced Kannon and four ink paintings by Maruyama Ōkyo.
The shrine drew hundreds of thousands of visitors a year in the Edo period and about 3 million in the early 2000s. Nearly 2 million came in 2022, after a decline during the pandemic.
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