Kotohira Shrine

Kotohira Shrine in Kotohira-cho, Kagawa Prefecture is a famous tourist attraction in Kagawa. Just to climb from the bottom of the mountain to Kotohira Main Shrine for worship, you have to climb 785 steps first. The way up the mountain is tiring, but we booked a hot spring hotel at the foot of the mountain and soaked in the hot spring ♨️😍😍😍. The current Kotohira-cho city area has been a post town formed by a large number of people coming to Kotohira-shrine for worship since the Edo period, and it has gathered a large number of hotels and shops. In 1997, Chikakane Takakyu, who ran a local inn, dug out a hot spring source on his own land and provided it to nearby inns for use, thus starting the formation of the hot spring area. Nicknamed "Kohnpira-san", Kotohira-gu Shrine is located at the foot of the 521-meter-high Mt. Omononushi and Emperor Sutoku are enshrined in the shrine. It has been famous for protecting maritime safety and good harvests since ancient times, so many shipyards come here to pray for safety before launching new ships. The most famous thing about Kotohira-gu Shrine is that its approach to the shrine has a total of 1,368 stone steps. Although the worship requires some physical strength, it still attracts more than 4 million visitors every year. It is a nationally renowned holy place of power and a heavyweight attraction that many Japanese have considered to be "a pilgrimage once in their lifetime" since ancient times.