Kotohira Shrine

Kotohira-gū (金刀比羅宮^?) (also known as Konpira-dai-gongen (金比羅大権現^?), Konpira-san (こんぴらさん^?), or Konpira Shrine in English) is a Shinto shrine in the town of Kotohira in Nakatado District, Kagawa, Japan. This shrine is patron of sea ship transport and sailor.

Located at 521 metres (1,709 ft) halfway to the top of Mount Zōzu, the shrine stands at the end of a long path, with 785 steps to 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.

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

It is said to have been founded during the 1st century.

The principal kami of the shrine is Ō-mono-nushi-no-mikoto, a spirit associated with seafaring (also referred to as the Buddhist deity Konpira). In 1165 the spirit of Sutoku-Tennō was also enshrined.

...
Wikipedia