photogenic
Chichibugahama Beach
A shallow tidal flat on the Seto Inland Sea where a thin film of water left at low tide turns the sand into a vast mirror at sunset, reflecting sky and silhouettes.
15 km · about 30 min drive
AsiaJapanKagawa
Kotohira
Kagawa, Japan · Asia
About Kotohira
Kotohira is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Shioiri, 34km from Iya Valley Vine Bridges.
Kotohira is in Kagawa, Japan, with about 8,500 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Shioiri, about 4 km away.
Kotohira-gū (金刀比羅宮) (also known by the nickname Konpira-san (こんぴらさん) or Konpira Shrine in English) is a Shinto shrine in the town of Kotohira in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. Prior to the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the Meiji era, its name was Konpira Daigongen (金毘羅大権現). The shrine is believed to be a guardian ofRead more
sailors and fishermen, though its faith also has aspects of mountain worship due to its location on the holy Mount Zōzu.
The shrine's principal kami is Ōmononushi, and the shrine is also dedicated to Emperor Sutoku. It is the head shrine of a network of approximately 600 Kotohira shrines throughout the country.
The shrine is famous for the long staircase leading up to the shrine, with 785 steps from the town below to the main shrine which is 251 meters above sea level and another 583 steps to the inner shrine which is 421 meters above sea level for a total of 1,368 steps.
When the economic conditions of the Muromachi period allowed commoners to begin traveling, trips to shrines started to become more common. Hundreds of thousands of visitors were making their way every year to Kotohira-gū (then Konpira Daigongen) in the Edo period. A 2023 study by the Kagawa Prefecture Tourism Association found that while the number of visitors to the shrine stayed around three million per year in the early 2000s, this number declined during the COVID pandemic, though it rebounded to nearly two million in 2022.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Kotohira?
Within an hour or so of Kotohira: Chichibugahama Beach (15 km), Iya Valley Vine Bridges (34 km), Naoshima Art Island (35 km), Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter (46 km).
Are there any good drives near Kotohira?
The nearest famous roads are Shimanami Kaido and Shikoku Karst.
Where is Kotohira?
Kotohira is in Kagawa, Japan, about 4 km from Shioiri.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 8,468
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Japan
- Region
- Kagawa
- Timezone
- Asia/Tokyo
- Coordinates
- 34.1833, 133.8167
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Japan
Japan Helpline (24h English assistance): 0570-000-911. An International Driving Permit (1949 convention) is required to drive.
Full driving guide for JapanTags
Worth the detour from Kotohira
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Iya Valley Vine Bridges
Remote mountain vine bridges made of kazura vines spanning deep gorges in one of Japan's three hidden regions.
34 km · about 40 min drive
museum
Naoshima Art Island
A small island in the Seto Inland Sea transformed into an extraordinary open-air art museum with works by world-renowned artists.
35 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter
A charming canal district with white-walled warehouses converted into museums and craft shops in the heart of Okayama Prefecture.
46 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Kotohira
2 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- 76 kmShimanami KaidoA 60 km island-hopping expressway across the Seto Inland Sea from Onomichi to Imabari, leaping between six islands on soaring suspension bridges including the world-class Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge.
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