Kotohira-gu - Nakatado District

A nice shrine half way up the mountain, you will feel a good deal of accomplishment when you get to see the view.

So Called Kompira san. This Shrine has a lot of story and it has been linked with the boats in general. Many boats' owners had made offerings for their boats to be protected against danger. Tho you have to climb many stairs before reaching the top, the view up there is outstanding?

One of the best in Japan. The road that take you to the shrine is beautiful with many shops. You have to climb 785 steps + 583 if you want to go to the remote shrine. I can tell you that it is worthwhile. There is a beautiful view to the city from both shrines.

This shrine is dedicated to god of sea/water and very well preserved. Lot of steps has to be climbed to reach the main shrine but its worth. I went on a rainy day and it was really awesome since it is located on a mountain. Paid parking available at 500円, lots of souvenir shops along the way to the shrine.

Tip: There is foot onsen in the street that is free for people visiting shrine. Open from 9 to 4 pm. There is onsen too close to that. But skipped it as we had an onsen in the hotel. Almost 1368 steps and takes around 2 hours to reach the top shrine. A really good hike that takes a bit of an effort. Lot of shops and eateries on both sides. Nice shrines. Very peaceful and green with nice views. Try to go all the way up or you can do till middle shrine (~785steps)

This shrine is a good place to go hiking and shopping. There is a lot of beautiful nature. Also, near the top you can get a great view of the city. I recommend getting drunk before hiking. Being drunk is fun. Hiking while drunk is even more fun. The only issue is that you may have some difficulty recalling the hike if you’re too drunk. That’s okay. Your photos will remind you.

The day we decided to climb the hundreds of steps to this shrine just happened to be one of the hottest and sunniest days of the summer. But it was still worth it considering the beautiful scenery along the way. We loved the main shrine most of all. It's is gorgeous and surprisingly wide. Those who make the climb should grab bottles of water in the lower area where the shops are located; it becomes difficult to find anything to drink once you are in the more natural setting. Also, there is a spot in the middle where birds will land on your hand if you stick your arm out with your palm facing upward. They are looking for food, so take some sunflower seeds with you! And many folks bring a cane or walking stick to help with the climb up the stairs. Our nearby hotel loaned canes to us, but they can also be found for sale in some of the shops at the base of the hill. Overall, expect a tiring but fulfilling experience.

According to its website, there are 785 steps to the main building and plus 1368 steps to the building locates at the end. The first building you will see is 大門（おおもん).　It literally means “a big gate.” Right after you go through the gate, you will find 5 stalls. There, you can buy candy shaped like a fan. We didn’t buy them though. Haha. When I visited there, I didn’t know but it is kinda long tradition at Kotohira. Only 5 certain stores have a permission to run business in the premise of the shrine. The path you found right after the big gate is called “桜の馬場.（さくらのばば）” ”馬場“ is a place where you practice horse riding, so it means a horse-riding practice area with cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, cherry blossom season had already passed when we visited there. That’s why we missed the beautiful scenery. Hopefully, next time. Hahaha. After 桜の馬場, you will arrive at a Torii gate　called　西詰銅鳥居(にしづめどうとりい). Near the gate, there is a place where they keep white horses which are donated as gifts to the god. Luckily, we could see a horse walking. Near the horse stable, there is a big statue of a ship proppelr. It is because this shrine is known for the safety of sailors and fishermen. Right after going through the gate and up the stairs, you will spot 表書院. There, you can see some wall Japanese paintings, but they charge entrance fee. Since our time was limited, we passed it. Haha. The main temple is called 御本宮(ごほんぐう). Since many people regard this building as a goal (I think), here was the most crowded. There was also an observation deck where you could command a nice view below the mountain. The biggest building is called 旭社(あさひしゃ). Its heigt is 18 meters tall. If you go further, you can visit 白峰神社(しらみねじんじゃ) and 厳魂神社（いつたまじんじゃ）. 厳魂神社 locates at the end of the route. You can see the stone masks of 烏天狗(からすてんぐ) and 天狗（てんぐ）hanging on the nearby cliff. 烏天狗 and 天狗 are Japanese legendary creatures. To get to this shrine was really tiring, but the sense of achievement was great.Even though it took a long time to go up the all stairs, going down was really smooth.