Kotohiragu Shrine
The head shrine of Kotohira Shrine stands on Mt. Zozu. It is visited by about 4 million worshippers a year. The main deity, Oomononushinokami, has been known since before the Middle Ages as a guardian deity of maritime traffic and a deity that brings a bountiful harvest and prosperity of industry and culture.
When I first came to Kotohira last fall, I didn’t know the main shrine’s visiting hours. Both times I ended up heading up in the dark, and I went home empty-handed without getting any omamori.
I came back again during winter break, and not only did I make the round trip to the main shrine twice, I also finally made it up to the Okusha. All 1,368 steps—mission accomplished 😆 The Okusha with a light layer of snow was so beautiful.
On the way, I saw lots of dogs of all sizes hiking up with their families too, which was a fun sight.
