How many steps to the top of Kotohira-gū (Konpira-san)?
Two counts matter here and both are correct: 785 steps to the main shrine, where most visitors stop, and 1,368 to the inner shrine at the top of Mount Zōzu. It is the longest shrine approach in Japan. Until recently, palanquin bearers carried visitors up the first section for a fee, a service that ran for centuries and ended in 2020. The shrine is dedicated to seafarers, and the votive offerings include ship models and photographs of vessels.
The numbers
- Steps
- 1,368
- Reaches
- the inner shrine, Okusha; 785 steps reach the main shrine
- Public access
- Open to climb
- Where
- Kagawa, Japan
- Height climbed
- 421 m — 1,381 ft
- Average rise per step
- 308 mm
What the climb is like
45 minutes to the main shrine, 90 to the inner. Shops and rest points line the lower stairway.
Published counts for the same structure routinely disagree by five to ten per cent, and nearly always for one of three reasons: whether intermediate landings count as steps, whether the final platform step counts, and where the climb is deemed to start. The figure here says what it reaches.
How it compares
Only the ones marked open to climb can actually be walked.
| Structure | Steps | Reaches | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eiffel Tower (summit) | 1,665 | the summit at 276 m, using the service stairs above the second floor — closed to the public | Not climbable by the public |
| Empire State Building | 1,576 | the 86th-floor observatory, via the emergency stairwell | Restricted — events or permit only |
| The STRAT Tower | 1,455 | the observation deck at 260 m | Restricted — events or permit only |
| Kotohira-gū (Konpira-san) | 1,368 | the inner shrine, Okusha; 785 steps reach the main shrine | Open to climb |
| Q1 Tower (SkyPoint Climb) | 1,331 | the SkyPoint observation deck at 230 m | Open to climb |
| Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea) | 1,237 | the summit shrine and golden Buddha on the limestone peak | Open to climb |
| Sky Tower | 1,103 | the Sky Deck at 220 m | Restricted — events or permit only |
Common questions
- How many steps to the top of Kotohira-gū (Konpira-san)?
- 1,368, reaching the inner shrine, Okusha; 785 steps reach the main shrine.
- Can the public climb Kotohira-gū (Konpira-san)?
- Open to climb. 45 minutes to the main shrine, 90 to the inner. Shops and rest points line the lower stairway.
- How high is that climb?
- 421 m, about 1,381 ft, which averages 308 mm per step.
Related pages
- Temples All 7 here
- How many steps up Batu Caves? 272 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up El Castillo, Chichén Itzá? 365 steps · not climbable by the public
- How many steps up Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea)? 1,237 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Wat Phra That Doi Suthep? 306 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Wat Saket (the Golden Mount)? 344 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Mount Haguro stone stairway? 2,446 steps · open to climb
Sources
- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)