The Kotohira Shrine on the hillside overlooking the southern part of Tokushima City was relocated to this spot in 1616 by Hachisuka Iemasa as a tutelary shrine of Tokushima Castle.
At the bottom of the hill by the steps leading up to the shrine is the largest stone lantern in all of Japan. Standing 9.8 meters tall, 10.24 including the base, it was created in 1839.
It was donated primarily by Indigo merchants.
Like all Kotohira Shrines, it was called Konpira until Meiji when the name and the kami were changedto fit the new national ideology. All Konpira/Kotohira shrines are branches of the original not too far away in Kagawa.
There are numerous secondary shrines within the grounds, including several shrines to Tanuki, including Oyotsu Daimyojin which seems to be the most well known.
All the structures on the hillside were burned down during bombing raids of WWII and so are fairly recent, concrete, reconstructions.
A little above the Kotohira Shrine is an Imbe Shrine, which has ancient roots but was only located here in the late 19th century.
The Imbe were a powerful clan in ancient Japan and ruled over this part of Shikoku.
They were producers of hemp and nowadays still produce hemp for use in Imperial rituals.
The original shrine was lost in history, but several nearby shrines claimed to be the original.
The government made a decision and established the shrine here, although it was temporarily located within the Kotohira Shrine.
Soem sources claim the kami enshrined is Futodama, but other sources say it is Amenohiwashi. The Imbe wrote the 9th century Kogoshui, which offers an alternative version of some of the history written by the Nakatomi in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.
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