An hour south of Hiroshima (or faster via Shinkansen) lies the small town and island of Miyajima. Miyajima is home to Itsukushima Shrine a shrine that's famous for the giant floating torii that welcomes visitors to the island. As you ride the ferry to Miyajima the floating torii aligns perfecting with the rest of Itsukushima Shrine on the island. Once the ferry docks at Miyajima it's a short walk through a commercial street to the shrine area. Along the walk small deer will approach you and if you're not diligent they may start poking their mouths into your pockets in search of food; otherwise the deer are very calm and you can pet them no different then a house trained pet. No risk of biting.
A walk around Miyajima reveals the islands beauty and it's easy to see why the Japanese thought a place so beautiful must have a connection with gods. Japanese shrines embrace and incorporate the natural surroundings. In addition to Itsukushima Shrine there are several other shrines including Senjokaku, a large pavillion up the hill near Itsukushima.
A walk around Miyajima reveals the islands beauty and it's easy to see why the Japanese thought a place so beautiful must have a connection with gods. Japanese shrines embrace and incorporate the natural surroundings. In addition to Itsukushima Shrine there are several other shrines including Senjokaku, a large pavillion up the hill near Itsukushima.
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Most visitors to Miyajima come as part of a Hiroshima combination daytrip from either Osaka or Kyoto. The Shinkansen connects Hiroshima and Miyajima and you can even use the Japan Railpass for the Miyajima ferry. If you are in Hiroshima, a tram day pass can be used to take a tram line all the way from Hiroshima to Miyajima - the ride takes about an hour and the tram day pass is also good for the ferry. There are a few places to stay overnight on the island. The commercial street has restaurants, although the prices reflect the island location. Oysters are the local specialty and fortunately a fried option is available..
It's important to check the tides before you leave. I relied on Tide4Fishing to provide the time for high and low tide on the date I visited. High tide is a good time to visit because the bottom of the floating torii is covered and only the bright orange is visible. At certain times of the year the low tide is so low you can walk to the floating torii.
It's important to check the tides before you leave. I relied on Tide4Fishing to provide the time for high and low tide on the date I visited. High tide is a good time to visit because the bottom of the floating torii is covered and only the bright orange is visible. At certain times of the year the low tide is so low you can walk to the floating torii.
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And a few more photos of Torii Gate. The weather kept changing throughout the day and I kept taking photos.
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And one more photo. And a picture of the world's largest wooden spatula.
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For additional Miyajima photos see FLICKR ALBUM.