Miyajima
Miyajima (宮島) is a small island near Hiroshima, Japan. Famed for Itsukushima Shrine and its floating torii, officially one of Japan's Top 3 Views, Miyajima is a very popular destination for Japanese and foreign tourists alike.
Understand
Holy since time immemorial, in past times women were not allowed on the island and old people were shipped elsewhere to die, so that the ritual purity of the site would not be spoiled.
These days, strict measures are taken to ensure that the modern town retains a classically Japanese Edo-era look, very much a rarity in Japan and a large reason for the town's attractiveness. There are still a few bits of concrete warren that snuck in, but the seafront promenade is particularly attractive, especially later in the day when the rampaging tour groups head home and the stone lanterns are turned on.
Get in
Miyajima being an island, you'll have to take a ferry to get there. The main ferry terminal on the mainland is Miyajimaguchi (宮島口), which you can reach from JR Hiroshima station either by JR train (¥400, 25 minutes) or by tram line #2 (¥270, 70 minutes from Hiroshima JR Station). The tram line also passes by the Peace Memorial Park and may thus be more convenient for visitors also touring Hiroshima.
From Miyajimaguchi, JR and Matsudai ferries to Miyajima run up to 10 times an hour. The trip takes 10 minutes and costs ¥170 each way, and even this is free with a Japan Rail Pass.
There are also direct connections from Hiroshima Port to Miyajima, running once an hour or so and taking only 23 minutes, but these charge a steep ¥1640 for the privilege.
Get around
Miyajima is small enough to walk. A cable car ferries passengers up Mt. Misen, but is steeply priced at ¥1800 return — although this includes bus transfers to and from the port.
See
- Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社) is Miyajima's main sight, a large, red-lacquered complex of halls and pathways on stilts. Pricing is complex, but ¥300 will get you into the temple itself, or pay ¥500 for entry plus a glimpse at the shrine's treasures. The shrine was badly damaged by a typhoon in 2004, but repairs are largely complete and it is open again.
- The floating torii gate of the shrine, standing in the bay in front of the shrine, is Miyajima's best known symbol. Note that whether the torii is "floating" or merely mired in mud depends on the tide.
- Senjokaku (千畳閣) means "1000 Mat Pavilion", a fairly apt description of this gigantic wooden hall which doesn't actually contain much other than empty space. Originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1587. There's also a picturesque 5-story pagoda (五重塔 Gojuto) next door, and plenty of cherry trees if you are visiting in sakura season.
Do
- Those with energy to spare may wish to hike up Mt. Misen (弥山, 530 meters) for views of the island. Momijidani Park (紅葉谷公園) is known for its autumn colors, and there are quite a few quiet little temples to explore along the way.
- Those with less energy can cheat and take the cable car to the top.
Buy
Oddly enough, Miyajima is well-known for its rice scoops (杓子 shakushi), spatulaesque wooden spoons used to serve cooked rice. You can buy scoops by the truckload in any gift shop, and even gaze on the World's Largest Spatula (well over 5m long), showcased along the main shopping street.
Eat & Drink
There are many little restaurants in the shopping streets near the shrine. As a rule of thumb, anything out by the seafront in the restored classical houses will be expensive, while the simpler eateries in the streets will be cheaper.
Sleep
Accommodation on Miyajima is uniformly expensive and many people on a budget choose to daytrip from Hiroshima instead. But if you can swing it, a night here is definitely worthwhile, as the island is much nicer without the inevitable flag-waving and megaphone-equipped tour groups that descend during the day.
- Iwaso (岩惣) is an old-school Japanese ryokan dating back to 1854, and probably the best digs on the island. Prices (with two meals) in the comparatively characterless new wing start at ¥19,000 per head and climb to a very steep ¥40,000 per head for the old wing.
- Kokuminshukusha Mori-no-Yado (国民宿舎 杜の宿, tel. 0829 440 430) is a fairly standard Japanese ryokan, only run by the government and hence a little more affordable than the competition. Lodging (per person!) costs ¥7800/8500 in the low/high season.
Stay safe
Tame deer run around the island, harassing tourists in an attempt to steal their food. Harmless, but occasionally annoying.
A colony of monkeys live atop Mount Misen. They are not enclosed, and so general precaution should be taken in viewing them.