Miyajima
The island of the floating torii
Go because of one of the most iconic sights in all Japan — a great vermilion shrine gate that appears to float on the sea at high tide.
Come for Itsukushima Shrine and its "floating" torii; a sacred island of wooded mountains, ancient temples and tame deer; the climb or ropeway up Mount Misen for sweeping Inland Sea views; and atmospheric streets of grilled oysters and maple-leaf cakes. A UNESCO World Heritage site, and the perfect companion to Hiroshima.
Properly called Itsukushima, but known to all as Miyajima — "shrine island" — this wooded island in the Seto Inland Sea holds one of Japan's three classic views, and one of its most photographed sights: the great red torii of Itsukushima Shrine, standing in the sea so that at high tide it appears to float, cut free of the land. The whole island has been held sacred for centuries, and it retains an air of the sacred still: deer wander the lanes, mist wreathes the forested peak of Mount Misen, and the shrine's corridors seem to hover above the water. It is an easy trip from Hiroshima, and an essential one.
A little background
Miyajima has been a holy place since ancient times — so holy that commoners were long forbidden to set foot on it, approaching instead by boat through the great sea gate. Itsukushima Shrine, with its over-water design, dates in its present form to the twelfth century and the patronage of the powerful Taira clan; its pier-like halls and the offshore torii were built out into the sea precisely so that the sacred island itself need not be built upon. The shrine and its setting were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
What to see
The floating torii. The great gate stands in the sea before the shrine. At high tide it appears to float; at low tide you can walk out across the sand to its base. Both are worth seeing — check the tide times to know what you'll get, and aim for sunset, when it glows.
Itsukushima Shrine. The over-water shrine itself, a boardwalk of vermilion halls and corridors built on stilts above the tidal flats, appearing to float alongside its gate.
Mount Misen. The island's sacred summit, reached by a ropeway (then a short climb) or on foot by forest trails. The reward is a magnificent panorama over the islands of the Inland Sea, plus ancient temple halls and cheeky wild monkeys near the top.
The town and its food. Wander the streets below the shrine for grilled oysters (a local specialty), anago (conger eel) rice, and momiji manjū — maple-leaf-shaped cakes filled with sweet bean paste. Tame deer roam here too.
How to get there
Miyajima is reached by a short ferry from Miyajimaguchi, on the mainland west of Hiroshima. From central Hiroshima, take the streetcar or JR train to Miyajimaguchi (about 30–45 minutes), then the 10-minute ferry across (JR Pass holders can use the JR ferry free). Some boats also run directly from the Peace Park pier in central Hiroshima, letting you link the two in a day.
When to go & practical notes
Check the tide times before you go — it genuinely changes the experience, and ideally you'd see both the floating high tide and the walk-out low tide. Spring and autumn are loveliest (and Misen's maples are famous in November). Miyajima can be done as a half-day, but it rewards longer, and a rare overnight on the island — after the day-trippers leave — is magical, with the lit torii to yourself. Wear proper shoes if you plan to climb Misen. The deer are tame but, as at Nara, will investigate bags and food.