Miyajima, many people may have heard of it but never been there. In fact, Miyajima is one of Japan’s Three Views and is also known as the island where humans and gods coexist. For me, Miyajima is my favorite place among all the places in Japan. Besides the famous Great Torii Gate and Itsukushima Shrine, Mount Misen on Miyajima is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offering breathtaking views of the Seto Inland Sea — a must-visit for hiking enthusiasts. There's also the1200Year-Unextinguished Flame Legend's Reikido (Spirit Fire Hall)! Moreover, the island features various types of traditional Japanese old buildings, giving you a feeling of time traveling while walking along the Japanese-style streets. Another highlight is that there are many deer roaming the streets of Miyajima, mingling among the crowds. For Hong Kongers and Taiwanese, Miyajima is not a popular tourist spot — I only saw two Taiwanese people and about3groups of Hong Kongers all day. Compared to Kyoto, which is heavily touristy, Miyajima offers a more authentic Japanese travel experience.
Miyajima is one of Japan’s Three Views and is also known as the island where humans and gods coexist. This small island is located in Hiroshima, and many people may have heard of it but never been there. Miyajima is my favorite place among all the places in Japan. Besides the famous Great Torii Gate and Itsukushima Shrine, Mount Misen on Miyajima is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offering stunning views of the Seto Inland Sea. Mount Misen also has the1200Year-Unextinguished Flame Legend's Reikido (Spirit Fire Hall)! In addition, the island has various types of traditional Japanese old buildings, giving you a sense of time travel while strolling along the Japanese-style streets. Another feature is the many deer that walk among the people on the streets of Miyajima. For Hong Kongers and Taiwanese, Miyajima is not a popular destination — I only saw two Taiwanese people and roughly3groups of Hong Kongers all day. Compared to Kyoto’s heavy tourist presence, Miyajima offers a more genuine Japanese travel vibe.
There are two ways to get to Miyajimaguchi Port. The first is to take theJR Sanyo Main Line train bound for Iwakuni and get off at Miyajimaguchi Station, or take the2line of Hiroden (Hiroshima Electric Railway). If you're staying near Hondori, take Hiroden, which takes about1hour. We stayed near the station so we took theJR. After arriving at Miyajimaguchi Port, take a ferry for10to15minutes to reach Miyajima. There are two ferry companies offering this service; we took theJRWest Japan Ferry, and the other is Matsudai Kisen. Actually, there are many day passes that include both bus and ferry, andPasscan be purchased, but this was an unplanned trip, so we didn’t look into it . We just bought round-trip train tickets and round-trip ferry tickets. Of course, a day pass orJR travel pass would have been cheaper.
Starting to get close to Miyajima, and there’s the legendary floating torii gate in the sea.
Because I woke up late, I also missed the low tide time, and the tide began to rise, making it impossible to get close to the Great Torii Gate. To take close-up photos, we quickly walked toward the torii gate as soon as we got off the boat. During low tide, you can even walk under the torii gate to take photos.
Everyone hurried to take photos before the water rose.
Just as we were about to leave, two deer walked toward the direction of the torii gate. So cute.
Itsukushima Shrine during low tide
Then we went to find the restroom, but the more we walked, the more crowded it became. The path from the port to the shrine was bustling like Kyoto. However, the people here were mostly Japanese and American tourists, not as many Asian tourists as in Kyoto, which actually gave off more of a Japanese New Year’s vibe.
Visiting Itsukushima Shrine — wow. Getting into the shrine is no easy feat. It really felt like being in Japan during New Year.
Itsukushima Shrine is a shrine built over water and is1400years old.
Seeing the distant Great Torii Gate
The crowd is getting bigger, making it harder to move forward.
The beautiful scenery of Itsukushima Shrine and the Five-Story Pagoda during low tide.
The high stage of Itsukushima Shrine was used for traditional bugaku dance performances, and it’s also a popular spot for weddings.
Gokoku Shrine, a National Treasure built during the Heian period.
Some nearby buildings.
It’s lunchtime, so we head to the shopping street to find a place to eat. We end up at a restaurant under the Kinsei-kan building, having a meal of grilled conger eel. We expected it to be crowded, but there was a table available when we arrived. Conger eel looks quite similar to eel, but while eels live in rivers before returning to the sea to spawn, conger eels live in the sea all their lives. However, after trying it, I didn’t find it particularly special—it’s not as good as eel in my opinion.
After lunch, we visit the third attraction of the day: the Five-Story Pagoda. We walk through some small alleys behind the shopping street and pass through a rather quiet Japanese-style street, which feels like stepping back in time.
The Five-Story Pagoda combines Japanese and Tang Dynasty architectural styles, built in1407.
Across from the pagoda stands another Important Cultural Property of Japan: the Senjōkaku (Thousand-Mat Hall), also known as Toyokuni Shrine. Its construction was halted due to the death of its founder, Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
After visiting the various historic buildings, we set off for a hike up Mount Misen after lunch. Mount Misen is another key highlight of Miyajima and part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park. To get to Mount Misen, you can take a ropeway from Momijidani Park up to Lion’s Head Rock and then hike to the summit of Mount Misen—it takes about40minutes on foot. For those who enjoy hiking, you can also skip the ropeway and walk directly up from Momijidani Park. That hike takes roughly3to4hours one way. This time, due to limited time, we took the ropeway both ways, but we’ll definitely try the hike next time. Of course, the ropeway ride itself is a scenic experience, offering great views of the Seto Inland Sea.
Away from the bustling crowds, we pass through Momijidani Park at the foot of Mount Misen.
Four Shrines, which appear somewhat hidden.
The ropeway connecting Momijidani and Lion’s Head Rock requires a transfer along the way. The first section of the ropeway is quite narrow—only8people per cabin. Maybe it’s busier during the New Year holiday.
On the second section of the ropeway, standing on the left side gives you great views of the Seto Inland Sea.!
On the left side of the Lion’s Head Rock ropeway station is the Lion’s Head Rock observation deck, which offers beautiful views of the Seto Inland Sea. On the right is the trail leading up to the summit of Mount Misen.
Across the water lies the mysterious island of Shikoku—a place I’ve always wanted to visit.
Then we begin our hike. The one-way hike takes about30to45minutes. Hikers who prefer trekking can skip the ropeway and walk up. There are three main hiking trails up Mount Misen: starting from Momijidani Park, Daimon Park, or Daishō-in Temple.
20to30minutes later, we reach the Reikado Hall. The eternal flame inside Reikado has been burning continuously since806and hasn’t gone out in1200years. This is one of the Seven Mysteries of Mount Misen.
Opposite Reikado is the Misen Main Hall.
After that, we walk through some slightly challenging mountain paths until we reach a rock formation—we thought we had reached the summit, but there’s actually another path leading up further.
We pass by some uniquely shaped rocks.
And finally arrive at the summit observation deck.
The weather is great today. Wishing a smooth and successful new year.
Another beautiful sunset.
There were even more people on the cable car during the return trip. Luckily, we caught the sunset—the iconic torii gate plus the sunset made it hard to leave.
Original text:
【^?褐苣┞眯屑span class="s1">2】 A Journey to the Stunning Views of Miyajima
【^?褐苣┞眯屑span class="s1">3】 Hiking Around Mount Misen and the Seto Inland Sea
^?褐苣┞眯邢盗屑span class="s1">:
【^?褐苣┞眯屑span class="s1">1】HKExpressFirst Impressions of the Hiroshima Route Experience & ?Front Food Court
【^?褐苣┞眯屑span class="s1">2】 A Journey to the Stunning Views of Miyajima
【^?褐苣┞眯屑span class="s1">3】 Hiking Around Mount Misen and the Seto Inland Sea
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