Visitors to Hiroshima will find one of Japanfs greatest treasures about an hour outside the city by train or car. Miyajima, or Aki-no-Miyajima, means Shrine Island, and the entire island is considered sacred. The Edo period scholar Hayashi Razan included Miyajima in his Three Views of Japan, and it has been a popular pilgrimage and sightseeing destination for centuries.
Miyajimafs best known sight is the Grand Torii Gate that stands in the sea before Itsukushima Shrine. The imposing red structure, and the Shrine itself, appear to float on the waves at high tide, reflecting the Shrinefs ancient association with the sea. There may have been a shrine here as early as 593 AD, and the great Heian era general Taira no Kiyomori gave the Shrine its present form in 1168. In 1996 it was registered as a World Heritage Site.
Other impressive sights include the Senjokaku, or Thousand Mat Hall, a cavernous wooden pavilion standing on a hill above the Shrine. The Hall was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but the ceiling and walls were never completed. Continuing up the slopes of Mt. Misen, youfll also find Daishoin, the most important Shingon Buddhist temple in western Japan. The temple was founded by Kobo Daishi, who came to Miyajima in 806 AD to undergo ascetic training on the summit of Misen. The island contains several sites associates with this legendary monk.
Finally, the island itself is spectacularly beautiful. Logging has never been permitted here, as the island itself is considered divine, and the slopes of Mt. Misen are carpeted with dense, old-growth forest. One of the best ways to see both the forest and the surrounding Seto Inland Sea, studded with islands, is to ride the Ropeway to its terminal point near the summit.
Itfs nearly impossible not to be overtaken by the history and tradition of Miyajima. Whatever you do, donft skip it in your rush to get to the next spot on your itinerary. One of the countryfs most magical places, it will stay with you long after other destinations in Japan have faded from memory.
Access>>
Airplane
- Tokyo Haneda Airport===(70min.)===Hiroshima airport===(Express bus, 45min.)===Hiroshima station
Shinkansen
- Tokyo station===(JR Sanyo Shinkansen, 4 hrs.)===Hiroshima station
- Shin Osaka station===(JR Sanyo Shinkansen, 2 hrs.)===Hiroshima station
Fron Hiroshima Station To Miyajima
- Hiroshima station===(Streetcar No.1, 30min.)===Hiroshima Port (Ujina port)
===(Ferry, 20min.)===Miyajima
- Hiroshima station===(Streetcar No. 2, 55min.)===Miyajima-guchi===
(Ferry , 10 min.)===Miyajima
- Hiroshima station===(JR Sanyo Honsen Line, 25min.)===Miyajima-guchi
===(Ferry, 10min.)===Miyamima
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