Miyajima Island is one of my favorite places in the world. Not because I have spent lots of time there, or have the best of friends or family to visit there, or because any significant life events have occurred there. I have spent all of two half days there, one several years ago and one while on our honeymoon trip around Japan. But it is a beautiful, peaceful place that somehow speaks to my inner Japanese adventurer and I would gladly return any time.
The island can be reached by a 5-minute ferry ride from the port of Hiroshima. We had the delight of taking a streetcar to the port so we could catch the ferry; riding a streetcar was a fun first for me.
Once you get to the island, there are loads of shrines and temples to be explored, stunning pagodas, and lots of "wild" deer. I put wild in quote marks because they tend to follow you around like dogs looking for a treat, but they are technically just part of the island wildlife.
The island is a very historic place, with one of the temples boasting of being one of the oldest sites of imperial spirituality, as the emperor has been known to travel there for prayer and rest. We also found a pagoda constructed by a Buddhist monk in the 12th century. To me, the island has a spiritual and very peaceful feel, perhaps because despite its proximity to Hiroshima, it seems to have escaped almost entirely unscathed during WWII.
Although I could keep describing my thoughts and perceptions, I think the pictures we got paint a much better picture so I will opt to share extra photos instead :)
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| Itsukushima Shrine, from the 12th Century |
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| Senjokaku Pavilion, dedicated to the recitation of prayer |
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| Tahoto Pagoda, one of the oldest on the island (couldn't find an exact date) |
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| Buddhas with their winter hats on |
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| Daisho-In, Buddhist temple founded in 806 |
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| Torii gate just as you exit the ferry terminal |
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