Miyajima Island: Land of the Gods

9 March 2017

Itsukushima Island: land of the gods. This little island, better known as Miyajima Island, is considered sacred in Japan, as it is thought to be home to gods. Historically, no one was allowed on the island apart from religious figures, but today the island is open to the public so now anyone can come to experience the natural beauty and spirituality of Miyajima for themselves.

I was eagerly anticipating a visit to this little island. Exactly why, I couldn’t say. Maybe it was just a natural reaction I now had to any island experience. Islands meant coastlines, ocean views, and ferry rides. Islands meant an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, places where life slowed down a beat. Maybe it was my ever growing interest in, and respect for, Shinto beliefs, a religion that finds spirituality in nature and understands the need for balance between people and the natural world. Whatever the subconscious drive was, I woke up bright and early on the morning of the our planned day trip, filled with excitement.

There are two ways to reach the island from Hiroshima City. We caught a tram from downtown Hiroshima for 260yen that took us all the way to Miyajimaguchi, where you catch a ferry to Miyajima Island. This route took a little under an hour. If you have a JR rail pass, take the JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi Station, from which it’s a short walk to the ferry terminal. This option takes half the time, but is almost twice as expensive if you do not have a JR pass. Bonus, if you have a JR pass you can also take the JR ferry to Miyajima Island for free, vs taking the Matsudai ferry. They both leave from the same port, and each takes about 15 minutes to get to the island, but why pay the extra 180yen if you don’t have to.

Upon arriving at the island, we had a quick chat with the helpful lady at the ferry terminal’s information booth before making our way through the streets of Itsukushima Shrine Town.

We weren’t a minute in when we spotted some of the Island’s local wildlife stalking some tourists. It was like Nara all over again, deer wandering the streets like they owned the place, looking for any chance to wrangle some food from both the overly-excited tourists and the unsuspecting.

“Why is he coming towards me?” My new friend, and travel companion, asked as she started to back away from an oncoming deer.
“He thinks you have food,” I replied.
“I don’t have–,” at that moment the deer lunged for the island brochure she was holding. “No!!!”

I broke into laughter, it was too classic and her shock too candid not to find comical. She unsuccessfully tried to wrestle the brochure out of the deer’s vice-like grip. I figured ink and waxy paper probably wasn’t good for it, so I aided in the tug-of-war and we were able to recover the map, well most of it…

As we continued through the quaint little seaside town, we spotted more and more deer wandering the streets, sleeping under trees, and seeking out food.

I think the deer from our initial confrontation spread the word to his friends that my friend had food, because they all seemed to make a bee-line for her, even once she’d hidden everything even remotely edible in her backpack. I was doubled over in fits of laugher as they continued to chase her down the streets, while ignoring me entirely.

While the town was pretty packed with tourists, the moment we started up the trail that would take us to the peak of the mount Misen, the crowds vanished. In fact, we had the trail to ourselves for the majority of the 1.5 hour accent. I think most tourists opt to take the ropeway to the observation deck at the top, rather than make the vertical climb to 1500ft above sea level. We opted for the free workout (free being the key word here, the ropeway to the top is 1800yen round trip, 1000yen one way). If you do take the ropeway, know that it does not take you to the highest peak. You’ll have to walk another kilometer to reach it, and the pathway, while well maintained, gains 300ft in elevation and ends with a series of stairways, so plan accordingly.

We took the Momijidoni course to the top of the mountain, and the Daisho-in course back down. I recommend splitting your hike between both courses, as it adds variety. The Momijidoni trail takes you through the forest, the path well shaded against the heat of the day. The Daisho-in trail had more stairs but offered stunning views of the islands and sea below, so if you’ll only be hiking one-way, I’d recommend taking this path. The woman working at the tourist information counter suggested that the Momijidoni course is an easier climb up than the Daisho-in course, but frankly they’re both pretty vertical… I recommend picking up a map at the information center, as it clearly marks each route.

Whichever way you choose to go, make sure you take the trip to the summit during your time on Miyajima (even if it’s just the ropeway summit), it is one of the true highlights of the island. If you’re like me, and could spend hours just gazing out at the horizon, pack some snacks and drinks for the top because this 360 view of the Hiroshima Prefecture is nothing short of stunning. In fact, the three-story observation tower at the peak offers plenty of room to spread out a picnic and chill while you bask in the beauty of Japan’s coastal waters.

We stopped to explore the Daisho-in Temple on our way back down, a truly beautiful example of Japanese architecture and landscaping. This was one of my favorite temples in Japan. It felt like a part of the mountain, nestled into a wooded valley, a crystal clear mountain stream flowing beside it.

Yes, like too many of the other temples I’d been to it seemed somewhat commercialized, trinkets and good-luck charms were being sold within, but for whatever reason I could look past that here. I only wish I had the opportunity to visit during the spring blooms or fall foliage, as I know that would only enhance the one-with-nature impression this temple left me with.

We finished off our day by sampling some of the millions of maple leaf cakes that were being sold in town, the local specialty. I kid you not, every other shop sold maple cakes. I don’t know how they all stay in business. Following that we channeled our inner basic-bitches and spent an unnecessary amount of time photographing The Great Tori at sunset.

This is a massive tori gate, located at the mouth of the bay fronting the Itsukushima Shrine, that becomes partially submerged at high tide. We were so dedicated to our craft, that we allowed the tide to “strand us” on a little island of sand in the middle of the inlet. A group of Japanese visitors stood at the water’s edge, frantically motioning and pointing, trying to warn us about the rapidly rising tide. They seemed to be under the impression that we were on a sinking ship with no escape route. By the time we were ready to leave our little island, we were the center of attention, as all the tourists waited to see how we would get out of the sticky situation we’d gotten ourselves in. I think they were all a bit underwhelmed when we simply took off our shoes and waded in ankle deep water back to shore. I tried unsuccessfully to hide my amusement.

We waited till the sun disappeared behind the distant hills before making our way back to the ferry dock. One thing I will note about the island, while you can stay on it until the last walk-on ferries stop running around 8:00pm, nearly all of the local businesses close around 6:00pm, so there’s not much to do in town past then unless you are staying at one of the few hotels on the island. Something to keep in mind when deciding on your dinner plans.

I ended the day thoroughly content. I’m not an overtly spiritual person, but there was something about that island that moved me. Look past the souvenir stalls and crowds of tourists lingering in town, and Miyajima Island truly was a naturally stunning little gem in the midst of a heavily populated region of Japan. A sort of spiritual oasis. I hope to return again someday.