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Miyajima
Miyajima is a sacred island in the Inland Sea, in Hiroshima Prefecture in the Chugoku region, ten minutes by ferry from the mainland and about an hour from Hiroshima, where the shrine of Itsukushima and its great vermilion torii stand in the sea.
The great torii of Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima
- Prefecture
- Hiroshima
- Region
- Chugoku
- Journeys
- One of our journeys
overview
A shrine built over the tide, a gate standing in the water, and a forested mountain rising behind them both.
Miyajima, properly the island of Itsukushima, has been sacred for as long as there are records of it. The island itself was regarded as a god, so for centuries the shrine was built over the water rather than on the land. Tradition dates the first shrine to 593; its present form, a chain of vermilion halls and corridors standing on piers over a tidal bay, was given to it in 1168 by the warrior Taira no Kiyomori, who made it his clan's own shrine.
Itsukushima Shrine and the forest of Mount Misen behind it were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1996, and the view of the torii from the shore has long been counted among the Three Views of Japan, with Matsushima and Amanohashidate. As the tide rises the halls seem to float and the gate stands alone in the water; as it falls the bay drains to sand and you can walk out to the foot of the torii. The island changes through the day, and staying a night lets you see it both ways.
Beyond the shrine there is a great deal to Miyajima: the temple of Daisho-in on the slopes of Misen, a five-storey pagoda of 1407, the great unfinished hall of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the maple valley of Momijidani, and Mount Misen itself, reached by ropeway, where Kobo Daishi is said to have trained in the ninth century. Tame sika deer wander the lanes and the shore. When the day visitors leave, the island becomes very quiet, the shrine is lit, and the torii glows over the dark water.
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see and do
What to see on Miyajima
Itsukushima Shrine
A chain of halls joined by some three hundred metres of vermilion corridors, built on piers over the bay in the twelfth-century style of Taira no Kiyomori. Its main sanctuary and several other halls are National Treasures.
The great torii
The gate in the sea, about sixteen metres high, built of camphor wood and standing by its own weight on the seabed rather than on foundations. The present torii dates from 1875 and was carefully restored between 2019 and 2022.
The Noh stage
One of very few Noh stages in Japan built over water, given to the shrine by the lord of Hiroshima in 1680. Performances still take place on it, the sound of the drums carried across the tide.
Mount Misen
The sacred mountain of the island, 535 metres high, reached most of the way by ropeway through the forest. From the summit rocks the islands of the Inland Sea spread out in every direction, and on a clear day the view reaches Shikoku.
The Eternal Flame of Reikado
On Misen stands a hall where a fire is said to have burned since Kobo Daishi lit it some twelve hundred years ago. A flame from it was used to light the Flame of Peace in Hiroshima.
Daisho-in
The oldest temple on the island, of the Shingon school, climbing the foot of Misen in a series of halls, with five hundred small stone statues of the disciples of the Buddha, a cave of lanterns and prayer wheels along its stone stairs.
Senjokaku and the five-storey pagoda
Senjokaku, the hall of a thousand mats, was begun by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1587 and left unfinished at his death; it has no front wall and no ceiling, and its great open floor looks down over the shrine. Beside it stands a vermilion pagoda of 1407.
Momijidani Park
A valley of maples behind the shrine, with a stream, small bridges and a few old ryokan among the trees, at its loveliest when the leaves have turned and quiet in every season.
Omotesando and Machiya-dori
The shopping street from the ferry pier to the shrine, with its smell of grilled oysters and its shops of momiji manju, little cakes in the shape of a maple leaf. One street back, Machiya-dori keeps its old wooden merchant houses, now galleries and cafes.
The Miyajima History and Folklore Museum
A merchant's house of the Edo period, with its storehouses and garden, preserving the everyday life and the festivals of the island across the centuries.
experiences
The best of Miyajima
A night on the island
An evening at a ryokan in the maples behind the shrine, with a kaiseki dinner of the island's oysters and conger eel, and a walk afterwards along the shore to see the torii lit over the dark water.
Through the torii by boat
At high water small boats pass out to the torii and close beneath it, the shrine lit behind you. It is the closest you can come to the gate as the island intends it.
The shrine in quiet hours
Itsukushima Shrine in the late afternoon, as the last ferries carry the day visitors home, when you can walk the corridors over the tide and hear the water under the boards.
Conger eel on rice
Anago-meshi, conger eel grilled in a sweet glaze and laid over rice cooked in its broth, is the dish of this coast, and a lunch of it in Miyajima or on the mainland opposite is part of any visit.
plan your visit
Miyajima on a journey through Japan
- How long to stay
- A full day sees the shrine, Daisho-in and Mount Misen; a night on the island lets you see it lit and quiet and walk out across the sand.
- Getting there
- From Hiroshima Station by train to Miyajimaguchi in about twenty-five minutes, or by car in about forty, then by ferry across the strait in ten. A high-speed boat runs from the Peace Park to the island in about forty-five minutes, and a private boat can be arranged.
journeys
Tours of Japan that include Miyajima
Open a journey below for its route, its dates and its price. On dates of your own, a Custom Tour of Japan can bring you here and anywhere else in Japan you would like to go.
questions
Miyajima: questions answered
Can you walk to the Miyajima torii?
Yes, at low tide, when the bay drains and you can walk across the sand to the foot of the gate. At high tide the torii stands in the water and you see it from the shore or from a boat.
How do you get to Miyajima from Hiroshima?
By train or car to Miyajimaguchi, about twenty-five to forty minutes, then a ten-minute ferry to the island. A high-speed boat from the Peace Memorial Park takes about forty-five minutes.
Is it worth staying overnight on Miyajima?
Yes. Once the day visitors leave in the late afternoon the island is quiet, the shrine and the torii are lit, and you can see the bay at both high and low tide.
How long do you need on Miyajima?
A full day for the shrine, Daisho-in and the ropeway up Mount Misen, or a day and a night to see the island at its quietest.
Why is Itsukushima Shrine built over the water?
Because the island itself was regarded as a god. To avoid building on its sacred ground the shrine was built on piers over the tidal bay, and the torii set in the sea as its gateway.
Are there deer on Miyajima?
Yes. Tame sika deer wander freely through the streets and along the shore, regarded as messengers of the gods. They should not be fed.
Which Luxury Japan Travel journeys include Miyajima?
The Classic Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan visits Miyajima for the day. On dates of your own, a Custom Tour of Japan can include Miyajima too.
Can Miyajima be part of a private tour of Japan?
Yes. The Custom Tour of Japan is created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director, and it can go anywhere in the country, Miyajima included. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans every day for you.
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Miyajima, planned for you.
Tell us when you would like to travel and what draws you to Miyajima, and we will answer with the journey that suits you best: one of our published tours, a journey of The Private Collection, or a Custom Tour of Japan created around your party alone.