This article is based on a visit made on Tuesday, 22 November 2016.
Previously on Sekai Ichi, I visited the famous
Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima. Upon leaving the shrine, I bought a few gifts from one of the many souvenir stores in the village, and in trying to find my way back wound up in front of Momijidani Park (紅葉谷公園,
Momijidani Kōen). The name "Momiji-dani" means "maple valley" in Japanese, and true to its name, there were a wide array of trees whose autumn colours were in peak for my visit.
To get to the park, we need to make a short walk through the backstreets of Miyajima.
As in the outer, more travelled parts of the village, many buildings here are old but preserved, and still serve as shops, restaurants, and/or inns.
There are several signs leading to the base station of the Miyajima Ropeway. This one tells you that the station is 10 minutes away, but if you hurry, you could make it in 7 minutes. I do appreciate that sense of humour. Although, as we'll see, it may be worth pacing yourself as you walk through the park to get there.
Autumn colours in Hiroshima and Miyajima peak around mid-November, so the timing of my visit put me just at the tail end of that peak period. There were some trees left bare, but also others with plenty of vivid colours. Here are some of the highlights of this season:
This close-up shows a mixture of golden yellows and cranberry reds.
This splotch of bright red stood out all the more brightly amidst the pale pine greens it was set against.
A curtain of deep orange shelters the sunlight, not that there was all too much sunlight for it to filter.
This lantern-lined starway leads to a small Shinto shrine, named Shinomiya Shrine (四宮神社,
Shinomiya Jinja).
It was still somewhat late in the season, and by this time the cumulative weather had taken its toll on some leaves, knocking them down to the ground, or in this case, the roof of this small restaurant in the middle of the park. As for the restaurant itself, it serves standard Japanese dishes like udon noodles and curry rice, with some varieties also containing oysters, which are a popular harvest from the nearby seas.
This is what it looks like after the leaves have fallen from the tree. They must have been here for a while, as the lack of nutrients provided by their parent tree has left their colour very faded indeed.
On a somewhat more inspiring note, most of the leaves had already fallen from this tree, but a good bunch still held on with a fiery passion... and a fiery hue. Their tenacity may give us something to reflect upon, whatever that something is, as we ride up the ropeway to Mount Misen, next time on Sekai Ichi!
Hours: Open 24 hours. No regular closing days.
Costs: Free.
Address: Momiji-dani, Miyajima-chō, Hatsukaichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 〒739-0541
Access: Itsukushima Shrine is 15 minutes on foot from Miyajima Pier.
Directions: From Miyajima Pier, turn right and walk along the coastline. After you pass the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine, turn right at the dead-end, and take the next left. You will pass under a sign for the Miyajima Ropeway (宮島ロープウェイ入口). Turn right at the next dead-end, and left immediately after. Bear right at the next fork to reach the park.
If you are coming from the exit to Itsukushima Shrine, the park is only 5 minutes away. Turn left from the shrine exit, take the second left, then take the next right. After following the curve in the road, take the next right after that. Bear right at the next fork to reach the park.
