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Updated 2 July 2020

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Saturday, November 4, 2017

Introduction to: Miyajima

This article is based on a visit made on Tuesday, 22 November 2016.

Edit 8 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Miyajima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea, due south of Hiroshima.  Its original name is Itsukushima (厳島, lit. 'strict island'), but is more commonly known as Miyajima (宮島, lit. 'shrine island'), due to the famous Itsukushima Shrine found on its shores.  This Shinto shrine has not only been honoured as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but has been ranked as one of the "Three Views of Japan", a list of iconic scenes compiled in the 17th century.  (The other two are the Amanohashidate sandbar, in northern Kyoto Prefecture, and Matsushima Bay, near Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture.)  There is far more to discover on the island, however.  Its short distance from Hiroshima makes it a good choice for a full or even half-day excursion, or, you can also spend the night at one of its ryokan inns.

Main Attractions

1) Itsukushima Shrine: A Shinto shrine built above the bay, with a famous torii gate standing out in the tides.

2) Hokoku Shrine / Senjokaku Hall: A Shinto shrine with a wide-open hall.

3) Miyajima Museum of History and Folklore: A museum of the island's history, located in a preserved historic home.

4) Miyajima Aquarium: An aquarium exhibiting aquatic life from the nearby seas.

5) Daisho-in Temple: A Shingon Buddhist temple on a hillside, with beautiful autumn foliage.

6) Momijidani Park: A hillside park named after its prevalent autumn foliage, and the starting point of the Miyajima Ropeway.

7) Mount Misen: The highest point on the island, with views over the Seto Inland Sea.

Orientation

Miyajima is a fairly large island, 9 by 3 kilometres in size.  Fortunately, most of the attractions are located near each other, in a cluster around the island's port.  For example, it takes ten minutes to walk from the port to Itsukushima Shrine, and another ten minutes to walk from there to the base of the Miyajima Ropeway.

Access

From Hiroshima Station, take the Sanyo Main Line (A) to Miyajima-guchi (30 minutes, ¥420, JR Pass OK).  You can also take tram line 2 (70 minutes, ¥270), which is slightly cheaper but far longer.  After alighting at Miyajima-guchi, walk across the street to the port.  From here, take either of the JR or Matsudai ferries to Miyajima island.  Both companies' ferries take 10 minutes to get across, cost ¥180 and depart every 15 minutes.  The JR ferries are free with the Japan Rail Pass and certain JR West regional passes; in contrast, the Matsudai ferries are free with the 1-Day Streetcar and Ferry Pass from HiroDen.  There are also boats that depart from Hiroshima Peace Park (45 minutes, ¥2,200 one-way, ¥4,000 round-trip) and Hiroshima Port (30 minutes, ¥1,900).  The JR Pass cannot be used on these boats.

More information:
JR Miyajima Ferry: (English) (Japanese)
Matsudai Ferry: (English) (Japanese)
Aqua Net Hiroshima (ferry from Hiroshima Peace Park): (English) (Japanese)
Seto-naikai Kisen (ferry from Hiroshima Port): (English) (Japanese)
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