Mount Misen

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

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I took a walk through Momijidani Park.  On the opposite end of the park stands the base station of the Miyajima Ropeway (宮島ロープウエー, Miyajima Rōpuwē), which leads up the island's mountains, including its highest peak of Mount Misen (弥山, Mi-sen), at 535 metres (1,755 feet) above sea level.

A display in the ropeway's queue shows the multiple varieties of cables used by the system.  I shall admit my fear of heights would act up slightly in the multiple gondolas I would ride, but these cables were suitably sturdy enough to hold me and everybody else up safely.

The Miyajima Ropeway is made up of two segments.  In the first part, a "gondola lift" system, the a series of gondolas runs in a continuous loop up and down the mountain.  The cars here are smaller, carrying up to 8 people each.  This leg takes up to 10 minutes to ride, but new cars arrive at both stations frequently.

After alighting at the mid-way Kayatani Station, we board the second leg of the ropeway.  This second part is an "aerial tramway" style lift, which uses only two gondolas that go back and forth opposite each other.  The cars here are larger, and the ride itself only takes 4 minutes, but departures are less frequent.  Expect them to come by every 15 minutes, although if there are a lot of people in queue, the waiting time between cars may be shortened to as little as 5 minutes.

The ropeway takes us up to the Shishi-iwa (獅子岩, lit. 'lion rock') Observatory, which is 430 metres (1,410 feet) above sea level.  It's not the tallest place on the island, but the views it offers over the Seto Inland Sea are no less amazing.

The large island in the middle of this panorama is Etajima (江田島), and hosts one of Japan's naval academies.  Somewhere behind that island is the city of Kure (呉).  It was the site of one of the Imperial Japanese Navy's shipyards.  The Kure Naval Arsenal produced some of the most famous warships of the Japanese fleet, such as the Miyako (1898-1904), Yamato (1940-1945), and Nagato (1919-1945).  Kure was bombed by the Allies near the end of World War II, after which the shipyard was picked up by a private company, Japan Marine United.

From the vantage point on Shishi-iwa, this island, Onasabi-shima (大奈左美島, Ōnasabi-shima), appears to take a stylised human shape.  But that is merely a trick of perspective; the actual island is shaped like a shallow crescent, and is longer than it appears.

This little dot of an island is called Kogurokamijima (小黒神島).  Again, it is longer in the back than it appears here.

This panorama is one of my favourite pictures I took out of my entire trip.  I love the way it glows blue on one side and gold on the other.  Sure, it's not the best view of the scenery (the panorama I showed you earlier in this article is better in that regard), but it's a lovely effect that came out completely by accident.  Sometimes the best things in life come from serendipity, and I guess that's what makes this one so special.  Click this link to view it in full resolution.

Once you're done with the Shishi-iwa Observatory, you may wish to continue hiking up Misen.  There is a trail you can take that winds up to the summit, passing several temple buildings along the way.  One of them, the Reikan-do, shelters an eternal flame which has been kept alight since the 9th century AD, so they say.  It was even used to light the eternal flame in Hiroshima's Peace Park.  The round-trip hike takes about an hour to complete, but with the evening looming, I did not have enough time to attempt it.

Apart from the ropeway, there are three hiking trails you could take to get up to Misen.  The shortest but steepest starts from Momijidani Park, and two others start from Daisho Temple and Omoto Shrine.  They all take over an hour to climb uphill, and a bit less going downhill.  As I waited for my return voyage on the ropeway, I feared I would miss the last trip and be forced to make that hike down (which they don't want you doing at night, anyway).  But, I got on safe and sound.

As an added bonus, here are some pictures I took after I got back down to sea level.  With the autumn sun having set so early, Itsukushima Shrine and its torii gate were lit up for the evening.

The shrine was closed for the night by that point, but its owners light it up every evening until 11:00 PM.  Staying overnight in one of the ryokans on the island is one way to enjoy this better, especially in the summer months when the night falls later.  But that was not in my plans; I already had a perfectly good hotel back in Hiroshima to return to.

And with this sign-off selfie, I must say good-bye to Miyajima, Hiroshima, and the Chugoku region.  The next morning, I would spend most of the day riding across the country back to Tokyo, including an eagerly-awaited journey on the Evangelion Shinkansen.  When I finally got into Tokyo, there enough time left in the afternoon for me to explore some winter light displays across the city.  See them for yourself, along with some budget alternatives to the Japan Rail Pass, next time on Sekai Ichi!

---

Miyajima Ropeway

Hours: Open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM from March to October; varies seasonally.  The last downhill ride is 30 minutes after initial closing time.  No regular closing days.  Ropeway service may be suspended by inclement weather or regular maintenance (in February and July).

Costs: ¥1,000 one-way, ¥1,800 round-trip.

Address: Momiji-dani, Miyajima-chō, Hatsukaichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 〒739-0552

Access: The base ropeway station is 25 minutes on foot from Miyajima Pier, or 15 minutes from the exit of Itsukushima Shrine.

Directions: Follow the directions to Momijidani Park from my last article.  The base ropeway station, also called Momiji-dani, is an additional 10-minute walk through the park.

Website: (English) (Japanese)

Momijidani Park

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.

Itsukushima Shrine

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

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I visited the Senjokaku shrine pavilion on Miyajima.  It is, in fact, an auxiliary shrine of the Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社, Itsukushima Jinja) complex, whose most famous parts are the ones built off the shore, over the water.  It is the most famous sight of Miyajima island, so no more putting it off.  Let's go!

For those arriving from Miyajima's main port, the shrine is a ten-minute walk along the coast.  If you come across this stone torii gate, you're on the right path.  However, this isn't the torii everyone thinks about...

...this is.  The grand torii of Itsukushima Shrine is 16 metres (52½ feet) tall, and is built out of camphor wood to resist decay from the seawater.  The four posts supporting it on either side mark it as a Ryobu torii (両部鳥居, ryōbu torii).  Believe it or not, the posts are not dug into the ground, but simply stand atop a hard base of some sort.  The top bar, or kasagi (笠木), is filled with stones to help weigh it down.

Edit 29 Mar 2019: Itsukushima Shrine's floating torii will be covered up by scaffolding during renovations, starting in June 2019.  It is currently unknown how long this will last, but they are expected to take about a year's time.

The shrine is built on stilts atop a small bay.  It was constructed this way because the island behind it was so sacred, that for some time, commoners were not allowed to set foot atop it.  They would instead travel to the shrine by boat, passing under the torii gate in the process.  Even today, nobody is supposed to give birth or die on the island, and should head back to the mainland if either is imminent.  Fun Fact: A similar arrangement exists for the small Greek island of Delos, which also has strong religious significance.

There are three deities enshrined at Itsukushima shrine: Ichikishima-hime (市杵島姫命, Ichikishima Hime no Mikoto), Tagori-hime (田心姫命, Tagori Hime no Mikoto), and Tagitsu-hime (湍津姫命, Tagitsu Hime no Mikoto).  They are the three daughters of Amaterasu, the sun goddess, and Susano'o, her brother.  If you've played Okami, at least some of those names should ring familiar.  Also, yes, there was brother-sister incest involved.  That sort of thing happens among quite a few pantheons around the world.  But, that aside, the shrine which has been dedicated to them is very pretty.  A straight line connects the torii, the kagura stage, and the main hall behind it, for a spot of stunning symmetry.

Some views were not as crowded as others, such as this look back towards the entrance.  The Senjokaku hall and pagoda can be seen in the back.

The bay atop which Itsukushima Shrine was built rises and falls with the tides.  At high tide, the shrine and its torii appear to float atop the water.  There are boats which cruise under the torii in such conditions, much as they have in the days of old.  And at low tide, visitors may walk out to the torii on on solid, albeit muddy, ground.  The predicted peak times for both high and low tides are posted near the shrine's entrance.  As you can see, I came here closer to high tide, which makes for a prettier picture, I'd say.

A collection of goods donated to the shrine is stacked along the west corridor, near the exit.  I presume most of these to be barrels of sake, except the ones on the left.  The sign above them reads the name and logo of the Kikkoman corporation, so they must contain soy sauce instead.  (Although, they do produce sake and other beverages as well.)

Also along the back way, we can see this large curved bridge.  It is called Sori-bashi (反橋, lit. 'curved bridge'), and/or Chokushi-bashi (勅使橋, lit. 'imperial messenger's bridge').  The railings are painted in the same vermilion colour as the rest of the shrine, while the posts holding it up are dyed black with sumi (墨) ink.  The contrasting colours and its shape make for a striking appearance, I'd say.  If I recall correctly, it was closed to pedestrians, though.

Traffic through the shrine flows in from the northeast side, and out through the other end on the west.  When you walk out, there are a couple of places in front of you that you might be interested in visiting.  The closest is Daigan-ji (8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, free), a Buddhist temple (some of its auxiliary buildings are pictured).  Itsukushima Shrine itself has a separate treasure hall (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, ¥300) across the street from Daigan-ji.  And behind them you can find the Miyajima History and Folk Museum (8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, ¥300) and the Miyajima Public Aquarium (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, ¥1,400).  Alas, I was unaware of those places, and instead aimlessly wandered uphill until I reached the ropeway up to Mount Misen.  But that's a story for another day.

So until then, I shall leave you with a new sign-off selfie.  Taken on the pier pointing towards the grand torii, this one is a particular favourite among my family.  Because of all the people who come to visit the shrine, there is liable to be a small queue of people who are doing the same.  So while it may not be all that of an original view anymore, it is no less pleasant.  But, all those other people in line behind you mean you'll have to move on soon, and move on I did -- to Momijidani Park, next time on Sekai Ichi!

---

Hours: Open from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM from March to mid-October; hours vary with season.  No regular closing days.

Costs: ¥300.  A combined ticket with the treasure hall costs ¥500, and must be purchased from the shrine's main entrance.

Address: 1-1 Miyajima-chō, Hatsukaichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 〒739-0588

Access: Itsukushima Shrine is 10 minutes on foot from Miyajima Pier.

Directions: From Miyajima Pier, turn right and walk along the coastline.  If you pass under the stone torii, you're on the right path.  The shrine entrance will be on your right.  Note that the exit is on the other end of the shrine grounds.

Website: (English) (Japanese)

Senjokaku

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

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I set foot on the island of Miyajima.  Upon making landfall, my first destination was not the more famous Itsukushima Shrine -- that would come next -- but rather, an auxiliary shrine along the way.  It is officially named either Hokoku or Toyokuni Shrine*, but is better known by the name of its main hall: Senjokaku (千畳閣, Senjō-kaku, lit. 'one thousand-tatami pavilion').

*NB: I have read conflicting accounts on which is the correct reading of its Japanese name, 豊国神社.  The more common name "Senjokaku" refers only to the main hall, but since I have yet to find a straight answer on its official name, I will just use "Senjokaku" for consistency's sake.

This shrine was commissioned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉, 1537-1598) in AD 1587; however, this five-storied pagoda outside predates it by over a century, specifically dating back to the year 1407.  I can't tell if it had needed to be rebuilt since then, but whether or not this was the case, its paint job is positively brilliant.  And I also find interesting the palm trees planted nearby.  I wouldn't classify Miyajima as a tropical island, especially not in November.  But nonetheless, on a sunny day such as this, it makes for a perfect marriage of blue, red, and green.

The name "Senjokaku" means "hall of one thousand tatami mats", which certainly clues you in on the size of this place.  The open floor plan only accentuates this attribute.  Visitors should be aware that they will have to take off their shoes before entering the hall.  But if it helps maintain the immaculately shiny floor, I shan't complain.

Originally, this was a Buddhist temple which had enshrined the Amida Buddha (the same Buddha depicted by the giant bronze statue in Kamakura).  After the Meiji Restoration in the 1860s, it was converted to a Shinto shrine, and its enshrined subject was replaced by the soul of Toyotomi Hideyoshi himself.  The Buddha icons consecrated here were then moved to Daigan-ji, a nearby Buddhist temple.

Look up at the rafters of the hall, and you will see many wooden paintings hung about.  Many of them depict animals, such as deer and horses, as above.  These used to be stored at Itsukushima Shrine, but were transferred here after the Meiji Restoration shook things up, as described above.

Senjokaku's open floor plan and lack of walls are due to the fact that Hideyoshi died before it could be completed, and his successor, Tokugawa Ieyasu, never bothered to have it finished.  The upside to the abrupt end of its construction, at least nowadays, is that we have some pretty nice views over the surrounding town.  There is a huge building over to the left of this shot, and I wonder what it is?  My Google-fu has failed me as to what it is, or was, used as.  But it certainly does rival Senjokaku in size!

Looking out in the opposite direction affords a view over Itsukushima Shrine proper.  Well, no more wasting time.  Let's get down for a closer look at the centrepiece of Miyajima, next time on Sekai Ichi!

---

Hours: Open from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.  No regular closing days.

Costs: ¥100.

Address: 1-1 Miyajima-chō, Hatsukaichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 〒730-0014

Access: Senjokaku is less than 10 minutes on foot from Miyajima Pier.

Directions: From Miyajima Pier, turn right and walk along the coastline.  When you get to the stone torii gate in front of Itsukishima Shrine (about 7 minutes), turn around, take the path on the right, and turn right immediately after.  Walk up through the tunnel, then turn right and right again.  You should be facing a staircase; climb it to reach the shrine.

Website: (Japanese)

Travelling to Miyajima

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

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I got back from a tour at the Mazda Museum and Factory.  After a quick lunch, I embarked on a day trip to the island of Miyajima, or Itsukushima if you are so inclined.  It didn't take very long to get there; the journey comprised of a 30-minute train ride from Hiroshima Station, followed by a 10-minute ferry.

If you're arriving from Miyajima-guchi Station, you will have to walk down a pedestrian underpass to reach the port.  There are a few pretty pieces of art decorating the walls of this tunnel.

This was one of a few paintings in the tunnel featuring these lovely, stately ladies.  I'm only taking an educated guess, but they could be the three deities enshrined at Itsukushima Shrine.  Those would be the three daughters of Susano'o-no-Mikoto (須佐之男命), who is in turn the brother of the sun goddess herself, Amaterasu.

After emerging, we head to the port across the street.  Two competing companies, JR and Matsudai, have ferries which depart to Miyajima.  Both ferries cost only ¥180, and depart every 15 minutes.  The JR ferries, but not the Matsudai ones, are free to use with a Japan Rail Pass.  As a rule of thumb, the JR ferries are clad in red-and-white livery, as seen above, where the Matsudai ferries are blue-and-white.

Along the way, we can see other ferries, and whatever these are, some kind of fishing platforms, perhaps.  They could be for harvesting oysters, which are a popular catch on both the island and mainland.

The island, and its landmark Itsukushima Shrine, can be seen from the boat.  All in good time, my friend...

Looking back the other way, I found this large and rather distinct white building nestled on the hills.  It turns out to be a museum called the Umi-Mori Art Museum.  But for the moment, I had to leave it behind me.

Most of Miyajima's attractions are within a ten-minute walk from the island's port.  The neighbourhood along the way is a quaint one, lined with plenty of traditional-looking buildings.  During daylight hours, the streets are also shared with a population of deer.  This gentle animal is revered in Shintoism as a messenger of the gods.  This is also true in Nara, another town with many religious sites.

Deer are such a symbol of the island that a local brewery used... this message to try to sell their beer.  "Deer Love Beer", you say?  Can we get an expert's opinion on that?

A popular treat that is widely available in Miyajima, and has even spread to Hiroshima, is Momiji-manju (もみじ饅頭).  These are pastries with a creamy filling and shaped in the form of a maple leaf, as the name implies ("momiji" is Japanese for "maple").  When they were invented in the early 20th century, they were traditionally filled with azuki (sweet red bean) paste.  The list of flavours has since expanded to include chocolate (shown above), custard, green tea, and more.  I wonder if there are maple-syrup manju out there, because that would be totally fitting, eh?

Finally, before I go, time for my sign-off selfie.  I managed to pet a deer for this one.  Maybe I shouldn't have, though, because just now I learned that petting the deer here is not recommended, nor is feeding them for that matter.  Maybe I should have read, or rather found, a sign like the one below.  But I didn't get in trouble for such a quick pet... yet.

z tanuki [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Now that we have our introductions out of the way, we can get to sight-seeing.  Our first stop will be the "shrine of a thousand mats", Senjokaku, next time on Sekai Ichi!

---

For more information on how to get to Miyajima, read my article "Introduction to: Miyajima".