MiyajimaTake a leisurely stroll around the island that is home to the World Heritage Site, Itsukushima Shrine

Japan Travel Samurai x "Wa to Hito no Koryu Chitose" project "Wa Sanpo". The eighth installment continues with Hiroshima Prefecture! As in the previous installment, we took a leisurely tour of Miyajima, home to the World Heritage Site Itsukushima Shrine, with Shiori Kaburagi, representative director of Wa to Hito no Koryu Chitose and a performer of sword dancing and sword fighting, enjoying gourmet food.

What is Miyajima?

Miyajima floats in Hiroshima Bay on the Seto Inland Sea. It is a scenic spot that has been selected as one of the Three Most Scenic Spots of Japan, known as "Aki no Miyajima." Itsukushima Shrine, characterized by its landmark giant torii gate and the shrine building floating on the sea, was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1996.

Miyajima has been the subject of nature worship since ancient times as an island where gods are worshipped. As a sacred place, the natural environment has been well-preserved, and virgin forests remain, especially around the peak of Mount Misen, the island's highest peak at 535m above sea level. The rich natural environment has been designated a national natural monument as the "Misen Primeval Forest," and is also part of the World Heritage Site.

The distance between Miyajima and the mainland is just 300m! You can travel by boat, but the boat route is about 1800m. Take JR Miyajimaguchi Station or Hiroshima Electric Railway tram to Miyajimaguchi Station, then take the JR West Miyajima Ferry or Miyajima Matsudai Ferry for about 10 minutes. The JR West Miyajima Ferry route allows you to see the Otorii gate and Itsukushima Shrine directly from the sea, making it perfect for taking photos. The Miyajima Matsudai Ferry ticket offers an attractive round-trip ticket and shopping voucher.

Starting in 2022, Aquanet Hiroshima will begin operating a new high-speed ferry service, which, although more expensive than the other two companies, will take you to Miyajima in just five minutes.

If you want to enjoy Miyajima's specialty oysters in style, go to "Oyster Shop"

Upon arriving at Miyajima, the first place we walked was Omotesando Shopping Street. Also known as "Kiyomori Street," this 350m shopping street leading to Itsukushima Shrine is lined with restaurants and souvenir shops.

Miyajima is also famous for its oysters. The oysters grown in the rich natural environment, including the Misen primeval forest, are plump, full of flavor, and extremely rich! There are many restaurants where you can enjoy Miyajima oysters, but if you want to enjoy them in style with a glass of wine, we recommend "Oyster Shop."

At the oyster restaurant, you can enjoy fresh, plump raw oysters and fragrant grilled oysters with carefully selected white wine. You can enjoy oysters in a variety of ways, such as fluffy fried oysters, oyster rice, oysters marinated in oil, and gratin. Kaburagi-san was delighted, saying, "Actually, I don't eat oysters that often, but these are so delicious that even people who don't like raw food can eat them." Fried oysters go perfectly with tartar sauce, and he says, "They're also great as a beer snack!"

Enjoy miji manju at "Fujiiya Miyajima Main Branch"

Momiji manju is a sweet that represents Miyajima. It was invented by a Japanese confectioner in the Meiji period as a sweet associated with Momijidani, a place in Miyajima. However, there is also a story that when Ito Hirobumi visited Miyajima, he saw the hands of a teahouse girl and suggested making a sweet in the shape of a maple leaf. It's a fitting story for Ito Hirobumi, who was known to be a womanizer.

There are many momiji manju shops in Miyajima, but the one we would like to recommend this time is Fujiiya Miyajima Main Branch. This long-established shop has been making momiji manju for nearly 100 years since it was founded in 1925. It is characterized by its wisteria-colored smooth bean paste made from peeled Hokkaido azuki beans, and at the Miyajima Main Branch you can enjoy freshly baked momiji manju with a crispy and fragrant exterior. After trying a freshly baked one, Kaburagi-san said with a lovely smile, "It melted naturally in your mouth and had a sweet taste that went straight down your tongue. It's also really soft because it's freshly baked."

In addition to the typical smooth bean paste, there are five other types of Momiji Manju: whole bean paste, matcha bean paste, custard cream, and chocolate. Seasonal bean paste is also available, so if you see it, be sure to buy it. In addition, they also sell "Momiji Mochi" made with glutinous rice flour and mochi flour dough, so it is recommended to compare it with Momiji Manju.

Itsukushima Shrine: A sea shrine with the scent of Heian Shrine

Once you pass the Omotesando shopping arcade, you will see Itsukushima Shrine, which was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1996. The shrine was founded by Saeki Kuramoto in the first year of the reign of Empress Suiko (593), and because Miyajima was worshiped as the "island of the gods," the shrine building was not built on the island but on a shallow beach. Because of this, it sinks into the sea at high tide, creating a fantastical sight as if it were floating in the sea.

The deity enshrined here is the third daughter of Munakata, Ichikishimahime-no-mikoto, Tagorihime-no-mikoto, and Tagitsuhime-no-mikoto. Since ancient times, the shrine has been worshipped as a goddess of the sea and safe navigation, and even today, it is said to bring a wide range of benefits, including safe travels, prosperous business, victory and success in exams, and the achievement of good greenery.

The shrine building, which incorporates the Shinden-zukuri style, was originally constructed by Taira no Kiyomori in the 12th century. You can worship here by walking through the corridors surrounded by vermilion-painted pillars, feeling the atmosphere of the Heian period. Kaburagi-san was also impressed, saying, "It feels like an old capital."

The great torii gate is an essential symbol of Itsukushima Shrine. It is 16.6m tall and weighs about 60t, making it the largest wooden torii gate in Japan. It has been built since the Heian period, and the current one is the ninth (there are various theories). The base of the torii gate is simply placed on a stake, and it stands up under its own weight. You can walk through it at low tide.

On this walk, Kaburagi-san performed a sword dance in front of the large torii gate! He was overjoyed, saying, "I was able to perform in such a wonderful and wonderful place, in front of the torii gate, with the sky and the sea." However, the water had not yet subsided, and the sea was lukewarm (laughs).

Miyajima's oldest temple, Daisho-in

Next we headed to Daishoin Temple, about a seven minute walk from Itsukushima Shrine. It is the oldest temple on Miyajima and can be reached in about five minutes from Itsukushima Shrine's Treasure Museum. It is a must-visit spot on Miyajima with lots to see, and Kaburagi said, "It's a great place to go and sort out your feelings."

Daisho-in Temple was founded by Kobo Daishi Kukai in the first year of the Daido era (806) and is the head temple of the Omuro school of Shingon Buddhism (head temple Ninna-ji). After passing through the Niomon Gate, there is a long flight of stone steps leading up to the Onarimon Gate. First, pay attention to the yellow handrails on the steps. The tube under the handrail is the "Daihannya Sutra Tube," a 600-volume sutra that Tripitaka monk Tripitaka brought back from India. It is said that if you touch this tube while climbing up, you will be granted "infinite good fortune"!

Once you pass through the Onarimon Gate, you will see the Kannon Hall, which enshrines the Eleven-Headed Kannon Bodhisattva, originally the local Buddha of Itsukushima Shrine. Until the Meiji Restoration, Daisho-in was in charge of religious ceremonies as the head temple of Itsukushima Shrine.

At the Kannon Hall, you can do the "Okaidan Meguri" (walking around the temple's premises). It is said that walking through the pitch blackness beneath the main hall encourages self-reflection and removes sins. You can also see the Tibetan sand mandala, which was painted when the Dalai Lama was invited to mark the 1200th anniversary of the temple's founding. Sand mandalas are usually destroyed after the prayers are over, so it is quite a rare opportunity to actually see them.

The Daishi Hall, which is said to be the highest point in the temple, enshrines Kobo Daishi Kukai. In fact, Daisho-in is also one of the "Three Great Daishi of Japan" that are said to bring good luck and ward off evil. You should also make sure to visit Maniden Hall, which enshrines Miki Daigongen, the guardian deity of Mt. Misen. On the stairs leading to Maniden Hall, there is a Maniden wheel, and it is said that if you spin it once, you will receive the merit of reading a volume of the Heart Sutra.

In addition, the Imperial Hall is home to the statue of Namikiri Fudo Myo-o, said to have been made a protective Buddha by Toyotomi Hideyoshi when he invaded Korea, and next to it is the statue of Ichigan Daishi, who will grant you one wish. There is a lot to see here! The highlight is the Henjokutsu Cave, where the principal images of the 88 temples of Shikoku are enshrined.

【Today's walking course】

Miyajimaguchi → Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Street (Oyster Shop Fujiiya Miyajima Main Branch) → Itsukushima Shrine → Daisho-in Temple

[Spots visited this time]

"Oyster shop" 539 Miyajimacho, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture
"Fujiiya Miyajima Main Store" 1129 Miyajimacho, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture
"Itsukushima Shrine" 1-1 Miyajimacho, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture
"Daisho-in" 210 Miyajimacho, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture