Chugoku, Japan · Remote island
Home to the floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, one of Japan's most iconic sights.
Ferry — Short ferry from Hiroshima
The red torii gate that appears to float on the sea at high tide.
After six in the evening the island empties and the lit shrine is almost yours alone. It is the main reason to sleep on Miyajima rather than come as a day trip.
Sleeping among the valley's maples, with a kaiseki dinner of Inland Sea seafood and the empty island on the other side of the paper screen. In November, book far in advance.
One of Japan's three great water festivals: boats carrying gagaku court music cross the bay by night from the shrine. It follows the lunar calendar, the 17th day of the sixth month, so the date shifts each year between July and August.
The signature dish of the area: grilled conger eel with sauce over rice cooked in its stock. Be careful with the guidebooks, because the most famous house is in Miyajimaguchi, on the mainland, not on the island.
Several historic confectioners on the island open up their griddles so you can fill and toast your own maple-leaf-shaped cakes and eat them hot.
On 31 December the locals drag huge burning torches along the beach in front of the torii to ask for protection against fire. After the Reikado fire in May 2026 it carries a particular weight.
The JR ferry diverts its route to pass close to the great torii on the outward crossing. Ten minutes that are worth it on their own. Since October 2023 the 100 yen visitor tax has to be paid separately, and the JR Pass does not cover it.
The 857-tatami hall that Hideyoshi left unfinished in 1587, with sea views between its bare beams, next to the 27-metre pagoda of 1407. Admission 100 yen to the Senjokaku.
Oysters from the bay are grilled in front of the customer at several stalls along Omotesando. In the cold season they are enormous and are eaten standing up with lemon.
Miyajima has only three lodgings with their own bath, of heated seawater or shioyu. Some allow day bathing, but it has to be confirmed by phone.
A dimly lit gallery beneath Daisho-in holding sand from the 88 temples of Shikoku and hundreds of hanging lanterns; walking through it is symbolically equivalent to the whole pilgrimage.
The yamabushi cross a bed of embers barefoot on 15 April and 15 November; afterwards the public can cross free of charge. It is among the most intense things that happen on the island.
On one weekend in February, grills and pots of oyster soup are set up beside the pier at token prices. It is the best excuse to visit the island in low season.
From 16 to 18 April, the court dances that tradition attributes to Taira no Kiyomori are performed on the shrine's raised stage, with a different programme each day.
The pilgrimage boat passes through the torii once it is lit, with the shrine reflected in the black water. It depends on the tide, so it is best to book on the day according to the tide tables.
A boat moved by oar alone passes under the great torii in 20 or 30 minutes, with no engine and only at high tide. Adults 1,500 yen, children 500.
Paddling out into the bay and approaching the torii from the water, which is how the shrine was originally reached. There are routes from an hour and a half to three and a half, and even a full circuit of the island.
The pine grove and beach north of the shrine before the first loaded ferry arrives: low tide, sleeping deer and the torii with not a single person in front of it.
Dozens of men in loincloths compete in the water for a wooden ball hung in front of the shrine. The date depends on the tide, normally a weekend in late August. It is a religious rite: photograph it from the shore, without going into the water.
The street parallel to Omotesando where the craftsmen lived: wooden houses converted into cafes, galleries and design shops, without the crowds of the main street.
Miyajima invented the shamoji two centuries ago and workshops in the village teach you to sand, wood-burn or personalise your own. It makes a considerably better souvenir than the shop version.
A ropeway and trail to the summit, with views over the Seto Inland Sea.
The temple offers shakyo sessions, copying sutras with a brush, and meditation practice in its halls. It is worth confirming availability by phone in advance.
The island's only brewery, seven minutes from the pier, with its own beer on tap and a terrace. Note that it closes around five in the afternoon.
Right at the shrine exit, it guards one of the three great Benzaiten of Japan and was the temple that managed Itsukushima for centuries. It takes five minutes to visit and almost nobody goes in.
A Buddhist temple on the slopes of Mount Misen, home to hundreds of Buddha statues.
A spring festival with a historical parade honoring Taira no Kiyomori, the founder of Itsukushima Shrine.
Throughout March, private houses and shops display their inherited sets of hina dolls, some from the Edo period. You follow it with a map handed out at the tourist office.
Housed in the mansion of the Egami family, soy merchants of the Edo period, with around 1,000 objects from daily life on the island and an inner garden.
Exhibition and workshops of the island's turned and carved woodwork, with craftsmen working in view and direct sales.
A valley of maple trees beside Mount Misen, famous for its autumn colours and as the starting point of the ropeway.
The island's main street, lined with craft shops and stalls selling momiji manju and grilled oysters.
South of the village, a park of maples and giant camphor trees that is almost always empty, with Omoto Shrine and the start of the least-used route up Misen.
A two-storey pagoda from 1523 on a slope above the village, with the best high-angle view of the torii and the shrine roof. In April it is wrapped in cherry blossom.
Deer that roam freely by the shrine, regarded as divine messengers.
An aquarium focused on the marine life of the Seto Inland Sea, featuring otters and ringed seals.
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