Japan, Okayama to Iwakuni Trip, August 2010 – Day 4: Miyajima and Mt Misen

Another great night’s sleep and we were off to a place I had been to in the past, but definitely one that I had been wanting to go back to – Miyajima Island. Miyajima Island is one of the most famous islands in Japan and is most famous for its giant red tori gate that was built in the water, and Itsukushimi Shrine which is also known as the 1000 tatami mat shrine and its delectable custard sweets. The shrine itself doesn’t actually have 1000 tatami mats, in Japan the unit of measurement for houses is the tatami and for more information it would be best to consult your trust friend Google. As a tourist your best way to see this area is to pick up a 2 day Hiroshima pass, which you can get at most tourist shops, ferry terminals, trian stations etcetera. This pass costs 2000 yen for 2 days and allows you unlimited, ropeway, ferry (to and from Miyajima) and tram’s throughout this area. It is great value for money and if you plan to do some sightseeing in these areas you will definitely get your money’s worth after only a day or so. It takes approximately 1 hour to get to Miyajima Gucci (Miyajima Tram stop) via the tram from Hiroshima and once your there you then proceed to board a ferry over to Miyajima Island. If you have a JR rail pass there is a JR ferry that will take you there all inclusive within your pass. Otherwise the 2 day pass uses a different ferry to get you there. The JR Ferry is the only ferry that takes a wide angle when it comes into Miyajima port which gives great photo opportunities of the tori gate from the sea. The ferry under the 2000 yen pass uses a shorter and more direct route. It takes about 10 minutes to get to the island and after you take a few photos of the tori gate you will be disembarking before you know it.

As I had mentioned before this was not my first trip to Miyajima Island, I had previously visited the island back in 2009 when I came to Japan the first time. Miyajima is definitely a place I had wanted to come back to as I didn’t get to do everything the first time I was here. Thus I came the 2nd time with no real intention of revisiting the typical tourist sites such as the shrine or other souvenir areas. My main intention this time was to head up Mt Misen to take a look at an eternal burning flame at Reikado Shrine. To get to Mt Misen you first need to walk through all the souvenir shops while following the signs to Mt Misen. You then proceed to take a free shuttle bus up to the first of two ropeway terminals. Before heading up to terminal head towards the park area which is in the opposite direction to get yourself a picture of a famous red bridge (similar to the bridges in Nikko near Tokyo). When your done walk up the demanding staircase to the first two ropeways that will get you to the top. Both ropeways are different, the first ropeway takes approximately 20 minutes to get the entrance of the second ropeway. The first ropeway is a 4-6 person small carriage style while the second ropeway comfortable fits about 30 people or so. Its about a 30 second walk to get to the terminal of the second ropeway. It is important to keep in mind that the last ropeway down the mountain is about 5:30 PM in summer and changes depending on the season. On the first ropeway you are met with amazing views of some very tall trees, and some impressive views of Miyajima island, but the view from the second ropeway is even more amazing. The second ropeway provides you views of the ocean, the mountain and Miyajima all in one, definitely worth getting your camera out for.  I definitely suggest coming here in either Spring or Autumn, so you can see the amazing colours of the flora, but at the same time it is no where near as hot or humid (of which we were hiking in, which literally made our shirts drenched in sweat). Mt Misen is famous for two main attractions (and for the fact that it has one of Japans only primeval forests, but in particular Reikado hall of which has a flame that has been buring non stop for 1200 years and Shishiiwa Observatory viewpoint which provides the tourist with amazing views of all the Setoudu Islands. 

Upon reaching the top of the second ferry terminal there is an air-conditioned resting area where you can stock up on cold beverages before starting your hike around the mountain. Our first stop was Shishiiwa Observatory viewpoint which is literally only a 2 minutes walk outside of the 2nd ropeway terminal. The view from here was stunning, and lucky for us it was quite a clear day and we could see kilometers upon kilometers of islands from here. As you continue along there is a forked path at the Misen Primeval Forest Section, using this path you can actually walk all the way down the mountain rather than using the ropeways of which you will end up in Momijidani Park (where the red bridge is located), keep this in mind if you miss the last ropeway down the mountain. After a very strenuous walk, you reach Reikado hall, which is a small shrine that pretty much is just covered in smoke because of its burning flame. Finally as you continue further up the mountain you are met with very large natural rock formations and an absolutely stunning 360 degree view of the islands around you including the bottom of Miyajima. When we were finished there is a second path that leads down which connects back up at the Reikado shrine. At this point we were exhausted and just wanted to get back to an air-conditioned room. The humidity had hit us hard and we were soaked with sweat as we continued the pace back towards the ropeway so that we could make it in time for the last departure.  

Before we knew it we were back in the main area of Miyajima where I picked up a few scroll paintings from the souvenir shops (the shops near the Mt Misen shuttle bus terminal are actually painted and not photocopies, a bit more pricey but definitely worth it) before heading back on the ferry and making our way home. It took a good 1 hour and 30 minutes to make it back to the port to get on a ferry to the island that we were staying. But overall it was a pretty good day. The next day we would be making our way back home using our Seishun 18 tickets whilst stopping in Onomichi and Kurashiki before eventually disembarking back in our base at Osaka. 

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