Miyajima: the shrine that stands in the sea

The day, in order

1. Morning

   The crossing

   The train runs west along the coast and the ferry crosses a strait short enough to see both shores the whole way. Stand at the back on the way out: the gate appears before the island does, and at high tide it seems to float.

   Read the city guide →
2. Late morning

   Itsukushima Shrine

   Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form in the twelfth century, and it was registered as a World Heritage site in 1996, the same year as the dome. The buildings stand on stilts over a shallow bay, so the visit changes with the water: at low tide you can walk out to the great gate, and at high tide the corridors are the only dry ground.

3. Lunch

   Conger eel rice

   Anago meshi is the island's standard lunch: grilled conger eel laid over rice in a lacquered box, served everywhere along the street. Oysters appear too, grilled at the stalls in season, and the cakes pressed in the shape of a maple leaf are what people carry home.

4. Afternoon

   Omotesando

   The shopping street runs about 350 metres from the pier to the shrine, and it is where the island eats: grilled oysters, eel rice, and the maple-leaf cakes. Walk it once on the way in and again on the way out, when the day-trippers thin.

5. Late afternoon

   Back by water Optional

   The World Heritage Route boat runs between the Motoyasu Bridge in the city and the island, about forty-five minutes on the water, and it saves you the train if you are staying near the park. Otherwise the ferry and the JR line return the way you came.

Make it lighter

The crossing, the shrine and the shopping street, with the boat back from the bridge pier left out. Enough for the tide, the gate and lunch.

The dome, the park and the castle that came back → Okonomiyaki, oysters and the middle of the city → Read the Hiroshima city guide →

If the weather changes

The shrine's corridors are covered and the street is short, so rain does not ruin the visit, but the crossing is suspended when the wind gets up. If that happens, move the day rather than the plan.

Check before leaving

Check the tide times for your date, because the gate stands in water at high tide and on wet sand at low, and check the last ferry back before you commit to a long lunch.