Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima is famous as one of the three top scenic places in Japan, alongside Matsushima Bay and Amanohashidate sand bar. Located on the beautiful Miyajima Island in Hiroshima city, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Japan. This ancient temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while several buildings are National Treasures of Japan. The most attractive feature of this temple is the dramatic torii gate that is visible as floating on the ocean. Without a doubt, this temple is an absolutely gorgeous place to visit in Japan.
We could visit this remarkable temple during our trip to Hiroshima. We covered Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima Island within one day. Visiting this lovely temple remains a golden memory in our hearts. We could enjoy the beauty and spiritual power of this ancient shrine and nearby sacred Mount Misen. According to our feeling, Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima is the best sightseeing spot we visited in the whole of Japan. If you are planning a trip to Japan, remember to add this wonderful place to your itinerary.
Here we are going to give you a complete guide to visit Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima. We are sharing the beautiful pictures captured in our lens and the best tips to make your journey to Itsukushima Shrine more comfortable.
Access to Itsukushima Shrine
From Hiroshima Station, take the Tram Line to Miyajimaguchi Station. The tram line also passes by the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. Then, take the ferry from Miyajimaguchi to Miyajima Pier. Ferries depart from the Miyajimaguchi ferry terminal every 15 minutes during the day. Itsukushima Shrine is 10 minutes short walk from Miyajima pier.
Floating Torii Gate
The most celebrated feature of the Itsukushima shrine is its 50 feet tall vermilion torii gate. It makes Itsukushima Shrine most recognizable among all other temples. Built by decay-resistant camphor wood, this gate has survived for centuries.
It has an extraordinary shape than other Torii gates. There is an additional leg in front of and behind each main pillar of the gate. It makes the Torii gate in Itsukushima Shrine a unique one among all other Torii gates in Japan.
At the high tide, it looks like it is floating on the sea. This is the perfect time for photography, as it is the most picturesque view. At low tide, the water drains out of the bay. Then the Torii gate is approachable by foot and you can see this mighty gate from up close.
The day we visited Itsukushima Shrine had high tide, so we couldn’t get closer to the gate. Nevertheless, we captured many gorgeous shots with the background of the magnificent floating Torii gate.
This gate becomes quite photogenic during the sunset, bathing in golden rays of sunlight. At night, powerful lights on the shore illuminate the torii gate. Therefore, you can get spectacular shots of the gate, if you visit this temple in the evening.
Temple Complex
Itsukushima is a large, red-lacquered building complex. The shrine complex consists of two main buildings and 18 other different buildings and structures. These multiple buildings are connected by boardwalks and supported by pillars above the sea. Therefore, the whole temple complex appears to float on the water, creating miraculous scenery.
We couldn’t see this kind of astonishing feature in any other temple in Japan. Since this is a rare sight not easily found anywhere else on Earth, visitors come from all over the world to view this temple.
The halls inside the shrine are elegantly arranged with all structures painted in vermillion color. There was an elegant arch bridge joining nearby buildings and they were decorated with traditional lamps.
The buildings of the temple complex are connected by huge corridors. The corridors are 4 meters wide and extend for a total length of about 275 meters.
This shrine is quite popular as a wedding venue in Japan. There was a wedding ceremony on the day we visited. Although we were uninvited guests, we enjoyed the ceremony a lot and captured a lovely picture of the function.
The seafront promenade of the shrine is particularly attractive, where you can walk out on the expanding beach. There were some lovely statues of goddesses along the way and we captured some beautiful shots with our lens.
Five-story Pagoda
The tall vermilion pagoda on the hill high above Itsukushima Shrine is called Goju-no-to. It was built in 1407 and its current glossy lacquer was applied in 1945.
This Five-Story Pagoda soaring high into the sky in Itsukushima Shrine is a stunning masterpiece. Since it locates atop a hill, it is absolutely beautiful from even far distance.
We have seen many temples in Kyoto with five-story pagodas, but they were mostly dark brown in color. Contrary to that, the pagoda in Itsukushima Shrine is brightly colored and distinctively visible. From all angles, this remarkable Five-storied pagoda was shimmering with its eternal glory.
Towering over the temple complex, you’ll find this pagoda is a mesmerizing sight to behold. Above all, this wonderful piece of architecture stands out among the Itsukushima Shrine complex as a tall imposing figure.
Wild Deer in Miyajima
One of the sweetest memories in Miyajima was watching the herds of deer roaming freely on the island. It was an interesting sight to witness that they were resting by the streets and parks.
But they are wild animals, hence you aren’t allowed to feed them. Since there are enough green grass and shrubs on the island, they don’t request food from visitors like deer in Nara Park.
These deer are usually shy, but they tolerate a little bit of petting. There was a handsome deer relaxing near the street and we could touch him. He watched our camera and waited peacefully until we take photographs.
We could see another baby deer cub wandering through the streets looking for his mom. He looked a little bit stressed alone, but we guess he found his mom soon after.
Best time to visit Itsukushima Shrine
We visited the Itsukushima Shrine during the summer. That time, the weather was quite warm and humid with temperatures around 30-35°c. We could see many visitors cooling off their heat by the water canals. We guess spring and autumn might be ideal to visit Itsukushima Shrine with mild weather.
The evening is the best time to observe the beauty of the majestic Torii gate. With the sunset in the evening, the surrounding becomes extremely quiet and peaceful. Visitors start to leave the island, while the sunshine is diminishing. This is the time the temple gets more picturesque, painted with the golden hue of the sunlight.
The Torii gate looks stunning after lighting up in the evening. Therefore, you should wait there until illumination starts. The gate is lit up until 11 pm at night.
To sum up, Itsukushima Shrine is one of Japan’s most iconic sights, completely worthy to include on your bucket list. The contrast of the blue sea, the green hills, and the glowing red shrine offer a stunning sight to the visitors. You’ll definitely get enchanted by this unique temple complex of suspended buildings above the ocean. Rather than these images, the Torii gate is even more captivating in real life. Hope you all will visit Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima someday and enjoy the breathtaking scenery.
This post is based on our experiences in Itsukushima Shrine, several years before. Reportedly, the floating torii gate is currently under renovation. The gate is all covered in scaffolding from June 2019 and the completion date has been set to December 2022. But you can visit all the other buildings in the temple complex.
