Itsukushima Jinja (Itsukushima Shrine)

It’s very beautiful in person. We walked along the shore and took photos. The tide was high and the water was a pretty blue. The crowds were too intense to go any further. I would suggest going on a weekday not a Sunday like I did. The crowds make it less enjoyable (but of course this is a huge tourist attraction so you’ll generally have them)

The island is definitely worth a visit. It is much bigger than I thought and although crowded with tourists, especially around the shrines, you can hike up the mountains and experience nature almost all by yourself. There are also many deer everywhere which are used to people and therefore let you come very close. The ferry service works perfectly and the transfer from the mainland only takes about 15 mins. I really enjoyed coming to Myajima island.

Miyajima Island - what a fantastic place. We went there with our private tour guide which we took for a whole day in Hiroshima. You can get from Hiroshima to Miyajima Island by train ( JR ) and a ferry from the Harbor or if you are in a hurry you can get also a taxi to the Harbor , a little bit more pricey but more convenient. The trip with the ferry is quite a short one , maybe 10 - 12 min. By the way we paid also for the ferry with our Suica Card. So it was very convenient. Once we arrived to the Island a lot of deers welcomed us. Very nice creatures and they are considered sacred and are protected and they’re believed to be messengers of the Shinto Gods. We saw the main sites on the Island and it took us almost a half a day. Itsukushima Shrine is a wonderful one and also Daisho-in worth definitely a visit. We went just under the iconic giant Torii to take some lovely pictures. By the way the giant Toriiin the sea on Miyajima Island is called Otorii of Itsukushima , and this is the famous floating Torii which is in the water when high tides are in. We visited in the morning and it was a low tide , so we could walk underneath ant to take pictures with it also from the other side. We highly recommend to go early in the morning , low tide and less crowded. The Torii’s legs are not buried in the sand and he’s standing there by his own huge weight. Bottom line Miyajima Island is a very nice place to visit , beautiful landscape , many small shops on the narrow streets , great street food & restaurants. A highly recommended place for a half day trip from Hiroshima. Just bring comfortable walking shoes and hit the road.

Really beautiful, impressive and huge. The red colour stands in an amazing contrast to the greenery of the mountain and the blue of the sea and the sky. If you go with a guide, she/he will also explain you the meaning of the statues at the entrance and inside the shrine (one has the mouth open and the other one the mouth closed, based on Sanskrit sound of the first and last letter, and meaning the beginning and the end), how to go through the tori gate (bow before passing through and leave the centre free for the deities to pass), how to pray and make a wish, etc, so it’s worth to hire a guide. Also, beautiful place for memorable photos ❤️

Absolutely beautiful. Not only does the torii glate "float", but this pavilion also seems to float! Come by for a history lesson and beautiful scenes. Very busy and a bit of a wait while you walk around, but it's a must-see.