Itsukushima Shrine Grand Torii Gate (O-torii)

The Grand Torii (O-torii) of Itsukushima Shrine is the red gate that stands in the sea off Miyajima, an island in Hiroshima Bay. It appears to float at high tide, and at low tide you can walk across the sand to its base. The gate belongs to Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there is no fee to see it.

The torii stands about 200 meters out from the shrine's main hall, marking the entrance to the sacred island for anyone arriving by sea.

How the floating torii works

The gate is about 16 meters tall and weighs around 60 tons. It is not buried in the seabed or bolted down. It stays upright under its own weight, helped by about 7 tons of stones packed into the top beam.

The two main pillars are cut from camphor trees more than 500 years old, a wood that resists rot and insects. Four smaller pillars brace them, a design used here since the gate was rebuilt in 1547. The whole gate is coated in vermilion lacquer and roofed with cypress bark.

When to see the torii floating or walk to it

Tide height decides what you see, and the Miyajima tide table lists the times for each day.

• Floating view: when the tide is above about 250 cm, the base of the torii and the shrine corridors stand in water.

• Walking to the base: when the tide falls below about 100 cm, the sand around the gate is exposed and you can walk right up to the pillars.

Low tide does not always fall below 100 cm, and high tide does not always pass 250 cm, so check the levels rather than the times alone. The two states are roughly six hours apart, so a day trip can usually cover both. The sand stays wet after the water goes out, so wear shoes you do not mind getting muddy.

Best places to view the Great Torii

• From inside the shrine: the Hirabutai platform in front of the main hall gives the straight-on view through the gate.

• From the shore: the beach at Nishi-no-matsubara, west of the shrine exit, shows the gate from the side.

• At night: the torii and the shrine are lit up after dark and can be seen from the shore.

• By boat: sightseeing boats from the island run out to the gate at high tide.

The shrine itself charges an entry fee and is covered on the TTJ page for Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima.

History of the Grand Torii

A torii has stood in the bay since 1168, when the warlord Taira no Kiyomori rebuilt Itsukushima Shrine, and he is said to have built the first gate in the sea. Exposure to salt water and storms means each gate wears out, and it has been replaced several times. The current torii was built in 1875 and was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1952.

From June 2019, the gate was wrapped in scaffolding for a major restoration of its pillars and lacquer. The work finished in December 2022, and the torii is fully visible again.

How to get to the Grand Torii

Take the JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi, about 30 minutes, then a 10-minute ferry to Miyajima. A 100 yen Miyajima Visitor Tax is collected with the ferry ticket. From the pier, the shore path leads to the torii viewpoint in front of the shrine. The TTJ guide on getting from Hiroshima to Miyajima compares the train, streetcar and direct boats.

For a guided walk, the group walking tour of Miyajima covers the torii and the shrine.

The gate is also on the route of a 15-day trip ending in Hiroshima that stops at Itsukushima Shrine.