Itsukushima Island, also known as Miyajima Island, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been sacred for over 1,500 years.
During the walk you will learn why there are no cemeteries on the island even today, taste the freshest seafood, buy local sweets in the shape of maple leaves and walk to the main gate-torii at low tide. There are also deer here, just like in Nara!
The Sacred Island of Itsukushima Tour
Tour time: 7:15-17:00 when leaving Kyoto or 9:00-18:00 when leaving Hiroshima.
Important! Average duration of the tour: 8 hours. Adjustments are possible taking into account the wishes of tourists and the location of the hotel.
A walking tour of о. Itsukushima.
- Shrine Itsukushima Jinja - one of the most revered, it adds a special beauty to the island's landscape. Its huge red gates, torii standing gracefully in the waters of the bay, are as much a symbol of the Land of the Rising Sun as Mount Fuji-san. Itsukushima Shrine, dedicated to the three sea goddesses, daughters of the Shinto god Susanoo, was founded in 593, at a time when Shintoism - the "Way of the Gods" - was Japan's main religion and Buddhism was just taking its first steps. The shrine building is famous for its thatched roofs and bright orange-colored exterior elements. Standing on stilts just above the water at high tide, it seems to float on the sea surface. It is an outstanding example of temple architecture from the Heian period (794 - 1185), aristocratic and refined.
- The famous gate-toriasThe camphor wood shrine, made of camphor wood, is sixteen meters high and 160 meters away from the temple. Since the sixteenth century, the sanctuary has been the site of a traditional Noh theater, which is used in the sacred performances of Jin-No (April 16-18).
- To the southwest of Itsukushima Shrine sits the present-day the treasury building, The museum houses about four thousand items, over one hundred of which have the status of Important Cultural Property or National Treasure of Japan. These are mainly medieval fans, katana swords, armor, masks, and a collection of famous scrolls with Buddhist sutras that once belonged to the local samurai clan Heike.
- To the south of Itsukushima Shrine is a pagoda TahotoBuilt in 1523, it offers a beautiful view of Itsukushima Shrine and the bay.
Important! At Itsukushima Jinja Shrine, you can request a private ceremony "boogaku" - A monk in special clothes will perform a sacred dance and with a chanting voice offer prayers to the gods for your health, happiness and well-being. Cost from $1350, duration of the ritual - 15-20 minutes.
- The most important temple on Miyajima Daiseyin. It is located on the slopes Misen Mountains. Its summit can be reached by cable car or on foot in about an hour and a half. There are several small temples on the summit, including a shrine built by the monk Kukai, founder of the most famous Buddhist school, Shingon.
We recommend staying at a ryokan Sekitei - This ryokan is located right on Miyajima Island and is considered one of the best in Japan!
