A Night on Miyajima

Earlier this year my father visited Japan and during his trip he spent one night on Miyajima in Hiroshima. He told me it was a really great experience. Miyajima gets a huge number of tourists every day, but most of these people leave by night leaving the island a very peaceful place when the sun goes down. I had been there a few times before, yet I had never stayed the night. So, recently I decided to experience it myself.

I went there during the NEO break with my partner. During the day we spent time in Hiroshima city and did not arrive on the island until about six in the evening. By that time, there were already few people on the island. We checked in into the hotel and then decided to enjoy the island at night. Of course, we first went to see the tori gate. It is lit up at night and gives a very different image than in the day. After checking out the gate and taking some pictures, we needed to find something to eat. There are not many restaurants on the island and most of them close early. We managed to find one place still open which served eel (anago) rice bowls. It was a little expensive (around 3000yen), but it tasted great. That night we also booked a night cruise. We got on the boat, and they took us over to the tori gate and explained to us about its history and design. They also moved the boat around the gate at different angles so we could take photos of different views. It was a unique way to experience the famous sight.

The next day we spent on the island doing many different activities. When we left the hotel in the morning there were already plenty of people on the island. We immediately went to Itsukushima shrine. When we reached the inner shrine, we noticed a lot of people were gathered around the main praying area. Then we noticed there was a wedding ceremony going on directly behind the prayer spot. It was fascinating to see such a traditional ceremony be held right in front of our eyes, and with so many spectators too.

After visiting the shrine, we went to Miyajima aquarium. It is not the biggest aquarium but there is enough to see there. It was also not so busy. A lot of the tourists do not seem to go there, especially the ones from abroad. One of the things we ended up enjoying the most there was simply watching some of the staff practice for the seal shows. They were doing it in the regular show area and did not mind visitors watching them. The seals were so smart and well trained that it was entertaining to see the animals even help teach the young staff.

Next, we went over to Daisho-in Temple. The temple has many parts to it, and it is difficult to explain all of it in words. The place that really stuck with me was a cave, which inside had 88 icons representing the Shikoku pilgrimage.  We spent well over an hour there and there was so much to see and do. Another thing that stood out at the temple were the jizo statues. There were so many all around the temple grounds, of different shapes, sizes, materials and designs.

The last part of our time on the island was focused on the mountain. We took the ropeway (aerial lifts) up to a high point. From there we had to do a bit of a hike up to the summit. We were late to go up and had limited time to make sure we could catch the last lift back down. We managed to have just enough time to get up there, enjoy the view, and make it back in time. I am glad we went up, as the view was quite amazing.

By the time we got back to the main area of the island, it was dark. We had almost been on the island for 24 hours, but we had been able to enjoy many different things there. We managed to pick some things to eat and take home as souvenirs and then began our journey home. Most people have never experienced spending the night on Miyajima; however, it is a fun and relaxing way to enjoy one of Japan’s most famous spots.