So Miyajimi Island is probably the most beautiful place I have been to... as of now. It has a lot of traditional Japanese culture that it has kept despite the fact that it is a constantly sought out tourist destination. There are lots of hidden places on the island that deserve to be checked out. While you could spend all day just near the port of the island, there is lots on the little island of Miyajima. So here is what you should check out when you travel to Miyajima. Also I will include a few things you should expect when you travel to Miyajima.
1) Deer:
So from the moment you step out of the ferry terminal you will most likely see deer. Yes, they are cute. Yes, I know you are going to want to pet them. However, just so you know, they WILL EAT ANYTHING you are carrying. If you are carrying food they will most def go after that, but I have seen them eat things like maps or even napkins. So be weary! They are cute, but will eat ANYTHING you have on you. (See pics below) ^_^
Here are some pictures I took of just a few Miyajima deer in their "natural" Miyajima habitat...
See... they look so cute.
BUT... they try to get into restaurants.
AND... they try to eat your food!
AND... They try to eat your children! (Just kidding, but kinda believable because of the picture, right? ^_^)
Lastly, the infamous paper that apparently tastes really good to them.
2) Various Activities:
So there are lots of fun things to do on the island that aren't super advertised if you don't do your "travel researchy stuff" before you go. So be sure to check out their website for all the activities that are available. So here you go... (Of course some of these must be scheduled).
- Fun activities to do on Miyajima Island:
- It costs money to get in, about 1400円 (roughly about $16) for adults... The prices vary depending on age.
- It is not a super huge aquarium. So don't expect to spend the whole day there.
- If you want to know more, the embedded link called "Miyajima Auqarium" below can tell you all about it:
Miyajima Aquarium
2) Learn about the making of rice scoops or as the Japanese call it, shakushi. (Must schedule before hand)
- It costs about 300円 (roughly about $4) to learn how to make your own Shakushi.
- Also Miyajima has the world's largest shakushi. Be sure to check it out!
- If you want to know more click the embedded link titled "Shakushi Info" below:
Shakushi Info
*** 3) Make Momiji Manju in Miyajima 紅葉饅頭 (Must schedule before hand)
- It costs about 300円 (roughly about $4) to participate, which isn't much considering you get to keep the ones you make and they give you a souvenir that includes more Momiji manju.
- Now there are various places to make Momiji manju so you must do a little research before choosing because some are more expensive.
-Momiji manju is a small maple leaf-shaped cake that contain various fillings. The most famous being mashed sweet bean paste. If you have never tried it... You must! Momiji manju is really famous in Japan, especially in Hiroshima, and anyone who visits Hiroshima should try it. Now the sweet bean paste can have different consistencies. My personal favorite one is the Koshian (smooth anko) which means the sweet bean paste is mashed to a really smooth consistency.
- There is lots of information about them on the web, but here is a short and to the point article talking more about momiji manju and its' history. So if you want to know more just click the embedded link below called "Blog About Momiji Manju":
Blog About Momiji Manju
(This is what the standard Momiji Manju looks like)
3) Ankoagemomiji: 餡子揚げ紅葉
Now since I didn't talk about Momiji enough here are more things you should know about Momiji on Miyajima Island. So the only place in the world you can get Agemomiji 揚げ紅葉 is on Miyajima. What is Agemomiji exactly? Well, besides being one of the most delicious things I have ever put in my mouth!. Just kidding... but no, really... it is seriously so delicious you can't even imagine! Okay, Agemomiji is fried momiji manju. It comes in only 3 flavors, which include: anko (sweet bean paste), cream, and cheese. Every single one of them is delicious, but my favorite is of course the Ankoagemomiji 餡子揚げ紅葉. If you ever go to Miyajima you must try this. You can find it is various shops on the island, but mainly they are located on the big/narrow strip of souvenir shops and restaurants. I believe they cost about 200円 (roughly about $3).
4) Rope-way:
Now the rope-way is an optional, but a very scenic route to take to the top of the Mountain. It is a good chance to take lots of pictures of the trees and the view is awesome. At the very tippidy top there is also a castle. I did not get a chance to make it to the castle because it is a bit of a walk from where you exit the rope-way and the wind was horrible the day I went. So hopefully I can make another trip there soon to see the castle.
-The rope way costs about 1600円 (roughly about $18) for both ways.
- One way costs about 1000円 (roughly about $12) for one way.
- If you don't want to pay at all there are trails you can follow to the top.
- Also there are multiple trails with varying degrees of difficulty.
Here are some pictures I took while riding the rope-way:
5) Itsukushima Shrine: 厳島神社
Now I feel like I shouldn't have to say much about Itsukushima Shrine 厳島神社. It is one of the most famous shrines in all of Japan. It is beautiful and an absolute must see if you travel to Miyajima. It does have an admission fee, but it is well worth the money. It costs about 300円 (roughly about $4) to enter. If you are a foreign student and have the "HIC" card then it is free! Whoop whoop for being an exchange student! Upon entering the shrine you will get to take part in the traditional purification process, where you use the wooden ladle and cleanse your hands and mouth.
Here are a few pictures I took while at the Itsukushima Shrine 厳島神社:
6) Torii gate:
Now one of the most famous Torii gates in all of Japan is the one on Miyajima. This is the torii gate you see in many pictures. It is the one that looks like it is floating on the water during high tide. You can see this as you make your way towards Itsukushima Shrine 厳島神社.
Here are a few pictures I took of the torii gate. The pictures are from different trips so they may look slightly different.
Here is a picture of me in front of the shrine. Not the best lighting for me, but the color of the water and the shrine looks cool. Also the boat full of people is a nice touch.
Far off shot of the torii gate. I took it while I was riding the ferry. This is a good picture because you can see just how big the torii gate actually is...
8) Traditional Japanese Style Wedding:
Now when I went to Miyajima the first time there was a traditional Japanese-style wedding that was taking place that day. I have heard from many people that during the months that there is good weather many times there will be a wedding that takes place. So hopefully you will be as lucky as I was when I went.
Here are some pictures I managed to get of the wedding:
The picture above I thought was really funny. All of her friends were standing off to the side and I managed to snap the picture right when she stuck out her tongue. Haha perfect.
7) Daishou-In: 大聖院
(Buddhist Temple)
This has to be one of my most favorite spots on all of Miyajima Island. Now I only went here during my mid-November trip. So I didn't get a chance to see it earlier on. However during the fall this is one of the most beautiful spots in all of Japan, I swear! It looks deceivingly plain from the outside, but once you enter and you start to walk up the long staircase to the top it is amazing. I can't stress enough how much I loved it there. It is located near the exit of the Itsukushima Shrine, so it is not hard to find. There is no admission fee.
Lastly, here are some beautiful shots I managed to capture while visiting Daishou-In 大聖院...
For more information about "touristy things" on Miyajima or just simply the history, visit the website called "japan-guide". That site is always good to use when researching tourist information about Japan. They can also hook you up with Japanese pen pals and other fun stuff. Or you can just click the embedded link below titled "More About Miyajima" to find out about additional goodies on Miyajima.
More About Miyajima
I hope that all of this information was helpful! All of the suggestions in this blog post are my own personal opinions. So please take this information with a grain of salt. It may not be super consistent with others' opinions on the internet, but I have been there a few times now and this is just simply what I recommend. Hope you enjoy!
And with that, I'm out.
--Butterzz--
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