is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

, located in the northwest of

Hiroshima Bay is a bay in the Inland Sea, Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Hiroshima Wan" in . Administratively, the bay is divided between Hiroshima and Yamaguchi Prefectures. The bay's shore is a Ria. Its surface area is about 1,000 km², w ...

. It is popularly known as , which in Japanese means "Shrine Island". The island is one of

Hayashi Gahō , also known as Hayashi Shunsai, 林春斎, , was a Japanese Neo-Confucian philosopher and writer in the system of higher education maintained by the Tokugawa ''bakufu'' during the Edo period. He was a member of the Hayashi clan of Confucian ...

Three Views of Japan The is the canonical list of Japan's three most celebrated scenic sights, attributed to 1643 and scholar Hayashi Gahō. In 1915, modeled on the old Three Views of Japan, Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha (株式会社実業之日本社) held a national elec ...

specified in 1643. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in

Hiroshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama Prefecture to the ...

. The island was part of the former town of

Miyajima may refer to: Places * Miyajima, another name for the Japanese island Itsukushima * Miyajima, Hiroshima, a former town on this island, merged into Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima in 2005 * Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukus ...

before the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi. Itsukushima is famous for the

Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima), best known for its "floating" '' torii'' gate. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005)"''Itsukushima-jinja''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 407. It is in the city of Hat ...

, a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

.Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
UNESCO According to records, the shrine was established in the time of

Empress Suiko (554 – 15 April 628) was the 33rd monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 推古天皇 (33)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Suiko reigned from 593 until her death in 628. In the history of Japa ...

. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555,

Mōri Motonari was a prominent ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) in the western Chūgoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Mōri clan claimed descent from Ōe no Hiromoto (大江広元), an adviser to Minamoto no Yoritomo. Motonari ...

defeated

Sue Harukata was a samurai who served as a senior retainer of the Ōuchi clan in the Sengoku period in Japan. He was the second son of Sue Okifusa, a senior retainer of the Ōuchi clan. His childhood name was Goro, and previously had the name Takafusa (). ...

at the Battle of Miyajima.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine. Itsukushima has a number of temples, including Toyokuni Shrine with a five-storied pagoda, and Daiganji Temple - one of the three most famous

Benzaiten Benzaiten (''shinjitai'': 弁才天 or 弁財天; ''kyūjitai'': 辯才天, 辨才天, or 辨財天, lit. "goddess of eloquence"), also simply known as Benten (''shinjitai'': 弁天; ''kyūjitai'': 辯天 / 辨天), is a Japanese Buddhist god ...

temples of Japan.Daiganji Kikyozan Hokoin (Buddhist temple)
/ref> The island is also famous for its upper hill side cherry blossoms and maple leaf autumn foliage. The island of Itsukushima, including the waters around it (part of Seto Inland Sea), lies within

Setonaikai National Park is a Japanese national park, comprising areas of Japan's Seto Inland Sea, and of ten bordering prefectures. Designated a national park in 1934, it has since been expanded several times. It contains about 3,000 islands, known as the Setouchi ...

. This sea is affected by strong

tides Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables c ...

. At low tide, the bottom of the sea is exposed past the island's

torii A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred. The presence of a ''torii'' at the entrance is usually the simple ...

. At high tide, the sea covers all the previously exposed seabed mud and fills areas underneath the shrine boardwalk.

Location and geography

Itsukushima is mountainous and sparsely settled. It has an elementary school and a middle school. There are no traffic signals. It is rural and mountainous, only , and has a population of about 2000. There are no cities, only small towns with simple houses and privately owned shops. The islanders work hard to preserve the forests and respect

nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...

. Frequent ferry services, operated by

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and i ...

(

JR Miyajima ferry is the ferry route between Miyajimaguchi, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima and Miyajima (Itsukushima). JR Miyajima Ferries are operated by , a wholly owned subsidiary of West Japan Railway Company (JR West). There are three ferries called the ''Miyaji ...

) and by Miyajima Matsudai Tourist Ship, carry traffic between the island and the mainland at Miyajimaguchi. The trip takes about ten minutes. There is an hourly express passenger ferry to Hiroshima harbour. Miyajima's maple trees are renowned throughout Japan and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn. Momiji manjū, pastries filled with azuki jam or custard, are popular souvenirs and carry maple-leaf emblems. Many other varieties such as chocolate and cheese are available. Because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber.

Deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...

roam freely. Deer are thought of as sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods. They walk the streets of the city, not afraid of the tourists. Autumn colours on Miyajima Island Japan

The

shamoji A or rice paddle is a large flat spoon used in East Asian cuisine. It is used to stir and to serve rice, and to mix vinegar into the rice for sushi. ''Shamoji'' are traditionally made from bamboo, wood, or lacquer, and nowadays often fro ...

, a style of wooden paddle used to serve cooked rice without impairing the taste, is said to have been invented by a monk who lived on the island. The shamoji is a popular souvenir, and there are some outsized examples around the shopping district. The peak of Mount Misen, at 535 m, is the highest point on the island. Miyajima Ropeway carries visitors to within a 30-minute hike to the top. There are several sites related to the historic Buddhist priest and founder of

Shingon Buddhism Shingon monks at Mount Koya is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asia, originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra. Kn ...

, (774–835), including Daishō-in, near the top. The island contains the on its north coast. People often take the short ferry ride from mainland Japan to pray at Miyajima’s shrines and to marvel at the beauty of its forests. Shrines on the island include Senjokaku (Toyokuni Shrine), Five-storied Pagoda, Two-storied Pagoda, Kiyomori Shrine, and Omoto Shrine.

Shrines and temples

Note that in Japan, the term "shrine" implies a Shinto religious structure and "temple" implies a Buddhist one.

Itsukushima Shrine

Miyajima is famous for the

(厳島神社, ''Itsukushima-jinja'') which is a

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shint ...

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

. It is known for its "floating"

gate. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005)
"''Itsukushima-jinja''"
in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 407. The historic shrine complex is listed as a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

, as well as one of the National Treasures by the Japanese government.

Daiganji Temple

Next to the Itsukushima Shrine is Daiganji Temple, dedicated to Goddess

as well as three Buddhas important to Shingon Buddhism. Benzaiten Goddess in Japan has been traced to Goddess

Saraswati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a g ...

of Hinduism in India. She is the Goddess of eloquence, music, arts, wealth and knowledge. The three Buddha in the temple are Gautama Buddha, Wisdom Buddha and Mercy Buddha. Daiganji Temple is one of the three most famous Benzaiten Temples in Japan, along with Enoshima Benzaiten (

Kanagawa is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kanagaw ...

) and Chikubujima Benzaiten (

Shiga is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the northe ...

). The Benzaiten is opened to the public only once every year on June 17. On this day, Miyajima holds a big festival, and people of the region visit the temple to offer their prayers. The precise date for the first construction of Daiganji Benzaiten temple is unclear. It was reconstructed around 1200 AD in the Kamakura period. The construction date of Itsukushima-jinja and Daiganji temple is estimated to be 6th century or later, and the existence of Itsukushima-jinja is confirmed by early 9th century by ancient Japanese texts. The ''Nihon Shoki'' confirms the sacredness of these Miyajama structures during the Heian Period (794-1184).

Daishō-in Temple

Daishō-in is a historic Japanese temple on Mount Misen, the holy mountain on the island. It is the 14th temple in the

Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage The is one of a number of traditional Buddhist pilgrimage routes in Japan. The route includes 33 sites sacred to the boddhisattva Kannon, across the Chūgoku region (Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane and Tottori prefectures). The 33 Kanno ...

and famous for the maple trees and their autumn colors. It is also called "Suishō-ji". As the headquarters of the Omuro branch of Shingon Buddhism, it is the most important temple of Miyajima. The temple was the administrator of the Itsukushima shrine before

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

forbade (

Shinbutsu bunri The Japanese term indicates the separation of Shinto from Buddhism, introduced after the Meiji Restoration which separated Shinto ''kami'' from buddhas, and also Buddhist temples from Shinto shrines, which were originally amalgamated. It is ...

) syncretism (

Shinbutsu-shūgō ''Shinbutsu-shūgō'' (, "syncretism of kami and buddhas"), also called Shinbutsu shū (, "god buddha school") Shinbutsu-konkō (, "jumbling up" or "contamination of kami and buddhas"), is the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism that was Japan's o ...

) between

and Buddhism in 1868.

Senjokaku (Toyokuni Shrine)

Senjokaku (lit. "pavilion of 1000 mats") is the largest structure at Miyajima Island as the name implies.

started construction of Senjokaku as a Buddhist library in which the chanting of Senbu-kyo sutras could be held for fallen soldiers.Quiet charms of Miyajima island, Neena Mittal, The Straits Times, FEB 14, 2016
/ref> Hideyoshi died in 1598 and the building was never fully completed. Originally, Amitabha Buddha and two Buddhist saints,

Ānanda Ānanda (5th4th century BCE) was the primary attendant of the Buddha and one of his ten principal disciples. Among the Buddha's many disciples, Ānanda stood out for having the best memory. Most of the texts of the early Buddhist '' Sutta-Piṭ ...

and

Mahākāśyapa Mahākāśyapa ( pi, Mahākassapa) was one of the principal disciples of Gautama Buddha. He is regarded in Buddhism as an enlightened disciple, being foremost in ascetic practice. Mahākāśyapa assumed leadership of the monastic community fol ...

, were enshrined in the structure until the Meiji reformation. when the structure was converted into a Shinto shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Numerous votive picture tablets that had been hanging in the Itsukushima Shrine buildings until the Meiji era, have been hung on the walls inside the hall.

Five-storied Pagoda (Gojunoto)

The nearby Five-storied Pagoda constructed in 1407 (thus predating Senjokaku) enshrined Yakushi Nyorai Zazo, the Buddha of Medicine said to have been made by

Kobo Daishi Kobo may refer to: Places * Kobo (woreda), a district in Ethiopia ** Kobo, Ethiopia, a town * Kōbo Dam, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan * Mount Kōbō, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan People First name * Kōbō Abe (1924–1993), pseudonym of Japane ...

himself, accompanied by Fugen Bosatsu (Mercy Buddha) and Monju Bosatsu (Wisdom Buddha). The three images were moved to the Daiganji Temple during the Meiji reformation.

Gallery

File:Miyajima Japan 1913.jpg, Miyajima in 1913 File:MiyajimaKatsuyamajoMarker7451.jpg, Katsuyama Castle once stood on this site File:Goju-no-to Pagoda, Miyajima.jpg, Goju-no-to Pagoda from Senjō-kaku Temple File:Deer near the Tori gate.jpg, Deer near the torii gate File:A cherry blossom bloom near five-stories pagoda On Miyajima Island Japan.jpg, Cherry blossoms near Senjokaku Temple File:Itsukushima shrine 01.jpg, Itsukushima shrine taken from water with gate (tori) in foreground File:Sanki-gongen-dō.jpg, Sanki-gongen-dō temple near the summit of Mount Misen File:The Famous Scenes of the Sixty States 50 Aki.jpg, Hiroshige File:Brooklyn Museum - Itsukushima in Aki Province - Utagawa Hiroshige (Ando).jpg, Hiroshige File:Miyajima in de provincie Aki-Rijksmuseum RP-P-2008-214.jpeg,

Kunisada Utagawa Kunisada ( ja, 歌川国貞; 1786 – 12 January 1865), also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III (, ), was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist. He is considered the most popular, prolific and commercially successful designer of ukiyo-e woodbloc ...

File:Hiroshige II Aki Miyajima.jpg, Hiroshige II File:Lotus Daishoin Miyajima.jpg, Miniature Lotus flowers at Daisho-in Miyajima

References

External links

Guide
Miyajima town guide

Firewalking festival Miyajima
{{Authority control Tourist attractions in Hiroshima Prefecture Special Places of Scenic Beauty Islands of Hiroshima Prefecture Special Historic Sites Islands of the Seto Inland Sea Geiyo Islands Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima