Buddhist statues on Miyajima island / Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi city, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

Buddhist statues on Miyajima island / Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi city, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly called Miyajima – Japanese for "shrine island". Itsukushima Shrine’s vermilion grand torii (Shinto gate) is a charismatic superstar of Japan. Itsukushima Shrine's main buildings are built over tidewater, as is the Shrine’s iconic torii – a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, marking the boundary between the everyday and the sacred. Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan itself. It remains Japan's major religion alongside Buddhism, introduced in the 500s AD. Starting from Momijidani Park, three steep hiking trails and a ropeway (cable car) ascend Mount Misen. After riding up the ropeway, further effort on foot is required to reach the top of Mt. Misen (walking steeply up and down 600 vertical feet in 1.5 miles round trip). Several Buddhist structures can be explored. From atop Mt. Misen, impressive 360-degree views cover the Seto Inland Sea and and Hiroshima City. At 1755 feet above sea level, Miyajima’s highest peak has been long revered by Buddhists and hikers. Unlike at Nara, feeding the island's sika deer isn't allowed. Resident monkeys formerly caused problems and most were recently moved off the island to a monkey park in Inuyama, north of Nagoya.

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Contained in galleries: 2024 Oct: JAPAN all, Miyajima island: Itsukushima torii

Buddhist statues on Miyajima island / Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi city, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly called Miyajima – Japanese for "shrine island". Itsukushima Shrine’s vermilion grand torii (Shinto gate) is a charismatic superstar of Japan. Itsukushima Shrine's main buildings are built over tidewater, as is the Shrine’s iconic torii – a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, marking the boundary between the everyday and the sacred. Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan itself. It remains Japan's major religion alongside Buddhism, introduced in the 500s AD. Starting from Momijidani Park, three steep hiking trails and a ropeway (cable car) ascend Mount Misen. After riding up the ropeway, further effort on foot is required to reach the top of Mt. Misen (walking steeply up and down 600 vertical feet in 1.5 miles round trip). Several Buddhist structures can be explored. From atop Mt. Misen, impressive 360-degree views cover the Seto Inland Sea and and Hiroshima City. At 1755 feet above sea level, Miyajima’s highest peak has been long revered by Buddhists and hikers. Unlike at Nara, feeding the island's sika deer isn't allowed. Resident monkeys formerly caused problems and most were recently moved off the island to a monkey park in Inuyama, north of Nagoya.