The island is reached by ferryboat (10-12 min.) from the pier, which is a few min. walk from JR's Miyajima-guchi Station (about 30 min. by train from Hiroshima). Visits to Miyajima are also possible from downtown Hiroshima or from Nishi-Hiroshima Station of the Hiroden (Hiroshima Electric Railway Co.) or by car (30 min.) from Hiroshima.
To get into the spirit of a trip to Miyajima, one should grasp something of the hold this sacred shrine island has had for centuries on the imaginations of the people of the Inland Sea. From the misty beginnings of known Japanese history, the island itself was held sacrosanct by those living in the area because of its awe-inspiring beauty. Perhaps, also, those fishermen who sailed the sea strongly felt the need for supernatural assistance in combating the threatening forces of winds, waves, pirates, and the like. At any rate, this feeling about Miyajima eventually became more formalized, and priests led daily sorties by boat to make offerings on the island.
As worship became more personalized, a goddess was enshrined, Ichikishima-Hime-no-Mikoto, a Shinto god, and one of the three daughters of Susano-o-no-Mikoto, from whose name the old name for the island, Itsukushima was derived. With the presence of a goddess on the island, some sort of shrine was needed, and early records indicate the existence of such a structure, though not the present shrine, dating as far back as 811 AD. The buildings, which have been reconstructed several times, presently consist of the Main Shrine and several subsidiary shrines and buildings - all connected by wide corridors or galleries.
The Main Shrine consists of three parts - the holy of holies where the goddesses are enshrined, the inner part where only the priests enter, and the outer portion for public worship. The Main Shrine, Heiden (offering hall), Haiden (hall of worship), Haraiden (purification hall) and the corridors have been designated as "National Treasures".
Miyajima first took on a semblance of its modern appearance when the island figured in the ambitions of Taira-no-Kiyomori, one of Japan's strong men of the 12th Century. Kiyomori, coming from Western Japan, felt somewhat outclassed by the polished Kyoto nobility, even after his own rise to prominence. In order to curry favor with the goddess, he decided to build a fabulous shrine on Miyajima. It was Kiyomori who really put Miyajima on the map, and the shrine he built in about 1148 AD, the labor of ten years, is the same one standing today. The feeling of awe for Miyajima Island was so great that Kiyomori built the shrine on stilts over the water, in order to avoid offending the goddess. This unique construction gives the shrine an impressive floating effect at high tide. No one ventured to live on the island (even the priests commuted daily) until the middle of the Kamakura period in the 13th Century. Thus, even after Kiyomori built the impressive structure, the island's valuable real estate was utilized only by wild animals, birds, and of course, the three goddesses, Princesses TAGORI-HIME, Tagitsu-Hime and the aforementioned. The people who eventually inhabited the sacred island were under severe restrictions. Shinto being a religion of purity, anything considered unclean was prohibited. They were forbidden to till the ground, to give birth, to die, or to be buried on their island. Until about 100 years ago, Miyajima women went to Honshu to bear their children and remained there for from 50 to 100 days for purification prior to their return. This custom is still partially enforced in that even today there are no hospitals or cemeteries on the island.
A very special feature of Miyajima is Bugaku, sacred shrine music and dancing, which was introduced to the island by Kiyomori. This is one of the few places outside the Imperial Palace where Bugaku is presented in its authentic form. Bugaku originated in China (with perhaps some influence from India) and in Korea. This influence from two cultures is preserved in the existence of two shelters in which the flute and drum Bugaku "orchestra" performs, moving from one to the other, depending upon whether the dance is of Chinese or Korean origin. The dance, which apparently accompanied Buddhism to Japan, was used in religious ceremonies and on court occasions. While preserved in Japan, Bugaku has long since disappeared from its countries of origin.
Kiyomori knew of this art form and gave elaborate parties in his garden in Kyoto at which Bugaku was performed on a colorful boat floating on the garden pond. The famous musical festival of KANGENSAI, held annually at Miyajima on a midsummer night under a full moon, is still attended by fishing boats from all over the Inland Sea and features a shrine boat that carries Bugaku musicians from the sacred island to the mainland and back. The Kangensai Festival is actually a reproduction, on a grandiose scale, of Kiyomori's parties beside the pond in his garden in Kyoto.
Further points of interest near the shrine are worth mentioning. One is the dramatic famous Torii built on the seawall, which symbolizes the entrance to the shrine and is one of the largest and most beautiful in Japan. It is a well-known Miyajima trademark. The present Torii was completed in 1875 and is the twelfth to stand in that spot. Previous Torii were destroyed by fire or typhoons. For those statistically minded, it may be interesting to know that the two main pillars of the Torii are made of camphor tree trunks. At their base, these two pillars measure about 13 feet in diameter. The Torii is 52-1/2 feet high and the cross piece on top measure 75-1/2 feet. To convey some idea of the structure's weight, in 1951 the bottom 12 feet of wood used to repair just one of the two main pillars weighed 16 tons. In addition, the Torii's cross piece is constructed like an empty box and is filled with stones to increase its weight. The Torii base is not imbedded in the sand but merely rests on the sea floor by its own vast weight. It is designated an Important Cultural Property.
Another point of interest inside the shrine area itself is the Yasuyori-Doro, one of the oldest stone lanterns in Japan. It seems that Yasuyori was accused of treason and banished by Kiyomori to a deserted island near Kyushu. This hapless exile, lonely for his beloved mother, resorted to floating pieces of wood upon the ocean, each inscribed with a nostalgic poem to his mother. One of the poems floated into the shrine at Miyajima, where it was discovered by a priest who showed Yasuyori's seaborne poetry to Kiyomori. Filial devotion apparently won the day, and Kiyomori forthwith pardoned the exiled man. Yasuyori showed his gratitude by donating the stone lantern to the shrine. The lantern stands within the shrine enclosure near a large rock that is said to mark the spot where Yasuyori's lucky poem was found.
Senjokaku pavilion, or the Hall of One Thousand Mats, is the old building to the left of the shrine located on a hill. Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi erected this outstanding pavilion from the wood of a single camphor tree and dedicated it to the shrine in 1587.
The nearby five-story pagoda soars to a height of 27.6 m (92 ft). It is colored a fascinating vermilion red and is known to combine the beauty of Japanese and Chinese architectural styles. Records indicate that it was built around 1407 AD.
There is an aquarium along the seashore with many rare kinds of fish and other aquatic animals, which may also be enjoyed.
Admission fees are required for Itsukushima Shrine, the Treasur House, Senjokaku and the Aquarium.
You are strongly advised not to miss the peak of Mt. Misen. Mt. Misen (alt. 530 m or 1,739 ft) is densely covered with primeval forest and lies at the back of the Itsukushima Shrine. It can be ascended in 20 min by ropeway from the Momijidani (Maple Valley) Park at its foot. At the summit, in spring and autumn especially, the view of the Inland Sea with its innumerable islets is incredibly beautiful. On a misty day, however, the view is disappointing.
In autumn, viewing the red maple leaves in the Maple Valley is popular, but be prepared for crowds both at that time and in spring when the cherry blossoms are out. |
