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MISEN

The ascent of Misen (530m) is the island’s finest walk. You can avoid most of the uphill part of the climb by taking the two-stage ropeway (one way/return ¥1000/1800), which leaves you with a 20-minute walk to the top. There are monkeys and deer around the cable-car station, and some fantastic views – on clear days you can see across to the mountain ranges of Shikoku. Close to the summit is a temple where Kōbō Daishi meditated for 100 days following his return from China in the 9th century. Next to the main temple hall close to the summit is a flame that’s been burning continually since Kōbō Daishi lit it 1200 years ago. From the temple, a path leads down the hillside to Daishō-in and Itsukushima-jinja. The descent takes a little over an hour. A four-hour hike of Misen is detailed in Lonely Planet’s Hiking in Japan.

OTHER SIGHTS

The Miyajima aquarium (www.sunameri.jp/eng/index.html) is closed for renovations, and is due to reopen in August 2011.

Festivals & Events

Festivals include fire-walking rites by the island’s monks on 15 April and 15 November, and the Kangensai Boat Festival in summer (held on the 17th of the sixth lunar-calendar month).

Sleeping & Eating

It’s well worth staying on the island, if you can afford it – you’ll be able to enjoy the evening quiet after the day-trippers have left. There are plenty of restaurants on Miyajima, though most of them shut down after the crowds go home.

Backpackers Miyajima (56-3650; www.backpackers-miyajima.com/index_e.html; dm ¥2500-3000; ) Opened in November 2008, this friendly budget hostel is a short walk from the mainland ferry terminal in Miyajima-guchi. Internet costs ¥100 for 20 minutes.

Guest House Kikugawa (44-0039; fax 44-2773; www.kikugawa.ne.jp; 796 Miyajima-chō; s/tw from ¥6615/11,550; ) This charming inn is comfortable and tastefully decorated, with attractive wooden interiors. There are six Western-style rooms and two slightly larger Japanese-style rooms. Meals are available. Look for the white building with the red noren. It’s across the road from the small Zonkō-ji () temple.

Kinsuikan (44-2131; www.kinsuikan.jp; 1133 Miyajima-chō; s/d from ¥8500/12,000; ) A large ryokan-style hotel between the ferry terminal and the main shrine, with a wide range of accommodation options available (including a few Western-style rooms), local seafood, onsen baths and good views out across the Inland Sea.

Iwasō Ryokan (44-2233; www.iwaso.com; Momijidani Miyajima-chō; per person with 2 meals from ¥19,950; ) The Iwasō, open since 1854, offers the grand ryokan experience in exquisite gardens, a few minutes’ walk from the throng. It’s worth the splurge, especially in autumn when Momiji-dani (Maple Valley) explodes with colour. There’s a relaxing onsen in the main building.

Yakigaki-no-hayashi (44-0335; 505-1 Miyajima-chō; dishes ¥700-1400; 10.30am-4.30pm) The oysters in the tank and on the barbecue outside are what everyone is eating here. A plate of nama-gaki (raw oysters) is ¥1300. There’s a plastic food display outside, and an English menu.

Kaki-ya (44-2747; 539 Miyajima-chō; plate of 4 oysters ¥1000; 11am-6pm) A sophisticated oyster bar in a converted building on the main street. It serves delicious local oysters freshly grilled on the barbecue by the entrance, along with beers and wines by the glass. There is an English menu.

Mame-tanuki (44-2131; 1113 Miyajima-chō; lunch & 5-11pm) This friendly izakaya on the main shopping street is one of the few places that stays open late. There are several set meals to choose from, including anago meshi (steamed conger eel with rice; ¥1575). There is an English menu.

Getting There & Away

The mainland ferry terminal for Miyajima is a short walk from Miyajima-guchi station on the JR San-yō line, halfway between Hiroshima and Iwakuni. Miyajima trams from Hiroshima terminate at the Hiroden–Miyajima-guchi stop by the ferry terminal. Trams from Hiroshima (¥270, 70 minutes) take longer than futsū (slowest trains that stop at all stations; ¥400,