Itsukushima Shrine
By Andrew Liyan · Last updated: October 4, 2026 · Facts verified: October 3, 2026
Itsukushima Shrine is the shrine on Miyajima built over a tidal bay, with the Great Torii standing in the sea in front of it. Entry is 300 yen for adults, and the shrine closes between 5:00 and 6:30 PM depending on the season. The tide decides what you see: at high tide the shrine and torii stand in the water, and at low tide you can walk across the sand to the foot of the torii.
- Area
- Miyajima, Hatsukaichi
- Nearest Station
- Miyajima ferry terminal, about 12 minutes on foot (ferry from Miyajimaguchi, about 10 minutes)
- Best For
- Architecture, Photography, Culture
Visiting Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社, Itsukushima Jinja) is a Shinto shrine on Miyajima, an island in Hatsukaichi city, Hiroshima Prefecture, in the Chugoku region of western Japan. Its halls stand on pillars over a tidal bay and are joined by corridors that the sea flows beneath at high tide, with the Great Torii (O-torii) standing in the water in front. The shrine dates its founding to 593, and its layout follows the rebuilding by Taira no Kiyomori in 1168.
UNESCO registered the shrine as a World Heritage Site in 1996, together with the sea in front of it and the primeval forest of Mount Misen behind. Six of its buildings are National Treasures. The main hall standing today was built in 1571, faithful to the Heian-period style of Kiyomori's shrine.
This page covers the shrine, its tides and its torii. For the rest of the island, including the ferry, the deer, food and whether to stay overnight, see the Miyajima Island guide. For the climb behind the shrine and the ropeway, see Mount Misen.
High tide or low tide: what changes
Short answer
Neither tide is better; they are two different visits. At high tide the sea comes in under the shrine's corridors and around the Great Torii, the view in most photographs. At low tide the bay drains to sand and you can walk out to the foot of the torii. Check the times for your date before you fix the rest of the day.
High tide
- Water reaches under the corridors and around the halls, so the shrine stands in the sea.
- The Great Torii stands in open water. You see it from the shrine's platform and the shore, not up close.
- Sightseeing boats can approach the torii when the tide is high.
- Choose it for the classic view of the shrine over water.
Low tide
- The bay in front of the shrine drains to sand and mud.
- You can walk out to the base of the Great Torii and see its pillars and scale up close.
- The corridors stand on exposed pillars rather than over water.
- Choose it to stand beside the torii, in shoes you do not mind getting wet or sandy.
The Miyajima Tourist Association publishes a daily tide page (listed under References at the end of this guide). For any date, it gives the hours when you can walk to the Great Torii and the hours when the shrine looks as if it is floating. Some days have no walking window at all, so check your date before planning around a low-tide walk.
The Great Torii
Short answer
The Great Torii (O-torii) is the shrine's own gate, standing in the sea about 200 meters in front of the main hall, and is part of the World Heritage Site. You can see it from the shore at any hour without a ticket, and walk out to it at low tide.
- What it is
- A wooden torii about 16.6 meters tall and about 60 tons, roofed with Japanese cypress bark and painted vermilion. The present gate, counted as the ninth since the Heian period, was built in 1875 and is an Important Cultural Property.
- How it stands
- It is not sunk into the seabed. It stands under its own weight, helped by about 4 tons of stones packed into its top beams, with four smaller pillars bracing the two main ones.
- Where to see it
- From the shrine's Hirabutai platform inside, or for free from the beach in front of the shrine and the shore toward Nishi-matsubara.
- After dark
- Lit from 30 minutes after sunset until 11:00 PM, together with the main hall and the pagodas, except when shrine events interrupt the lighting.
- The plaques
- The plaque facing the sea reads 嚴嶋神社; the one facing the shrine reads 伊都岐嶋神社, an older way of writing the same name.
What the ticket covers
Short answer
The 300 yen ticket covers a one-way walk along the corridors, from the east entrance past the guest shrine and the main hall to the Noh stage and the west exit. The Treasure Hall and Senjokaku are separate buildings with their own fees and shorter hours.
Start
East entrance and Marodo Shrine
The route begins along the East Corridor beside Marodo Shrine, the largest of the subsidiary shrines, whose purification hall opens toward the sea.
The center of the visit
Main hall and the Hirabutai
The main hall faces the Hirabutai, a broad platform that runs out toward the Great Torii and ends at the bronze lantern of Hitasaki. This is the closest point to the torii inside the shrine.
Toward the exit
Tenjin Shrine and the Noh stage
The West Corridor passes Tenjin Shrine, the steeply arched Soribashi bridge and the Noh stage standing over the water.
End
West exit
The exit brings you out near the Treasure Hall and Daiganji Temple.
- Treasure Hall
- About 4,000 items connected with the shrine, mostly offered by the Taira (Heike) clan, of which about 130 are National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. Part of the collection is shown, with a reproduction of the Heike sutras. 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; 300 yen, or 500 yen combined with the shrine.
- Senjokaku (Hokoku Shrine)
- The large hall on the hill above the shrine, begun by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and left unfinished at his death; the largest wooden building on the island. 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; 100 yen.
- Five-storied pagoda
- Beside Senjokaku. As of October 2026 it is covered for conservation work and cannot be seen; the Miyajima Tourist Association lists the work until December 2026 and notes it may be extended. Its interior is not open to visitors in any case.
Fitting the shrine into a Miyajima day
Short answer
Set the day around the tide you want, then the shrine's closing time. The corridors close between 5:00 and 6:30 PM by season, but the torii and the shrine's exterior can be seen from the shore afterward, and both are lit until 11:00 PM.
- Morning
- The shrine opens at 6:30 AM all year except January 1. An early ferry leaves the most room to wait for a tide.
- Matching the tide
- Most days have a high and a low tide, though not always both within opening hours. If the tide you want falls after closing, you can still see the torii from the shore; you just cannot walk the corridors.
- With Mount Misen
- The Miyajima Ropeway's last ride up is at 4:00 PM, so if you also want Mount Misen, visit the shrine early or after you come down.
- Evening
- Stay for the lit torii from the shore. Check the last ferry back before you do; the Getting Around Hiroshima guide covers the crossing.
What to do at Itsukushima Shrine
Walk the corridors over the water
The one-way route follows wooden corridors past the guest shrine, the main hall and the Noh stage. The East Corridor alone is 108 bays long, built without nails in the floorboards.
Stand on the Hirabutai facing the torii
The broad platform in front of the main hall runs out toward the sea and ends at the Hitasaki lantern, the closest point to the Great Torii inside the shrine.
Walk out to the Great Torii at low tide
When the bay drains, you can cross the sand to the foot of the torii. It needs no ticket; check the Miyajima Tourist Association's tide page for the walking hours on your date.
See the shrine lit after dark
From 30 minutes after sunset until 11:00 PM the torii, main hall and pagodas are lit. The shrine is closed by then, so watch from the shore.
See the torii from the water
When the tide is high, sightseeing boats from Miyajima can approach the Great Torii, including in the evening.
Visit the Treasure Hall
Opposite the shrine's exit, the Treasure Hall shows part of a collection of about 4,000 items offered to the shrine, with a reproduction of the Heike sutras. The combined ticket is sold only at the shrine entrance.
Climb up to Senjokaku
A short walk uphill, the unfinished hall begun by Toyotomi Hideyoshi is the largest wooden building on Miyajima, with offering plaques hung from its ceiling. It has its own 100 yen ticket.
How to Get to Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine is on Miyajima, a 10-minute ferry ride from Miyajimaguchi on the mainland. Miyajimaguchi is about 30 minutes by JR train from Hiroshima Station, and the shrine is about 12 minutes on foot from the island's ferry terminal.
From Hiroshima Station
Take the JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi (about 30 minutes), walk to the ferry pier, and cross by the JR or Matsudai ferry (about 10 minutes). The Hiroden streetcar also runs to Hiroden Miyajimaguchi, about an hour from central Hiroshima.
Ferry fares, the Miyajima visitor tax and the last sailings are covered in the transport guide below.
From the Miyajima ferry terminal
Walk along the waterfront or through Omotesando shopping street to the shrine's entrance, about 12 minutes.
By car
There is no parking at the shrine. Leave a car on the mainland and take the ferry.
- •Miyajimaguchi is about 30 minutes by JR from Hiroshima Station; the ferry crossing takes about 10 minutes.
- •The shrine entrance is about 12 minutes on foot from the Miyajima ferry terminal.
- •There is no parking at the shrine or on the island for visitors; travel by train and ferry.
For IC cards, tickets, and full transit basics for Hiroshima, see the complete transportation guide.
Getting Around Hiroshima →Best Time to Visit Itsukushima Shrine
Depends on the tide you want: check the day's high and low tide times.
- •The tide matters more than the season: high tide for the shrine over water, low tide to walk to the torii.
- •The shrine closes earliest in December (5:00 PM) and latest from January 1 to 3 (6:30 PM).
- •The torii and main hall are lit after dark until 11:00 PM, seen from the shore.
The shrine opens at midnight on January 1 and stays open until 6:30 PM from January 1 to 3.
The Great Torii, the main hall and the pagodas are lit from 30 minutes after sunset until 11:00 PM. The Miyajima Tourist Association notes the lighting can pause for shrine events.
The pagoda beside Senjokaku is covered for conservation work and cannot be seen. The Miyajima Tourist Association lists the work until December 2026 and notes the period may be extended.
Entry Fee & Hours
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | ¥300 | ~$2 |
| High School Students | ¥200 | ~$1.3 |
| Elementary / Junior High Students | ¥100 | ~$0.7 |
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | ¥500 | ~$3.3 |
| High School Students | ¥300 | ~$2 |
| Elementary / Junior High Students | ¥150 | ~$1 |
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | ¥100 | ~$0.7 |
| Elementary / Junior High Students | ¥50 | ~$0.3 |
Group rates apply to 50 or more visitors in the same age bracket. Senjokaku (Hokoku Shrine) is a separate ticket with no group discount. Seeing the Great Torii from the shore, or walking to it at low tide, needs no ticket.
- •The corridors have small gaps between the floorboards to relieve pressure from the sea at high tide. The shrine asks visitors to wear comfortable shoes, because high heels can catch in the gaps.
- •The route through the shrine is one way, from the entrance on the east side to the exit on the west.
- •The shrine does not publish detailed wheelchair guidance. Visitors with a disability certificate are asked to show it at the entrance.
- •Combined tickets for the shrine and the Treasure Hall are sold only at the shrine entrance. The Treasure Hall does not accept credit cards.
- •There is no parking at the shrine.
Nearby Attractions
Combine with Itsukushima Shrine on the same day
Miyajima Island
Mount Misen
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Frequently Asked Questions
References
View references
Miyajima Tourist Association
- Tide information (walking and high-tide hours by date) (opens in a new tab)
- Itsukushima Shrine (opens in a new tab)
- O-torii Gate (opens in a new tab)
- Treasure Hall (opens in a new tab)
- Illuminations (opens in a new tab)
- The world cultural heritage (opens in a new tab)
- Senjokaku, Five-Storied Pagoda and Tahoto (Japanese) (opens in a new tab)
Miyajima Tourist Association and Hatsukaichi City
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