Miyajima Island
By Andrew Liyan · Last updated: October 3, 2026 · Facts verified: October 3, 2026
Miyajima (宮島), officially Itsukushima, is an island in Hatsukaichi city, Hiroshima Prefecture, about an hour from central Hiroshima by train and a 10-minute ferry. Most visits are built around two places: Itsukushima Shrine and its Great Torii on the shore, and Mount Misen, the 535-meter peak behind it. Half a day covers the shrine and the town; Misen turns it into a full day. Ferries run from early morning until late evening, so staying into the evening, or overnight, is easy.
- Area
- Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture
- Best For
- Day Trip, Culture, Photography
Planning a day on Miyajima
Miyajima has been treated as sacred for centuries, and Itsukushima Shrine was built over the water of a tidal bay rather than on the island itself. The shrine, the Great Torii standing in the sea in front of it and the primeval forest of Mount Misen behind are together a World Heritage Site. The town is small: a waterfront path and the Omotesando shopping street lead from the ferry terminal to the shrine in about 12 minutes on foot.
The main planning question is how much of the day to give the island. Itsukushima Shrine takes 30 minutes to an hour inside, but the tide decides what you see: at high tide the shrine and torii stand in water, and at low tide you can walk out to the base of the torii. Mount Misen adds about 2.5 to 3 hours with the ropeway, and the ropeway's last ride up is at 4:00 PM, so it needs an early start. Check the day's tides and the ropeway's operating page before you choose a train.
Between the two, the island is a place to walk and eat. Deer wander the town and the waterfront; Hatsukaichi city asks visitors not to feed them. Grilled oysters and momiji manju, maple-leaf cakes filled with bean paste or custard, are sold along Omotesando.
Most people come from Hiroshima as a day trip. Staying on the island, at one of its ryokan or hotels, gives you the shrine early in the morning and the lit torii after dark without watching the clock for the last ferry.
What to do on Miyajima
Visit Itsukushima Shrine and the Great Torii
Itsukushima Shrine, a World Heritage Site built over the tidal bay, and its Great Torii standing in the sea are the main reason most people come to Miyajima. Shrine entry is 300 yen; the torii can be seen from the shore for free and reached on foot at low tide. The Itsukushima Shrine guide covers seasonal hours, tickets and planning around the tide.
Go up Mount Misen
The island's 535-meter peak is reached by three hiking trails or by the Miyajima Ropeway, which stops about 30 minutes' walk below the summit. With the ropeway it adds roughly 2.5 to 3 hours to a day. The Mount Misen guide compares the ropeway and the trails.
Eat your way along Omotesando
The shopping street between the ferry terminal and the shrine is lined with stalls and restaurants selling grilled oysters, momiji manju and other snacks, along with souvenir shops.
See the deer, without feeding them
Deer roam the town and waterfront. Hatsukaichi city asks visitors not to feed them; keep food out of reach, because they will try to take it.
Visit Daisho-in
Daisho-in, a Buddhist temple at the foot of Mount Misen about 20 minutes on foot from the ferry, has rows of small stone statues and prayer wheels along its steps and is the start of the Daisho-in trail up Misen.
Walk west to Nishi-matsubara
The pine-lined sandbar west of the shrine gives a side view of the Great Torii, usually with fewer people than the beach in front of the shrine.
Five-Story Pagoda (Under Conservation Work)
The five-story pagoda near Itsukushima Shrine is normally one of Miyajima's most photographed historic buildings, but as of October 2026 it is covered by scaffolding and sheeting for conservation work and cannot be seen. The Miyajima Tourist Association lists the work as running until December 2026 and notes that the period may be extended.
Stay for the evening
The torii and the shrine are lit from 30 minutes after sunset until 11:00 PM and seen from the shore. Check the last ferry in the Getting Around Hiroshima guide before you stay late, or spend the night on the island.
How to Get to Miyajima Island
Miyajima is in the Seto Inland Sea southwest of central Hiroshima. Everyone arrives by boat, usually the 10-minute ferry from Miyajimaguchi on the mainland.
From Hiroshima Station
Take the JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi, about 25 to 30 minutes, and walk a few minutes to the ferry piers. Hiroden streetcar Line 2 also runs to Hiroden Miyajimaguchi, about an hour from central Hiroshima.
Ferry to Miyajima
JR Miyajima Ferry and Matsudai Kisen both cross to the island in about 10 minutes. The JR ferry is covered by the Japan Rail Pass. Fares, the visitor tax and last sailings are in the Getting Around Hiroshima guide.
From Peace Memorial Park
Direct boats run from a pier in Peace Memorial Park to Miyajima in about 45 minutes, a useful option after a morning in the Peace Memorial area.
Getting to Mount Misen
The Miyajima Ropeway up Mount Misen starts at Momijidani Station, about 25 minutes on foot from the ferry terminal, with a free shuttle bus from the Momijidani Park entrance. The Mount Misen guide covers fares, last rides and the trails.
High Tide vs Low Tide
The tide changes the view at Itsukushima Shrine: the shrine and torii stand in the water at high tide, and you can walk to the torii at low tide. The Itsukushima Shrine guide explains how to check the day's times.
- •The JR ferry is covered by the Japan Rail Pass; the Hiroden streetcar and the Matsudai ferry are not.
- •Everyone pays the 100 yen Miyajima visitor tax in addition to the ferry fare.
- •Itsukushima Shrine is about 12 minutes on foot from the ferry terminal, and the Mount Misen ropeway station about 25 minutes.
For IC cards, tickets, and full transit basics for Hiroshima, see the complete transportation guide.
Getting Around Hiroshima →Best Time to Visit Miyajima Island
An early ferry for a full day; time Itsukushima Shrine to the tide you want.
- •Arrive early: midday ferries and Omotesando are busiest, and the ropeway's last ride up is at 4:00 PM.
- •Check the day's tides first; they decide whether the shrine stands in water or the torii can be reached on foot.
- •Spring cherry blossoms and the autumn maples around Momijidani Park, from about mid-November, are the busiest seasons.
Cherry trees bloom around the shrine grounds and the lower slopes of Mount Misen.
The maples of Momijidani Park, where the Mount Misen ropeway starts, are the island's best-known autumn sight, and weekends are crowded.
The quietest months and oyster season. The Mount Misen ropeway closes for maintenance for a period around February.
Entry Fee & Hours
- •The ferry crossing, waterfront promenade, and Omotesando shopping street are flat and accessible by wheelchair and stroller. Itsukushima Shrine does not publish detailed wheelchair guidance, and Mount Misen's ropeway and trails are not wheelchair accessible.
Nearby Attractions
Combine with Miyajima Island on the same day
Itsukushima Shrine
Mount Misen
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
A full day on Miyajima
This plan assumes an early start from Hiroshima and clear weather for Mount Misen. Swap the morning and afternoon if the tide you want falls later.
Shrine, Mount Misen, then the town
Morning
Train and ferry from Hiroshima, then Itsukushima Shrine and the Great Torii at the tide you prefer
Late morning
Ropeway up Mount Misen and the walk to the summit, about 2.5 to 3 hours in all
Afternoon
Omotesando for oysters and momiji manju, then Daisho-in or Nishi-matsubara
Evening
The lit torii from the shore, then the ferry back or a night on the island
Frequently Asked Questions
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