Bucket List: Visiting the Itsukushima Shrine and the Floating Torii Gate

By -
Japan, Hiroshima Prefecture, Hatsukaichi, Itsukushima - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Considered one of the 3 best views of Japan, the Floating Torii Gate is part of the Itsukushima Shrine on the island of Itsukushima. The island is also popularly known as Miyajima.

As shown in the photograph below, the so-called Floating Torii Gate don't actually float. It is just that when the tide comes in, the partially submerged structure appears to float on the sea because its base is no longer visible to the eye.

The Floating Torii Gate at low tide, Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (2019)

Itsukushima Shrine, Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (2019)

The Torii Gate as seen from the Itsukushima Shrine, Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (2019)

Besides the world famous and tourist-favourite Itsukushima Shrine and its Torii Gate, the island has lots of other renown attractions including magical Mount Misen, many temples and shrines as well as an extensive network of forest which is perfect for hiking.

The Pagoda of the Komyoin Temple, Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (2019)

Jizo statues, Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (2019)

But the main purpose of my trip to the island was to visit the giant Floating Torii Gate. I stayed for two nights on the island so that I can enjoy Itsukushima at my own leisure, appreciate its attractions and more importantly, its ambience when all the day trippers had left with the last ferry.

For two days, I wandered around the island, soaking in its natural allures, dined at the local eateries,  visited almost all the temples and shrines and hiked part of a trail to the summit of Mount Misen. However, I gave up on reaching the summit after an hour of climbing in the intense heat and humidity of summer, promising I will return in another year and a different season to complete the climb.

View of the Floating Torii Gate on the trail to the summit of Mount Misen, Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (2019)

Of course, I also got to enjoy the views of the great Floating Torii Gate both in the day and at night and also during both high and low tides.

The Floating Torii Gate in the day at low tide, Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (2019)

The Floating Torii Gate at dusk during high tide, Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (2019)

The Floating Torii Gate at night during high tide (the Torii Gate is lighted up in the night making flash photography unnecessary), Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (2019)

On the third day, as I boarded the ferry for the short hop back to the mainland and the city of Hatsukaichi, I had ticked off a major item off my personal travel bucket list. This was my first trip to Itsukushima, it won't be the last. I will be back. The summit of Mount Misen awaits.

View of the city of Hatsukaichi on the mainland from Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (2019)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Japan, Takayama - Dining on Wasakana

By -
Image
The city of Takayama is also known as Hida-Takayama and is located in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture in Japan. A popular dish in Takayama is Wasakana or river fish. There are many species of river fishes in Takayama but the ones that are regularly served as part of the local cuisines are Ayu ( Plecoglossus altivelis , ) a.k.a sweetfish and Iwana ( Salvelinus leucomaenis ), a species of river trout.  Wasakana (River Fish). This fish was pickled and then grilled. I am not sure of the species of this fish which was caught in the river behind the Ryokan where I resided during my stay in the mountains. Takayama, Gifu, Japan (2014) The fishes are usually marinated with sea salt and grilled. This method of cooking the river fishes is most popularly shown in pictures or on travel documentaries. During my visit to Takayama in October 2014, I finally got to savor the delicious tastes of the Wasakana prepared in authentic local styles by the locals....
Read more

Singapore, Horsburgh - Deep Sea Fishing

By -
Image
Horsburgh Lighthouse (or Horsburgh) is located on an outlying small island (a.k.a Pedra Branca meaning "White Rock" in Portuguese) near the entrance to the east of the Straits of Singapore. The lighthouse was named after Cpt James Horsburgh, who was a hydrographer with the then East India Company. Horsburgh is located about 54km (34 miles) east of Singapore. It was raining in the morning as we set off for the long anticipated trip which was planned as far back as 3 months ago in August 1998. There were four of us; YK, Kenneth, CC and myself.  
 Soon, we were on our way to the suppossedly rich fishing grounds near Horsburgh Lighthouse. This locale is considered a good fishing ground for recreational fishing because commercial trawling is supposedly not permitted.  
 We reached our first fishing spot at exactly 5.00 pm local time. Looking around, we couldn't see actually any lighthouse but who cares, it was the fishing that we were coming for, not a visit to so...
Read more

Estonia, Tallinn - Palace of Ungern-Sternberg

By -
Image
I was awestruck by the grandness and magnificence of this building during my walking tour of the Old Town of Tallinn. While there, I had no opportunity to enter the building itself. Thus, admiring its facade and photographing its structure as I walked around its perimeter had to suffice.  The  Palace of Ungern-Sternberg, Tallinn, Estonia (2017) Without knowing what this building was, its history and its name, the photographs I took allowed me to conduct basic research on it after the trip.  Based on my rudimentary research into the building long after my trip to Tallinn, I was to discover that it was built in the year 1865 by the German architect, Martin Gropius. Also known as the Palace of Ungern-Sternberg, the building is today the home of the Estonian Academy of Sciences. The Academy is a group of scientists whose aim is to promote research & development and scientific cooperation as well as knowledge dissemination.  The main build...
Read more