Miyajima Island - Molluscs and Momiji Manju, Miyajima, Japan

There was an air of anticipation as we crossed the narrow channel of water between Hiroshima port and Miyajima Island. Everyone was craning their necks for the first view of the torii gate of the famous Itsukushima shrine. A veil of mist draping the island enhanced the moment as we drew closer to the red gates that really does appear to be floating on the sea. Sadly, it is no longer a requirement to enter shrine island through this gate and we had to disembark at the ferry port.

I collected a map from the Information Point inside the terminal and was disappointed to see a sign indicating that the Itsukushima-shrine was closed. I asked the lady behind the desk and she assured me this was just a temporary closure due to the high tide and it would be open in an hour. She gave me a map in English, marked the most interesting places to visit close to the port and I set off to explore. I knew I would not have time follow one of the walking routes on the map. My route took me past the Itsukushima-shrine and I paused for a while to watch some frantic brushing of salty water back into the sea.

There was a long queue to enter the shrine so I just did a circuit to see the buildings surrounded by sea water and linked by walkways. My intention was to return later. I had noticed a priest in his official robes which suggested a ceremony, probably a baptism or a wedding, would be taking place that morning so it may not be a good day to visit anyway. The exterior was beautiful - the orange and white buildings mirrored in the water that surrounded them. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).