Off to Miyajima: the Spirit Island

We had such a wonderful time on Okinawa, it was hard to believe that it was already time to head off for our mainland adventure. Once again we would be making our way by plane, train, automobile, and ferry boat.

whale shark airplane :)  we didn't fly in it, but its adorable

Shisa at the airport

When we were first planning out this trip we knew that Okinawa and Kyoto would be on the destination list, but otherwise I was pretty open to whatever presented itself. When Kate mentioned wanting to see Hiroshima, I didn’t have any idea what to expect. I knew of the Peace Memorial and the terrible devastation of the atomic bomb, but that was it. After I saw pictures and learned about Miyajima island in Hiroshima Bay I was instantly convinced: we had to go to there.

Miyajima is also called Spirit Island and is home to hundreds of shrines and ancient temples. Considered one of the most beautiful places in all of Japan, the huge vermilion Otorii gate stands century in the bay, attracting visitors from all over the world. But that, my dear reader, can be the problem: how to experience these spiritual places of quiet reflection in the midst of a crowd of people? For this reason it is highly recommended that you stay overnight on the island to enjoy the shrines in peace, away from the ‘day trippers’. When I saw there would be a full moon the week we were in Japan, I knew it would be the perfect night to stay on Spirit island.



From Okinawa we flew 2 hours north to Iwakuni, which is just south of Hiroshima. From there we took a bus to the train station, and then took a train to the ferry dock (video is from the train).



The sun had set by the time we made it to the dock where scores of people were disembarking the boat, returning from their daytrips to the island. Making our way across the water on that drizzly evening was like something out of a Miyazaki movie. In fact, the more time I would spend on the island, the more I became convinced of it’s influential role in Miyazaki’s film Spirited Away.

I made a special reservation for Marchelo and I at the Miyajima Villa, a beautiful new hotel right near the dock. Since it was our anniversary, we were gifted with a special ‘husband and wife’ chop stick set. Very sweet. We went to go check into our room, which was beautiful modern Japanese style, before enjoying a fabulous dinner.


I don’t think I can ever fully describe the magic of walking around such a wondrous place at night, under the light of a full moon. Goodness knows the pictures will never be able to capture it.

The rain had left the air fresh and clean while the full moon finally broke through the clouds and illuminated the sky.

At night, the Otorri gate and the temple are all lit up, as are the lanterns that line the walkways.

For hours we wandered the grounds enjoying the place all to ourselves, except for the wild deer bedding down for the night.

Toward the end of our walk, we encountered a creature I had never before seen in the wild: a badger! Smaller than their European cousins, and not nearly as terrifying as the American version, the little Japanese badger was snuffling in the dirt when we approached. It looked up as we drew near and seemed just as interested in us as we were in it. Once it started to approach, however, I decided it would be best to back away, just in case it thought we had food.

poster at the hotel

It was almost midnight before the lantern lights were turned off and it was time to head back to the hotel. We decided to get up before sunrise the next day to witness first light illuminating the gate and hopefully get some better pictures before the crowds arrived.