It was a gloomy foggy morning when we left Hiroshima. We knew rain was coming but we didn’t have far to go to Miyajima. Here is our last view of the marina that has been Deans home for the past few weeks.
Although we hoped the rain would hold off until we tied up to the jetty, this wasn’t to be, and it was teeming down by the time we arrived. We sensed something was amiss as we approached the jetty as we could see a big sign, and the the gates at the end were closed. We tied up anyway so we could interpret the sign. It was closed due to the G7 that is being held in Hiroshima that isn’t due to start for another WEEK!!! Ahhhhh
So we scoped out the bay just next to it and dropped anchor. It was pretty shallow but good enough for us. This is how close we are. So close and yet so far!!!
We normally like to stay off the beaten track a bit, but we couldn’t sail past and not stop at this stunning location. Way too many people for us to be comfortable and non stop ferry’s are dropping off and picking up day commuters from first thing in the morning until late in the afternoon.
So what is special about Miyajima Island? The first thing you notice is Otorii, the enormous torii gate (Shinto gate) in the sea. This designates the entire island as a sacred place. There are no maternity wards or cemeteries here because you are not permitted to give birth or die here. I am not entirely sure what happens if you do!! The island is also covered in virgin forest as tree felling is not allowed.
Unfortunately in the teeming rain it was quite difficult to get a clear shot of Otorii as we sailed by. Dean held up a clear for me to shelter under but the rain was driving in towards me. Otorii was first built in the 12th century but the current structure was built in 1875 and is about 16m (50ft) high, and the circumference of each pillar 10m, making it one of the largest wooden torii gates in Japan.
It was a very wet afternoon so we planned to go ashore the following morning when the rain was forecast to be a bit lighter. From the boat I took this photo of the crowds that walked out at low tide. I am not sure if there is some significance in touching it, or just the fact that you can.
When we finally ventured ashore there was a light drizzle. We tied the dinghy up to the jetty and walked along the shore towards the shrines. Deer wander about freely but unlike Nara, you are not allowed to feed the deer here, and signage asks you to treat them “gently and with patience”.
Overlooking the shrine is the Five Story Pagoda, built in 1407. It is 27m tall and closed to the public. I like to think of my up close photo as “atmospheric”, in the pouring rain!
From further away you can get a sense of how tall it is. The building you can see behind it in the photo below is the Hokoku Shrine or pavilion of the thousand tatami mats, built in 1587, although it only has floor space for 857 tatami mats! I didn’t go inside but from the outside the massive wooden beams were impressive.
There is a small fee to enter the Itsukushima Shrine. Founded in 593, it is built on stilts over the water. In the photo above it is the large structure in the foreground. You follow the walkway through from one side and exit on the other.
Inside there is an amulet office where you can request Shinto services, and you could see people being blessed by monks in a sacred room. You could also purchase amulets or talismans and obtain a shuin, the stamp of the shrine.
As you walk around people are praying at the different shrines and tie up their prayers written on wooden plaques and fortunes on pieces of paper . For instance there is the Daikoku Shrine where the deity of matchmaking is enshrined. The Tenjin Shrine enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of scholarship so those praying for academic excellence leave their wishes here. I felt it insensitive to take a photo but one was from a mother asking for her son to pass his medical exams, become a good doctor and be happy. Another hedged his bets and asked to pass his exams and find a wife. There were also offerings of Sake, which always looks impressive!
The weather wasn’t really favourable for extensive hikes and we chose not to take the cable car up to the top of the mountain. We were more than content to meander around the pathways, up stairs, across bridges. It was all beautiful.
In 1945 a typhoon caused the Momijidani River to flood and many parts of the Itsukushima shrine was buried in the sand and rocks washed down. So in 1948 construction that took 3 years to complete began in order to protect the shrine from future flooding. Strict rules were observed:
- all large rocks or stones of whatever size must be used in their natural state and not cracked or scarred
- no surrounding trees or vegetation may be destroyed
- the concrete river channel should be covered with stones which have been left in their natural state
- the stones must be used from this area and not brought from any other
- all work must be carried out by landscape architects
So while all very tamed, it was lovely to stroll beside the river and soak up the Japanese attention to detail.
There were guest houses up a bit higher, and you didn’t go far without seeing a pretty shrine tucked away with offerings of beer, soft drinks and food, to be enjoyed in the afterlife.
We stopped at a little cafe for a warm drink and the lady who ran the place who was 80 was very interested in our story. When we told her we were off a yacht she got a globe out and asked us to show her our journey. She gave us a postcard with a picture of her shop and a handful of chocolates as a gift. Later we had a warm lunch washed down with a cold beer at a restaurant. It is funny, you are given a bottle of beer and tiny beer glasses.
Finally we started to make our way back to the boat. A policeman passed us in his wet weather gear, complete with a little raincoat for his hat!
A quick trip to the loo gives me another talking point as far as Japanese toilets go. I have seen these before, and feel they are rather clever. When you flush the toilet, the tap on top of the cistern starts running for you to wash your hands. Not wasting water, this will be used for the next flush!
We got back to the jetty and noticed a large motor boat hovering. With a dropping heart, we realised it was hovering for us. So as not to delay the inevitable we got into the dinghy and it kind of pointed towards us, so we waited for it to come over. Customs had found us!!! Well it actually had a big sign hanging over the side saying Kobe Counter Terrorism. In the now teeming rain, the boat loomed over us. My only consolation was that the five officers hanging over the bow looking down on us were also getting soaking wet. This is the view I had looking up.
Dean explained we had checked out with Hiroshima customs, but with the terrible weather we were staying an extra night here in Miyajima, then where we were planning on heading next. Ahhhh yes, very bad weather they agreed. They were happy with that, and let us go on our way. I have no idea how long they had been waiting for us!! But honestly if you come sailing in Japan you just need to roll with it. If this oversight is going to upset you, don’t come, because there is no getting a way from it. And with the G7 looming they are being particularly vigilant. Who knows what we were doing landing our dinghy on the closed jetty!
Run to Paradise 