Miyajima Island: Japan’s Hidden Gem

Why Visit Miyajima Isalnd

Miyajima Island, often overlooked by tourists, is one of Japan’s hidden gems. If you love mountains, beaches, sunsets, or lots of deer, find a way to add Miyajima Island to your Japan itinerary. This small island, located near Hiroshima, is the perfect place to take a break from the busy and hectic life of a tourist. Once you hop off the JR Ferry (the ferry connecting Hiroshima City and Miyajima), you’ll feel like you have arrived in Japan’s version of Hawaii. The one day + night I spent on the island was one of the highlights of my entire trip.

The beauty of this destination is the beauty of the island itself. You don’t need to sightsee, or temple hop to stay entertained. To best enjoy Miyajima, just be outdoors. For anyone planning on visiting the island, I would highly recommend spending a night here. By doing so, you will get to enjoy Miyajima during the best hours of the day(morning and sunset). Here are the three main things I recommend you do with your full day on the Island

1. Relax!

After checking into your hotel and freshening up, take some time to stroll around the island. You now have this beautiful island to call home for the next day or so. Spend the afternoon and early evening enjoying the calmness and beauty around you. Drink some locally brewed beer, sit by the ocean enjoy watching all the deer around you! The benefit of spending a night here is that you get the chance to relax as opposed to just sightseeing. If you are with a group, enjoy the outdoors and reminisce on the trip so far. If you are by yourself, well, enjoy that feeling while being surrounded by stunning scenery.

2. Sunset at the Torii Gate

Hands down one of the best sunsets I’ve seen anywhere in the world was at the Itsukushima Floating Torii Gate. This famous gate is the first sight you will see on your way to Miyajima. Itsukushima means, island dedicated to the Gods and this famous gate serves as the entrance point to this holy Shinto island

Along with its religious importance, the floating orange gate is one of the more stunning gates in Japan. During high tide, the gate appears to float above the water while during low tide, it stands tall on the sand of Miyajima beach. The best time to see the gate is during the sunset. The image of the sun peering through the gate as it sits in the water is as unique of a sight as you can find. Around 20-40 minutes before the sunset, try and stake out your photography spot. This is a photo-op you won’t want to miss so make sure you are comfortable with the view you have.

3. An Early Morning Hike Up Mount Misen

After a relaxing and peaceful night, hopefully, you have some energy for an early morning hike before checkout. If not, find a way to get yourself to do it. This hike is amazing. There are three starting points at which you can hike, all of which lead to the top of Mount Misen. We chose The Daishoin Route as it was the closest to our hotel. We started our hike at 6 am and the island was completely quiet during this time. All you could hear were the sounds of the morning waves crashing and the birds chirping in the trees. I love quiet hikes so this was perfect for me.

The hiking path is clearly outlined along the way so no guide is needed to get to the top. The hike itself was one of the most strenuous hikes I have done. I did not anticipate the journey to take as long as it did (almost 2 hours). Nonetheless, every moment of it was enjoyable. The path is isolated amongst the nature of the mountains. Along the way, you will see a few shrines and some mountain deer but apart from that, it’s mostly just you and the outdoors.

After a tiring and sweaty journey, making it to the top is always a satisfying feeling. At the top of the mountain, there is an observatory deck that opens at 10:00 am. If you did decide to start your hike between 6 am-7 am, the deck will not be open by the time you get up here. However, there are large rocks that can easily be climbed on top of to get an even better view.

The trade-off of the peaceful morning hike was well worth missing the observatory for. There was only one other person we saw during our entire hike. It was pretty cool to feel as if we had the entire mountain to ourselves! As with all hikes, the reward of a hike always outweighs the pain to complete it. The early A.M views of the surrounding water and misty skies were truly magical.

Overall Experience

Writing about Miyajima is hard because it is more about the vibe as opposed to the must-see sights. These three things were really the only three things we did during our time on the island, but it was all that was needed. The island was the perfect end to an amazing Japan trip. Spending a night here allowed us the luxury to enjoy the island in a state of relaxation while also getting the opportunity to embark on a beautiful morning hike. I said it once but I’ll say it again, find a way to stay here, you won’t regret it. Miyajima is one of the Japan’s best hidden gems.

Miyajima Island Destination Rating

☆☆☆☆☆ 4/5