Miyajima Off The Beaten Path

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Miyajima is a UNESCO-world-heritage site and not far from the place, where you enter the island when you have left the ferry-boats you will find this monument and some explanations. Take a look through the hole in the sculpture-stone and you will see Otorii, the red gate of the shrine, like in my first photo.

I can't tell if this is a must see, an off the beaten path, or a tourist trap, but it's always cool to see the world's largest something. To celebrate the designation of Miyajima as a World Heritage site, the people of the city made this. It is in the market in between the stores, just a short walk from the the ferry terminal.

The 'Torii' = entrancegate, in the main temple complex at Miyajima, is very specific. During hightide it is situated in the sea! Entering the temple (traditionally done through the torii, therefore means to wait for low tide and then striggle your way through muddy and sandy seabottom layers that fall dry.

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Tahoto Pagoda is uphill, not far from Itsukushima Shrine. Unfortunately we had no time to see a bit more of it than what I could see through my tele-lense.

Lions (or are they dragons?) protecting the back entrance of the temple. The frontgate is the Torii in the sea, so, entering that way, you either get wet or muddy shoes (-: