# Itsukushima - a world heritage site in Japan



## KyushuCalanthe (Sep 26, 2015)

Been busy lately, hence I've not been around ST for a while. That ends now. Last week we had a holiday in Japan so my wife and I took a quick overnight trip to Hiroshima City, about an hour away by Shinkansen (bullet train). We visited Miyajima, an island just off the coast in the inland sea. Here is a famous seaside shrine, Itsukushima, and its huge torii gate that is out in the bay by about 200 meters. This shrine complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 







This is a bronze statue of a mythical lion-dog known as _Komainu_. There are always two and their job is to guard the shrine. One is called _a_ and the other _un_, symbolizing form and no form, and taken together is the sound of the universe "ahh-unnn" or more commonly known as _Om_ in the west.






There is a five tiered Pagoda on a hill just above the main shrine buildings. Like the rest of the shrine, it is bright orange, and is a hybrid of both Japanese and Chinese styles.






The shrine area is literally overrun with sika deer which are completely domesticated at this point. The reason is simple, people feed them. They are considered sacred, and must not be harmed under both spiritual and secular law, since they are said to be emissaries of the gods. From what I could see they weren't interested in giving away secret knowledge, but were rather more interested in people's ice cream cones.






At the center of Miyajima is a sacred mountain, Mt. Misen, which is home to more shrines and a lovely virgin forest. You can take a rope way part of the way and then walk another 30 minutes to the top (elevation 535 meters). Here is a lovely ginkgo tree at the top in early fall color with the Seto Inland Sea and mainland in the distance. At one of the shrine buildings near the summit there is a fire that has been kept burning for the last 1200 years, nonstop - "the eternal flame".






A fantastically beautiful tree you can see only at the very top of the mountain is the Japanese hemlock, _Tsuga sieboldii_, a fairly common tree at higher altitudes in southern Japan where primary forest has been left alone. 






The views over the inland sea and sea islands are breath-taking. This immense sea and the islands within are part of Setonaikai National Park. 






The giant torii gate is this shrine's signature feature. It is HUGE, standing over 16 meters tall and nearly 25 meters across. The main pillars are made of Camphor (_Cinnamomum camphora_) and the smaller ones of Japanese cedar (_Cryptomeria japonica_). You can walk out to it at low tide, as you can see! Torii symbolize the boundary between this world and the one of the spirits.






And another picture of it near sunset.






We returned to the mainland by ferry (and of course got there that way too). Stay tuned for part two - a famous garden in Hiroshima City's center, almost at the epicenter of where the atomic bomb exploded.


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## naoki (Sep 26, 2015)

Beautiful, Tom. I've been there when I was a little kid, but I still remember there. Giving food to the deer was the highlight for me as a little boy.

I learned a new thing about Japan; I didn't know that there are a-un in the lion dogs. I thought that a-un was for Kongou-rikishi (the two warriors in some shrines), but you are right! So the one in your photo is "a"-form because it has the open mouth.

Did you eat something yummy? Okonomiyaki? Oyster?


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## Ozpaph (Sep 26, 2015)

what a wonderful place - thank-you for showing us.


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## Wendy (Sep 26, 2015)

Absolutely beautiful and fascinating. Thank you. We are planting a Gingko tree on our front lawn next year. I think they are the most interesting trees.


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## troy (Sep 26, 2015)

Very interesting!! Excellent pictures!!


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## Justin (Sep 26, 2015)

what beauty!


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## Linus_Cello (Sep 26, 2015)

Judging from the people in the photo by the gate, the tide is maybe 6-7 feet?


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## Secundino (Sep 26, 2015)

Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful places!

Be aware before planting a _Gingko_ - fairly quick growing when young - of the smell. I do like it - but most people don't!


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## NYEric (Sep 26, 2015)

Thanks for sharing. Most of my knowledge of Japanese spirituality comes from Manga!


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## Linus_Cello (Sep 26, 2015)

Secundino said:


> Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful places!
> 
> Be aware before planting a _Gingko_ - fairly quick growing when young - of the smell. I do like it - but most people don't!



Male trees are ok; it's the female fruit that stinks. (But then again, you can't tell until they reach maturity)


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## 17andgrowing (Sep 26, 2015)

Thanks for the photos.


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## abax (Sep 26, 2015)

Thank you for a lovely tour. Japanese sculpture is so
wonderfully weird and so very different from painting and
poetry.


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## JeanLux (Sep 27, 2015)

Thank you Tom for these great photos!!!! Jean


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 27, 2015)

Linus_Cello said:


> Male trees are ok; it's the female fruit that stinks. (But then again, you can't tell until they reach maturity)



Truly stinky, but the seeds inside taste really good roasted. 

I used to just crush them outside with my feet ( shoes on) and then wash the rest. Dry in the sun and break open with hammer and roast the inside. 
I knows it sounds like a lot of work. lol


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 27, 2015)

Wendy said:


> Absolutely beautiful and fascinating. Thank you. We are planting a Gingko tree on our front lawn next year. I think they are the most interesting trees.



They turn beautiful yellow in the fall. 
Aren't they considered fossil plant? Amazing how they survived for so many years.


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 27, 2015)

I love the second picture by the way. Nice angle and very Japanese!


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## SlipperFan (Sep 27, 2015)

Looks like a wonderful place any time of year.


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## Marco (Sep 27, 2015)

Awesome tour. Thanks Tom. We hope to visit one day within the next couple of years. i just don't know who would take care of the neos while we are away.


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## Erythrone (Sep 27, 2015)

Wonderful tour!! Thanks!


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## smartie2000 (Sep 28, 2015)

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.


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## KyushuCalanthe (Sep 28, 2015)

To answer some questions:



naoki said:


> Did you eat something yummy? Okonomiyaki? Oyster?



Both! Deep fried oysters were great in particular. They also have nice local beers.



Linus_Cello said:


> Judging from the people in the photo by the gate, the tide is maybe 6-7 feet?



That sounds about right.



NYEric said:


> Thanks for sharing. Most of my knowledge of Japanese spirituality comes from Manga!



That's a good place to learn that stuff actually.



Happypaphy7 said:


> Truly stinky, but the seeds inside taste really good roasted.
> 
> I used to just crush them outside with my feet ( shoes on) and then wash the rest. Dry in the sun and break open with hammer and roast the inside.
> I knows it sounds like a lot of work. lol



In Japan we cook the fruit inside the hard seed. They aren't that bad in my opinion unless they fall on your house or walkway. They are surprisingly delicious.



Marco said:


> Awesome tour. Thanks Tom. We hope to visit one day within the next couple of years. i just don't know who would take care of the neos while we are away.



Neos are tough, come on over Marco!


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## Brabantia (Sep 30, 2015)

Very nice pictures.


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## Clark (Oct 1, 2015)

Great shots!
That ginkgo tree really lights up the hillside.


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## emydura (Oct 5, 2015)

Some stunning landscapes Tom. A side to Japan you don't appreciate. Wonderful forests in particular.


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