Miyajima
As well as the sombre delights of Hiroshima, Western Honshu also has the mountainous island of Miyajima, about a 20 minute boat ride from the mainland. Miyajima is a popular tourist destination for its beautiful scenery and myriad shrines and temples.
If you're planning to come to Japan, this place is a must. It's the shit.
 | Facts to consider: overnight bus to Hiroshima, a day spent wandering round the Peace Park in the freezing cold and a night at the chilliest youth hostel in the entire Universe, somewhat enlivened by an impromptu piss-up with an anonymous Korean student. Yes folks, Dan is tired and beginning to doubt the wisdom (sanity) of his travel enterprise. At least the Deer didn't seem inclined to maul me. |
| Rather gratifyingly, it transpires that the Deer were saving their energy for each other. Bearing in mind that this was a freezing day in early February, I can hardly believe that this was for the benefit of the lady Deer. Still, it's one way to keep warm, I guess. |  |
 | Miyajima's famous "Floating Shrine," Itsukushima-jinja. It doesn't really float, of course. |
| Probably the island's most famous sight: the 16-metre tall Torii gate in the sea, with Hiroshima visible across the waves. When the tide is out, you can apparently walk right up to this thing, which goes some way toward explaining how the the original was erected without the aid of submersible construction vehicles. |  |
Misen-San
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