Mount Misen
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While in Miyajima we made the trip up to the peak of Mount Misen where we were treated to some gorgeous views of the nearby sea and islands. The mountain itself is part of the World Heritage site of the Itsukushima Shrine. Founded by Kukai, one of Japan’s most famous monks, it is home to the Daisho-in temple and a flame that has been burning for over 1200 years. It is a popular tourist spot for locals, and from the top of the mountain there are breathtaking views of the surrounding area.
Miyajima has a free shuttle service to the ropeway station, but we wanted to walk to it and enjoy the scenery of the island on the way. From our ryokan, we walked through the town’s streets and came across a set of stairs leading to a path along the mountainside. We weren’t sure where the path led, but it was in the general direction of the ropeway, so we decided to take it. The dirt path led us through the forest just above the town; it was quiet and serene. Along the way, we came across a small and very old stone torii gate. Just before we reached the road leading up to the ropeway station, we crossed over a creek with some small waterfalls. The walk was slower than the bus, but it was pleasant and definitely worth taking.
At the ropeway station we purchased round-trip tickets. One way tickets are available for those who prefer to take the trail up the mountain then take the ropeway back, but it’s a long way to go! Once we had our tickets, we didn’t have to wait long to board a gondola to take us up the mountain. The views of the water were really pretty, and it was nice seeing the trees from the top instead of the bottom. The gondolas stop at a midway station where we changed to another gondola that continued up to the final station near the summit. The views from the east side of the island are spectacular.
The views from the east side of the island are spectacular. From this side the many large and small islands of Hiroshima Bay can be seen. There was a tiny Hershey Kiss-shaped island, named Kogurokami Island, that was Michelle’s favorite.
From the station at the top of the ropeway, it’s about a 1 km (0.62 mile) hike to get to the shrines that are near the very top of the mountain. One shrine houses the eternal flame, which is said to have been brought to this location in 806 CE when Kukai founded Daisho-in Temple on the island. According to the legend, the flame has never been extinguished, and it was used to light the flame of peace of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
All around the temple and up the path leading to the observation deck are many Jizo statues. These statues are of Ojizo-sama, who is one of the most popular deities in Japan. He is the protector of travelers, which is why they are usually seen in many places all over the country. More importantly, he is the protector of children, and he cares for the souls of the unborn and those who die at a young age. Parents will put bibs and other clothing on the statues to give protection to children in the afterlife. Women will also pray to him for fertility and easy childbirth. This is why most are dressed up when you see them.
From these shrines, it takes about another 15 minutes to get to the very top of Mount Misen, where there is an observatory with an upper deck where you can get 360 degree views of the area around the island. The view is absolutely breathtaking! This was Michelle’s favorite view of the whole trip.
There was also a clear view of central Hiroshima from the observatory as well.
While we thoroughly enjoyed our hike on Mount Misen, we had some unfortunate experiences as well. On the way to the top, just before we reached the first shrines, Taylor’s phone got stuck in a boot loop and stopped working. His phone was our only data connection for finding locations and translating, so this hindered what happened next even more. As we were descending from the temple, Taylor stepped on a rock and lost his footing. He ended up spraining his ankle and had to be helped down the mountain. We’ll have more on that in another post. For some reason the mountain was unlucky for him, but we didn’t let that ruin the rest of the trip.
We still highly recommend hiking Mount Misen. It’s really not a very difficult hike; Taylor could have stepped on a pointy-ish rock anywhere - he just happened to do it at the top of a mountain. Like we said, the views are absolutely breathtaking, especially from the top!
Google Maps Link: Mount Misen
