Perhaps the most attractive sites in all of Japan are found in Miyajima, a World Heritage Site. Miyajima (Shrine Island) is an island that features some beautiful sites. The highlight is of course the Floating Tori /The Great Gate, which is every bit spectacular as I imagined it would be. We had a great time!
The gate is believed to keep the evil spirits away from entering the world of the living. This gate in particular differs from the other gates found around Japan as it stands tall and firm no matter how harsh the weather and ocean conditions become. The best times to see the gate are during the low and high tides. These times of course change between seasons, so be sure to plan ahead if visiting. We caught the high tide during the morning hours and then wandered around the island while we waited for the low tide.
There is plenty to see around the island besides the world famous Floating Gate. There are several souvenir shops, restaurants, temples, shrines and deer grazing around to keep you entertained. After having lunch and doing a bit of souvenir shopping at the shops near the gate we checked out a few of the many historical temples and shrines. Feeling content with the amount we saw we decided to head back towards the gate to check it out at low tide.
You can get a close up look of the gate during low tide. Many visitors flock to the gate at this opportunity to touch the gate and admire the gate’s true size. Seeing the gate at low tide just makes the high tide spectacle that much better.
After feeling satisfied with all that we saw and experienced at Japan’s premier travel site: Miyajima, we hopped on one of the ferries back to downtown Hiroshima for the rest of the evening. We were due back in Osaka the next day but before leaving Hiroshima we made one last stop: The MazdaMotor Corporation Factory Tour and Museum.
On my first visit to Japan in 2009 my wife and I included a visit to the Toyota Factory Tour and Museum in Nagoya, I loved it. I’m a true gear-head and was not going to pass up this opportunity. The best part about this tour is that it’s Free! That’s right, it costs zero yen to visit the Mazda Factory and Museum, all that you are require to do is register through phone or email at: http://www.mazda.com/en/about/museum/reservations/ . The factory tour lasts about 90 minutes and it really rounded out our Hiroshima experience. Much like the Toyota tour, pictures during the factory tour are prohibited but welcomed during the museum portion. Nissan in Yokohama and Honda in Hamamatsu are also on my things to do in Japan list.
Hiroshima has loads of history and it is an awesome place to visit. I truly loved this trip and it is by far my favorite travel destination in all of Japan so far. Happy Travels!