Miyajima - wyspa ze świątynią na wodzie

It was a day on a mountain trip :)

Although before I climbed the mountain, I first travelled by ferry (to Miyajima Island) and 'flew' (took a cable car to a certain height). But first things first.

Miyajima is an island that lies about 30 km from Hiroshima. It is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, built in the form of platforms on the water. This is because it was dedicated to the deities associated with water. That is why the torii gate leading to it was built in the water. In the past, ordinary people did not live near the shrine and could only sail to it from the mainland (or rather, a larger island). Nowadays, you can reach the island by ferry, visit it, and also live there, like anywhere else. However, the gate remains in the water and you can sometimes approach it from the shrine, because the tide goes out twice a day. I managed to experience it myself, which you can see in the video at this link: https://youtube.com/shorts/oWtYBzTR0As?si=MntK-5ZTn0xfCRSB

Wielka brama torii przed świątyni Itsukushima, Miyajima / Great torii Gate In front of the Itsukushima temple, Miyajima

Wielka brama torii podczas odpływu / Great torii Gate during low tide

Itsukushima - świątynia na wodzie, Miyajima / Itsukushima - a temple on the water, Miyajima

Scena dworskiego teatru noh, Itsukushima / A Noh theatre stage, Itsukushima

Miyajima is also famous for the deers which live wild on the island and cozy up to tourists for food.

Jelonki mieszkające na wyspie Miyajima / Deers that live on Miyajima island

Apart from them, I also saw a fantastic place - a recreated traditional Japanese house, once owned by a wealthy merchant. You can enter its interior and even warm yourself by a hibachi heater hidden under the table. This was in the folklore and history museum. Look at one of the rooms and the garden:

Wnętrze tradycyjnego japońskiego domu / a room In a traditional Japanese house

Ogród w tradycyjnym japońskim domu / A garden in a traditional Japanese house

And finally, the mountain. Misen rises to a height of 535 m above sea level and is a sacred mountain, dotted with Shinoist shrines, figurines of deities and Buddhist temples. Walking there is, on the one hand, easy, because there are paths and stairs everywhere, but on the other hand, walking down the two and a half kilometres, mostly on stairs, made my knees hate me. I guess it's part of the idea of ​​pilgrimage and self-mortification. The Japanese are happy to visit such places and I saw older people with great determination going to the top.

The first photo is taken with a filter that highlights the layers of mountains in the distance. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to see them. I recorded the whole view in a short video. If you want to watch it, here's the link: https://youtube.com/shorts/QbEx1N4oyJI?si=46zp2ef_ssupwrH4

In the last photo you will see a figure of a bodhisattva called Jizō in Japan, who takes care of children (including the unborn) and travelers, among others. There are always a lot of them on pilgrim paths and they are decorated with different pieces of clothing :)

Widok z góry Misen / A view from Mount Misen

Figurka Jizō - opiekuna podróżnych (w tle jeszcze trzy inne) / A Jizō figure (and other three in the background) - travellers' guardian