Japan in One Minute – MIYAJIMA (Itsukushima) Island [Sika Deers, Itsukushima Shrine]

Another video of my “one minute” series, this time we will visit beautiful island Itsukushima, well known by it’s nick name Miyajima.

Itsukushima (厳島) is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. It is popularly known as Miyajima (宮島), which in Japanese means “Shrine Island”. The island is one of Hayashi Gahō’s Three Views of Japan specified in 1643. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. Itsukushima is mountainous and sparsely settled. It has an elementary school and a middle school. There are no traffic signals. It is rural and mountainous, only 30.39 square kilometres (11.73 sq mi), and has a population of about 2000. There are no cities, only small towns with simple houses and privately owned shops. The islanders work hard to preserve the forests and respect nature.
Because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber. Deer roam freely. Deer are thought of as sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods. They walk the streets of the city, not afraid of the tourists.
The shamoji, a style of wooden paddle used to serve cooked rice without impairing the taste, is said to have been invented by a monk who lived on the island. The shamoji is a popular souvenir, and there are some outsized examples around the shopping district.
The peak of Mount Misen, at 535 m, is the highest point on the island. Miyajima Ropeway carries visitors to within a 30-minute hike to the top. There are several sites related to the historic Buddhist priest and founder of Shingon Buddhism, Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師) (774–835), including Daishō-in, near the top.

The Deers

You can meet them all over the island. They are very friendly, but be careful, if they can smell the food in your bag, they can be annoing and in some point dangerous. They also like to eat paper, so take are of your documents such as passports, tickets, etc.. Right name of these deers is Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) also known as the spotted deer or the Japanese deer. It is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south to the Russian Far East in the north, it is now uncommon except in Japan, where the species is overabundant.

Itsukushima Shrine

is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima, best known for its “floating” torii gate. If you visit the island, take your time and spend all day here, so you can see torii gate in the water, and in few hours during the low tide you can walk uder it and touch it. Japanese people believe it is sacred and if you touch it, your wishes will be fulfilled. The shrine complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Japanese government has designated several buildings and possessions as National Treasures.
The Itsukushima shrine is one of Japan’s most popular tourist attractions. It is most famous for its dramatic gate, or torii on the outskirts of the shrine, the sacred peaks of Mount Misen, extensive forests, and its aesthetic ocean view. The shrine complex itself consists of two main buildings: the Honsha shrine and the Sessha Marodo-jinja, as well as 17 other different buildings and structures that help to distinguish it. The complex is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and six of its buildings and possessions have been designated by the Japanese government as National Treasures. Itsukushima jinja was the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) of Aki Province.
It is said to have been erected in 593 supposedly by Saeki Kuramoto during the Suiko period. However, the present shrine has been popularly attributed to Taira no Kiyomori, a prominent warlord (daimyo) who contributed heavily to the building of the shrine during his time as governor of Aki Province in 1168. Another renowned patron of the shrine was the warlord Mori Motonari, lord of Choshu, who was responsible for rebuilding the honden in 1571. It is important to note, however, that as a result of waging war against Sue Takafusa there in 1555, Motonari is said to have tainted the island’s grounds by battling on the island. This relates to the strict notions of sacred purity that Shinto shrines stand for. Unfortunately, the only surviving structure in Itsukushima shrine from the Kamakura period is the Kyakuden or “Guest-God’s Shrine”.