19/03/2020
[スタツア中]
Hello everyone~!
Today’s post will be a slight departure from the norm — it will be written in English! Hooray for much-needed reading practice!! 笑笑
On Day 7, the ICU UNESCO club members visited Miyajima island (宮島), an island famous for the Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Miyajima island is located in the Inland Sea of Japan (瀬戸内) and is considered one of the Three Views of Japan (日本三景). Miyajima island is easily accessible from Hiroshima Station via local train and tram, followed by a 15 minute ferry ride to the island. Ferries in either direction run four times an hour and they even accept IC cards as a form of payment!
Itsukushima Shrine is renowned for its idyllic Torii gate that was built just beyond the parameters of the shrine. At high tide, part of the picturesque Torii gate disappears below the water, creating the impression of a ‘floating’ Torii gate. At low tide, the receding waters reveal the foundations of the imposing structure, inviting curious onlookers to sink their toes into the sandy beach to get a better view. The present shrine of Itsukushima has been popularly attributed to Taira no Kiyomori (平 清盛) who contributed heavily to the construction of the shrine in 1168. The shrine is dedicated to the three daughters of Susano-o Mikoto, otherwise known as the ‘three female deities’. For most of its history, Itsukushima was considered a pure Shinto shrine ‘where no births or deaths were allowed to cause pollution’ — commoners were not allowed to set foot on it to maintain its sanctity!
Miyajima island lies on the crossroads of Japan’s two major religions: Shintoism and Buddhism. On the majestic slopes of the Mt Misen stands Daishoin (大聖院), a history temple complex with many temples and statues. In this temple, it is claimed that there is a fire that has been burning since the temple’s inception more than 1200 years ago. The 14th Dalai Lama visited Itsukushima in 2006 to commemorate the 1200th anniversary of the founding of Daishoin.
One of Miyajima’s main attractions are the numerous wild deer that freely roam the streets of the island. Unfazed by the endless stream of tourists that visit the island daily, @ 宮島 / Miyajima (厳島)