The Miyajima floating torii gate construction is finished! Specifically, the iconic torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, has been under construction since June 2019. Well in mid October 2022, three and a bit years later, the renovations were completed! We visited on 13 October 2022 and the renovations were complete and 90% of the scaffolding had been removed. We had been keeping a close eye on the construction status via Google reviews, sorting by newest.

Miyajima is a small island, deer to my heart (cue eye-roll). It’s famous for:

• Itsukushima Jinja famous floating torii gate
• Free-roaming friendly deer throughout the whole island. Another place you can see deer in Japan is Nara.
• Oysters – you can see oyster farm after oyster farm in the surrounding area
• Momiji manju – bite size maple leaf shaped cake filled with read bean paste
• Shamoji rice paddles – great idea for a souvenir!

Getting to Hiroshima from Tokyo

By plane

Hiroshima is the most beautiful airport I’ve flown into – this alone is a big plus for flying! Flight time from Tokyo to Hiroshima is around 1 hour 30 minutes. Looks attractive compared to the Shinkansen (bullet train) right? But you need to consider the total travel time, and luggage allowances. To get from your hotel in Tokyo to either airport is going to take you 1 to 1.5 hours. Plus then you need to get to the airport 1 to 1.5 hours ahead of your boarding time. And at the Hiroshima end, getting from Hiroshima airport to Hiroshima Station (central Hiroshima) takes 1 hour. So Tokyo to Hiroshima total travel time by plane is 4 to 5 hours!

Prices to fly vary a lot depending on the time of the year. There are also two airports around Tokyo to choose from:

Haneda Airport

• Approximate cost from Haneda Airport is 9,000 to 16,000 yen ($65 to $110)
• Premium airlines Japan Airlines (JAL) or All Nippon Airways (ANA).
• There are lots of food options in Haneda airport.
• From Tokyo Station: Yamanote Line + Keikyu Main Line takes 29 min and costs 470 yen.
• From Asakusa Station: Asakusa Line takes 42 min and costs 530 yen.
• From Shinjuku Station: Yamanote Line + Keikyu Main Line takes 36 min and costs 500 yen.

Narita Airport

• Approximate cost from Narita Airport is 6,000 to 8,000 yen ($40 to $55)
• Low Cost Carriers (LLC) Spring Japan. Note they are very strict on baggage allowances. Our carry on bag was 7.3kg and we had to remove 0.3kg (took out a jacket and a top) to get under the 7kg limit.
• There are not many food options in Narita airport. And none once you go through security (for domestic terminals).
• Getting to Narita Airport takes a bit longer. The cheaper local trains take approximately 1 to 1.5 hours from anywhere in Tokyo and costs approximately 1300 yen ($10).
• Fom Tokyo Station: Limousine bus takes 1 hour 5 min, costs 1300 yen, and leaves every 20 min.
• From Asakusa Station: Asakusa Line takes 55 min and costs 1310 yen. Alternatively from the Asakusa area, from Oshiage Station (SKYTREE), Keisei Narita Skyaccess line takes 52 min and costs 1190 yen.
• From Shinjuku Station: Toei Shinjuku Line to Bakuroyokoyama Station, walk 3 min to Higashi-Nihombashi Station and take the Asakusa Line to Narita Airport. Total time approx. 1 hour 16 min, cost 1396 yen.
• From Shinjuku Station (2nd option): Toei Shinjuku Line to Motoyawata Station then Keisei line to Narita Airport. Total time approx. 1 hour 30 min, cost 1188 yen.

By shinkansen (bullet train)

The bullet train is by far the most comfortable option. The trip to Hiroshima station takes 3 hours 55 min from Tokyo station, or 3 hours 45 min from Shinagawa station. These options both cost 19,440 yen ($135). The benefit of this option is that you don’t need to get there 90 minutes before departure! I recommend getting to the platform 15 minutes before departure, good time to grab some shots of the bullet trains. Also, your destination (Hiroshima Station) is right in the middle of the city and you can easily go to your hotel or next stop from there. Downside is the cost, but if you have a JR pass covering the area, see below.

JR Pass

If you have a JR pass (which gives you unlimited JR and Shinkansen rides) then I definitely recommend this option over flying! Note that with the JR pass you cannot ride the “express” Nozomi Shinkansen, you have to take the Hikari Shinkansen from Tokyo (or Shinagawa) to Shin-Osaka station. Then from Shin-Osaka, transfer to the Sanyo Shinkansen (Sakura train) to Hiroshima Station. This takes about 5 hours.

Alternatively, you could plan your travel itinerary to spend a night or two in Osaka/Kyoto, and then head down to Hiroshima. Note that Osaka and Kyoto are so close to eachother. From Shin-Osaka Station to Kyoto Station takes 14 min by Shinkansen, or 24 minutes by rapid Tokaido-Sanyo Line (which costs 570 yen, or $4).

Getting to Miyajima from Hiroshima

Train plus boat

From Hiroshima Station take the Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi Station, walk 7 min to the JR Miyajima Ferry, and take a 10 minute ferry to Miyajima. This is the cheap option and costs 600 yen, or is free with your JR Pass.

Scenic boat through city

We did the premium option, and it’s totally worth it! Costs 2390 yen and is 1 hour 21 min from Hiroshima Station. Make your way to Motoyasu-sanbashi (one of the bridges next to the A-bomb dome). Then it’s a 45 min non-stop boat ride through the city rivers and out to Miyajima. You pass under quite a few low bridges and after a wee bit they let you outside onto the deck for 10-15 min. You get great views of the city, including driving past the A-bomb dome in the first few minutes of the trip.

Miyajima one day itinerary

There are heaps of things to do in Miyajima, you can easily spend a full day there, or spend a night and do it over 1.5 or 2 days. To get the best views along the coast and see the famous floating Torii gate actually “floating”, you need to reorder this miyajima one day itinerary around so you’re at Itsukushima Shrine around high tide. When we went, high tide was at 11:36am.

Leave hotel 9am and make your way to Motoyasu-sanbashi もとやす桟橋. The scenic boat takes 45 minutes and costs 2390 yen each way, or a return trip for 4500 yen. Buy the tickets at the wharf. Catch the 9:30am boat and arrive at 10:15am.

Nagahama Shrine – floating torii gate, but not the floating torii gate

10:15 to 10:45am. Walk about 5 minutes from the boat wharf to Nagahama Shrine torii gate – the hidden gem of Miyajima! This is not the famous floating torii, but quiet and peaceful, it’s equally beautiful. When we went, we were the only ones there! Nice spot for a wee stop and a vending machine coffee!

Seaside walk to Itsukushima Jinja Shrine

10:45-11:15am. Walk to Itsukushima-jinja shrine for high tide 1136am (4 min walk). Along this walk you’ll see free-roaming friendly deer! Unlike Nara though, you’re not allowed to feed these deer.

Nice photo spots along this walk, just as the path turns to the left and you can see Itsukushima-jinja shrine, you have a great view of the floating torii gate and many people will take photos here!

Itsukushima Shrine

11:15-11:45am. This is the part you want to do around high tide, because the shrine is built over on stilts over the water, and walking over the wooden pathways with water either side is amazing. Although the benefit of low tide is that you can walk right out to the torii gate!

The pathway along the waterfront takes you right up to Itsukushima Shrine. Admission fee is 300 yen

Comparing high tide and low tide

Cafe stops and Lunch

11:45am-12:45pm. We didn’t have any specific cafe in mind, and just playing by ear we walking around found Ruuju. We also weren’t super hungry but definitely wanted a drink. They had this amazing かりんとう饅頭セット (karinto manju drink set) for 650 yen, which is Japanese style muffin with red bean filling that has been fried so is all crunchy and yum. This cafe also had full meals so that’s an option too if you’re hungry, but our plan was to get a few snacky style foods at different street stalls.

From the cafe we continued up the road and made our way to Momijidani-koen park and the ropeway.

Momijidani-koen Park

12:45-1:15pm. Walk through Momijidani-koen park to the ropeway. Momijidani-koen park is a 6 min walk from Itsukushima shrine and the walk through the park itself takes about 25 minutes at a really leisurely pace (lots of great photo spots). As before, you’ll see lots of free-roaming deer!

Miyajima Ropeway to Mt. Misen

1:15-2pm. Mt Misen ropeway costs 1800 yen return. It takes you up to a great viewing spot, but not to the actual summit of Mt Misen. There is a toilet at the top of the ropeway, a sitting area and vending machines (and of course icecream vending machines)!

If you want to walk to the summit it takes about 1 – 1.5 hours return. Check out the map below for specific times of each path.

Toyokuni Shrine five-story pagoda

2-2:30pm take the ropeway down and walk back through Momijidani-koen park.

On the walk towards Omotesando shopping and food stall street, take a quick 5 minute detour to see Toyokuni Shrine!

Omotesando shopping arcade and street food

2:30-3:45pm. Start leisurely journey back towards pier through Omotesando shopping street. There are heaps of food stalls that sell grilled oysters and heaps that sell momiji-manju maple leaf shaped cakes. But if you see something else that takes your fancy then get it as you may not see it again!

You walk back past Itsukushima Shrine so would be a perfect time to walk through there if high tide didn’t line up with the schedule before.

Eat momoji Manju on Omotesando Arcade Souvenir Street. A particularly

Buy a Miyajima souvenir!

From Miyajima back to Hiroshima

Arrive at the ferry terminal at 3:45pm, 10 minutes before the ferry leaves. Catch ferry back to Hiroshima 3:55pm from No3 pier (2390yen each).

Or from 宮島桟橋 JR (Miyajima-sanbashi JR), then Miyajimaguchi Station to Shin-Hakushima Station then Astram line (total 700 yen each).

Hiroshima Castle

4:45pm-6pm. Arriving back at Motoyasu-sanbashi at around 4:45pm, catch a taxi to Hiroshima Castle (which closes at 6pm, but 1 hour there is plenty of time).

Entrance fee is only 370 yen! Inside is a museum with old samurai swords, samurai armour, and other traditional artifacts.

Dinner

6:15pm-7:45pm. Dinner

You must try Okonomimura at least one of the nights you are staying in Hiroshima. It’s 3 floors of Okonomiyaki restaurants (Japanese savoury pancakes). Hiroshima style okonomiyaki is unique so is a must try while you’re here! As opposed to Osaka or Tokyo styles, Hiroshima style is layered, plus it has fried noodles in it!

If you are after a non-Japanese option, check out Graffity (グラフィティ) Mexican Restaurant

Optional: Darts

8-9:30pm darts bar! This has electronic darts (Dartslive 3) and electronic beer pong!