Itsukushima Shrine

Overview

Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima island is one of Japan's most iconic sights — a vermillion Shinto shrine built over the water, with its famous floating torii gate appearing to hover above the sea at high tide. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

Highlights

• Floating Torii Gate: The 16.6-meter-tall camphor wood gate, rebuilt in 1875, appears to float on the water at high tide — one of Japan's most photographed scenes.
• Tidal Architecture: The shrine complex is built on stilts over a tidal flat, dramatically changing appearance between high and low tide.
• Noh Stage: The shrine's open-air Noh theatre stage, built in 1680, is the only one in Japan constructed over water.

History

Originally built in 593 AD, the current shrine dates to 1168 when the powerful warlord Taira no Kiyomori expanded it into its present grand form. The entire island of Miyajima was considered so sacred that commoners were forbidden from setting foot on it.

Visitor Tips

• Tide Timing: Check tide tables — the torii gate floats at high tide but you can walk to its base at low tide. Both experiences are worth seeing.
• Ferry: JR ferry from Miyajimaguchi is covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours.