The adventures of Sarah, part 2

Okay, before I begin gushing about how much fun I’m having in Kobe, let’s just jump back to last week’s trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima, shall we?

Miyajima is a small island about forty minutes from Hiroshima by train and ferry boat. It’s considered a very sacred place, due to the purity of its popular shrine. So sacred, in fact, that no one is allowed to give birth or die there. Talk about having to really plan your excursions, huh? I wonder if they’ve had any close calls…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyajima

It’s referred to as the jewel of Japan’s coast, and it truly is. The water lapping at the shores is a beautiful blue/green, and the entire island is covered in lush, virgin forests. It was a hot day when I visited, so I enjoyed the windy ferry ride immensely. I watched our approach from the top, outdoor deck of the boat, which allowed for excellent views of both shores.



First, I visited the Itsukushima Shrine, which is a sprawling example of Heian architecture. It was designed so, that when the tide came in, the entire complex would look like it was floating on a sheet of glass. Near the shrine was the famous floating torii gate. Unfortunately, the tide was low at the time of my visit, but both the shrine and gate were stunning nonetheless. As I strolled the long corridors, monks and shrine keepers swept past me in their traditional hakama pants, which really added to the atmosphere. Images from Takarazuka’s “Tale of Genji” flooded my mind, and I could picture what life must have been like here. Gallant ladies and gentleman of the Heian court, visiting in their brightly colored, layered silks…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsukushima_Shrine


Itsukushima Shrine


The floating torii


Miyajima's five-tiered pagoda

After the shrine, I wandered up a stone staircase that lead up a tall hill. At the top was a small, two-tiered pagoda and a grand sweeping view of the entire island, which was crowded with tourists, foreigners, and visiting school children. Wherever you go in Miyajima, you will undoubtedly encounter its guardian deer which, like the deer of Nara, will follow you everywhere if they so much as catch a whiff of anything edible. Fortunately for me, the hot and humid weather left them lethargic and considerably less aggressive than their Nara counterparts. I felt rather bad for them. They looked so miserable and half-starved. Usually, you can buy deer biscuits from nearby stands and feed them, but I was unable to locate any. Just as well, I suppose. I probably would have been stampeded.




One of Miyajima's eleventyhundred deer

Miyajima is famous for two edible souvenirs: oysters and little cakes called Momiji manju. The latter are shaped like maple leaves and stuffed with various sweet fillings such as custard, chocolate, matcha, anko (red bean), and cheese. I was told they were a must have and bought two boxes. I was slightly more wary of the oysters, despite the fact that they smelled delicious. While I debated over how brave I wanted to be, I watched a nearby vendor cooking them (shell and all) over an out-door grill. Finally I decided to suck it up and try them. After all, I had already eaten numerous variations of raw seafood, so why not? As it turned out, grilled oysters are awesome! I highly recommend them!


Oishii katta! (That was delicious)

It was getting close to late afternoon at that point and my entire body was heavy and tired, so I decided to begin the long journey home: the ferry, the local train, the shinkansen, and then the local train again! Phew!