With Itsukushima Temple

The small island, located on the southwest coast of the largest island of Honshu, is a popular tourist destination, both for its history, the picturesque temples or the ubiquitous free-ranging sika deer. This sacred island is so revered by the Japanese that no one can be born or die here, so there are no maternity hospitals or cemeteries.
Transport by ferry
The island runs a ferry every 1/4 hour from the port, which can be reached by train to Miyajimaguchi Station. The advantage is that if you have bought a Rail pass (I highly recommend it), it also applies to this ferry. The journey takes about 10 minutes and upon arrival to the island offers a view of the dominant feature of the whole island, the orange gate of Otoria.

Sika deer
There are around 2,000 sika deer roaming freely on the island, which are so domesticated that they can be petted and posed to photographers as professional models. It is forbidden to feed them on the island, but not many people observe it. The deer are, after all, quite ragged enough to get any goodness themselves, in the form of a stolen snack, a plastic bag or a map sticking out of their pocket.

Models
We also stroked them at first, but when I saw that one adult deer scratched behind his ear and suddenly the ribs moved in his fur all over his body, I preferred to stay with the photo shoot.

Gate of Otoria
Japan's most famous floating gate, the Otaria Gate, can be explored at low tide. There was still a tide on our arrival on the island, so we could even swim across the gate. In a few hours, however, she could be reached by dry feet.

Shinkoji wooden temple
There are several sacred temples on the island. The main and most famous Itsukushima (listed in UNESCO monuments) is right on the sea shore behind the floating gate of Otoria. Visitors have the opportunity to admire several historic temples and buildings on the island, such as this wooden Shinkoji temple


Five-story pagoda
This five-storey pagoda is also a part of the Buddhist temple. The Japanese believe that coloring the buildings red will protect them from the devil. There is also a cable car on the island, which takes visitors to the very center of the island to its highest point, from where there is a view in all directions. There are also several hiking trails that allow you to explore the local vegetation.
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