There couldn't be a more popular place in Japan right now (except Mount Fuji) then Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture.
It literally has everything that you would ever need from an attraction. It has beauty, history, nature, a variety of experiences and to top it off a picturesque Ferry ride from the mainland to the island, which is only a 10 minute journey but a highlight in itself.
The island of Itsukushima, has been a holy place of Shintoism since the earliest times. The first shrine buildings here were probably erected in the 6th century. The present shrine dates from the 12th century and the harmoniously arranged buildings reveal great artistic and technical skill. The shrine plays on the contrasts in color and form between mountains and sea and illustrates the Japanese concept of scenic beauty, which combines nature and human creativity.
The name Itsukushima literally means 'island of worship' and from ancient times the island itself was worshipped as a god. The mystical Itsukushima Shrine built on the water was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1996. A place where people have long carried out ancient rites, Itsukushima Shrine has become world renowned, attracting visitors from all over Japan and the rest of the world.
I have been to Itsukushima Shrine at least 5 or 6 times since my arrival in Japan. It's absolutely a location that draws you in and keeps you coming back with its quintessential features and highlights. On this day my family (my children's 1st visit) joined me for a day trip from Fukuoka. At first they were like, do we have to come and drive that far just to see a Shrine! But when they got on the island and saw all the amazing sights their attitude absolutely reversed full circle. In the end, it was a effort to get them off the island as they were so into the location.
Firstly, it was the deer that got them excited. They really enjoyed the closeness and of course the deer aren't aggressive, can be touched and petted. and generally enjoyed from up close. After that, they checked out the Shrine and its pathways which feel as though you are standing directly on top of the sea in many parts. Once the tide had disappeared then it was off to the standing Torii gates, which just aren't massive but quite a joy and experience to walk around as well as to throw coins onto. If you do get on on to the wooden structure, of course years and decades of good luck will be bestowed upon you!
Its been a few years now between visits but I can feel another trip to Hiroshima being on the cards. I am sure there are many more shops and restaurants on the main street as foreign tourists now exceeds Japanese domestic numbers. I am sure you will be as impressed as me on how amazing this location really is.
Please look hereto see the Itsukushima Shrine here on a map:
Please click on these photos below to enlarge:
My daughter was doing cartwheels of excitement
Family shot
Low tide at the Shrine
Visible from all angles
Lets walk to the torii gate
Low tide
The ferry come and go all day long
Another family shot
The gate at high tide
Magnificent
My daughter especially loved this place
Panorama Shot
Every angle is superb
Plenty of deer to feed
Please watch this video below to see more about the Itsukushima Shrine:
Unzen Jigoku Hells in Nagasaki is located within the Unzen Town district and is designated as a National Park. It is where you will find many wild birds and alpine plants as well as other attractive features such as frost in winter (January to February) crimson foliage in autumn (October and November) cherry blossoms in Spring (March and April) and Azaleas in summer (May and June).
The Unzen Hot Spring is located at the foot of Mt. Unzen. As a result of the nearby Volcano (Mount Fugen) it provides more than enough hot water for the many resorts an hotels in the region and support a wasteland of heat and steam. This is the place where high-temperature hot springs and steams spurt out of the ground and is called "Unzen Jigoku” (Unzen Hell) because of the sulfur content and the fact that sulfur steam is rising constantly into the air from the ground and the boiling spring water. Because of the sulfur, plants cannot grow here and the atmosphere is dense with steam which makes you think as if it is a scene right out of hell but don't worry within minutes of leaving the area the sulfur smell will have dissipated from your clothes and your pores.
One can walk around the area within a reasonable amount of time (approx 30 to 40 mins), take a multitude of photos of plant and bird life around the hells area and also enjoy sulfur infused boiled eggs cooked within minutes right in front of your eyes. These eggs taste amazing and combined with just the right amount of salt for added tasting pleasure they are out of this world and will be absolutely the best boiled eggs you will ever taste in your life!
My private tours of this area can get many different reactions, those of immense pleasure to those of utter disgust for the potent smells of the sulfur. My job as a private tour operator is to give the client as many choices as possible and if requested this location can be left off the days itinerary.
Look at Unzen Jigoku Hells in Nagasaki on this map below:
Click on the photo below to enlarge:
Steam and sulfur everywhere you look
Nature Personified
Lots of hotels and resorts
Careful of the sulfur smell
Steam venting
Lots of steam
Magnificent contrasts
Volcanic wasteland
Well signposted
Happy couple
Taking a wander
This is sulfur
Dangerous areas are fenced
Have a look at Unzen Jigoku Hells Nagasaki on the videos below:
Shimabara is a city of abundant spring water and has been selected as one of the top 100 natural water sources in Japan. Since the Edo Period (16th century) the rich natural blessing of spring water has been maintained and the systems used for this remain to this day. Clean, clear water bubbles up from springs located all over the city, the spring water enriching residents’ daily lives and the landscape. Building structures that incorporate spring wells into Japanese-style houses and watercourses with swimming carp are popular sights in the city. Tourists from all around Japan and even the world come to Shimabara to see and feel for themselves how a city and town can be developed with Springwater in mind as the main attraction and one of its life bloods and key to its existence and continual development for the future. On this fine winters day I decided to bring one of my visiting friends and my kids to check out and see for themselves that water is one of most precious resources and it must be cherished and maintained at the highest level as so to encourage other communities to treat water with the highest regards. The Water House as its known in English, is a fine example of this type of respect that is shown to the Natural Springwater of Shimabara. A house built directly on top of one of the many water features in Shimabara to allow people to appreciate and interact with nature the way it was intended to be. One can also appreciate Japanese cultural assets and materials that are on display in the house and of course what else but a delicious free sample of Japanese Green Tea, straight from the water source below. There is nothing better than a cup of fresh hot green water on a cold winters day. It was so good that we asked for another and the impeccably dressed host for the day in an absolutely beautiful traditional Kimono was happy to oblige. I will be back! A huge thumbs up from me and my accompanied guests. Look here to see Shimabara Water House in Nagasaki on a map:
More and more, as I fully cover most of the attractions of my hometown here in Nagasaki and Fukuoka Prefectures in the southern island of Kyushu, I continue to expand my range and areas of expertise. Luckily with my new area of residence being Fukuoka, many places of interest in the north east region of Kyushu and just across the Kanmon Strait into Yamaguchi Prefecture on the main island of Honshu, have become accessible to me. Over time, I will get to many of them and document exactly the areas that are worth visiting on our private tours.
One of these attractions is called Akama Shrine. Indeed a beautiful shrine in a fabulous location, facing the Kanmon Bridge and Strait as well as Fukuoka Prefecture from which I just came from. The shrine is striking in its colors with the bright red gates and certainly has a great feel and vibe about it even though its history is quite perverse.
Akama Shrine is dedicated to the child emperor Antoku who committed suicide by drowning after the defeat of the Heike at the final battle of the Genpei War (1180- 1185) at Dan-no-ura. It is also dedicated to Taira-no-Tokiko, the grandmother of Antoku who died before the war but helped lead the Heike.
In May of every year there is a festival held in memory of Antoku, in which women come to the shrine in beautiful kimonos to mourn the memory of the emperor who cut his life short at a young age. It`s a scene that looks straight out of a traditional Japanese picture book.
I visited the Shrine in late December just as the preparations for the New Years were coming into play. There was quite a bit of activity at the time but that didn`t stop me from getting some great pictures and generally really enjoying the experience of a place that has a rich and powerful history. I am sure I will return again soon and do some more investigation of the area.
Please look here to see the Akama Shrine on a map:
Please click on the photos below to enlarge:
Striking colors
How to pray at a Shrine
A place to make a New Years wish
Perfect views!
Also please click on the videos below to see more about the Akama Shrine:
Autumn Viewing Pleasures are one of the best things to do in November just before the change of season into winter. I am blessed here in Nagasaki to have an abundance of places right on my back doorstep to indulge in a little bit of Autumn viewing pleasures especially since I don`t have to travel too far.
In fact, the road from my place goes straight up the mountain to Unzen on the Shimabara Peninsular and half way up a private residence has turned his home and its wide open spaces into a public viewing of all things amazing in Autumn. Here people come from near and far to participate in some Nagasaki Autumn Viewing Pleasures and for a nominal fee of around $3 US for adults and free for kids, anyone can wander around the beautiful landscape and basically get lost in their own little world whilst taking in all the splendor that there is to offer.
Although I had missed the peak of the Autumn Leaf changing season by a few days, I was still able to see many exquisite sites and revel in the nature that was abundant and never ending. The Japanese Momiji (Maple Leaf) is absolutely entwined in the Japanese psyche and has a strong connection cultural as well as being entrenched in their culinary habits. It is common to see the Momiji used as food displays during the Autumn period so it is normal for the average Japanese person to feel the need to connect with the Momiji through nature as well. Hence you are never alone during the Nagasaki Autumn Viewing Pleasures as there is always one or 20 people around you.
On this day, I was fortunate to have my family with me and my kids absolutely relished in the environment. I plan to come back a few days earlier next year to arrive at the peak of the Momiji powers. Come join me if you like?
Check outAutumn Viewing in Nagasaki here on a map:
Please click on the photos below to enlarge:
Orange colors everywhere
Reflections
My children enjoyed the leaves
Picture perfect
Please click on the videos below to see more Nagasaki Autumn Viewing Pleasures:
