What other travelers are saying about Itsukushima Jinja (Itsukushima Shrine)
SO COOL. The island is also pretty cool and I feel like there is so much to explore. We only came to see the shrine but I knew if I had more time I would want to explore the island. Since it’s not under construction anymore, it made for some beautiful photos. The deer are also so nice. The ferry runs so often you don’t really have to plan your trip too much in advance. Wasn’t busy early in the morning on a Saturday.
Me and my parents had a chance to visit Itsukushima while in Hiroshima. The gate itself is amazing marking the entrance to the shrine. We were in luck that day as a couple was getting married in the shrine and had a chance to witness a Shinto wedding ceremony. A warning in advance that a queue would form when wanting to take single or group pictures near the iconic gate. Thankfully the line wasn’t that long and we managed to get some nice personal pictures.
Loved it, I highly recommend going. It's a great activity to do with the family - my, at the time, 13-month-old, had a blast. During low tide, you can walk out to the Torii gate, during high tide, the shrine gives the feeling almost as if it were floating on the water. There are wild deer, so keep an eye on your belongings and children - especially if you are holding food!
A beautiful area but be prepared to queue for 5/10 minutes if you want to go into the shrine itself. Lots of people around all trying to find the perfect photo. The bank on the far side of the shrine was much calmer and you were able to sit and relax while looking over the bay. Lots of deer around who are not shy at all and will poke their heads into your bags looking for food.
My visit was beautiful. This catfish from the aquarium became a good friend for a moment. The water was high in the afternoon so we couldn’t go in but that’s okay. Overall, Itsukushima is my favorite part of Japan, western Japan is where I would move if I could. The ferry was a bit crowded but not too awful.