Day Trip to Miyajima Shrine Part 2

Welcome, we're taking a journey around Miyajima island. As you can see, there's much more to see after the famous Itsukushima shrine. Follow me!

Just adjacent to the main shrine are a few others you can check out, although they won't be as impressive as Itsukushima.

I decided to continue my journey around the island on foot, the best way to get around. I followed a path through a neighborhood all the way up to a really impressive and unique shrine, and I enjoyed a good walk.

Through here I discovered a lot of steps leading up to more temples.

A LOT of steps.

Check out this cool railing.

There are the usual fixtures at the gate, and you can really appreciate the intricate woodwork.

Inside I found the most Buddhist statues I've ever seen in one place, as you will see on our tour.

As an interactive activity, you can try ringing the bell (which they ask you to limit to one time only, so better make it good!).

You can also purchase a wishing ball for 300 yen ($3 US). You're supposed to make a wish and throw it into a clay ("cray") pot from the marked point. 

We keep going, and there's still much more to see. As you can see from the map, there's a lot to cover.

You can purchase an amulet commemorating the anniversary of your birth to make every day feel important.

Up next, yet another temple.

Here they've displayed a chart on your fortunes tied to the phases of the moon and the stars to hope for safety in the year to come.

There were some merchants here selling traditional Japanese items like kokeshi.

This is how people used to carry their money back in the day – which is why Japanese money has holes in it! Now you know.

Below, you can take in some other great shots of the temple.

This is a typical sight at any temple in Japan, where people purchase these small wooden plaques called ema and write their wishes on them.

If you missed your first chance, you can throw in a few coins and ring the bell here.

For some reason, this was a regular sighting of people adorning the statues with knitted hats and scarves to keep warm.

This is a Japanese tengu, or goblin.

I managed to catch a Buddhist monk on my way up the next long, long flight of stairs. This one also has some interesting decorations which I believe include the names or organizations of those who donated funds to the temple.

Found this interesting helmet (at least I think it's a helmet?).

Another look at the intricacies of the woodwork underneath the temple roofs. Incredible!

This stone guardian made for a nice shot.

Not sure what this artifact is here, but it sure is interesting!

Interestingly enough, I found some Western influences here.

And some modern Japanese ones, like Anpanman.

I don't know what this statue of the archangel Michael is doing in a Buddhist temple. Your guess is as good as mine.

You'll see a good mix of Buddhist and Shinto influences throughout.

That's it for this leg of the journey! Up next is my favorite part: the Miyajima ropeway, offering stunning panoramic views and a fun ride to the top!