Nov 2, 2012 - 1 min read

Hike Up Mt. Misen on Miyajima Island

The boulders on top of this mountain make Miyajima holy

By Anonymous

Community writer

The view from the top of Mt. Misen on Miyajima Island is sublime

One route up Mt. Misen starts at the dramatic Daisho-in Temple

The path is steep all the way up, but well paved with steps

There are fine views of Itsukushima Shrine and its famous torii

The path follows a big ravine with a little stream

There are a number of temples and shrines near the top

I found this Japanese Forest Rat Snake in a pool next to a Buddhist shrine

Why did this temple guardian have his face covered? I have no idea

The boulders on top of Mt. Misen made Miyajima a holy island

Mount Misen is the highest mountain on Miyajima Island at 535 m. Miyajima became holy because, unlike the other islands in the area, it has huge boulders on it at the top of Mt. Misen, and the Shinto religion reveres striking natural features. There are two main routes up the mountain, the Daisho-In route and the Momijidani park route. I would recommend going up one and coming down the other to be able to take in all the sights.

More info

Find out more about Mount Misen.

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By Anonymous

Paul Walsh 11 years ago

A colleague at work told me that he had heard that these huge boulders were brought in from elsewhere to create a kind of 500m high Stonehenge! I have my doubts, but am trying to check it out. Boggles the mind if true.

Paul Walsh 12 years ago

The Nioumon Gate in the photo of one of its two red statues with its head covered was battered by two strong typhoons in 1991 and 1999 and almost completely destroyed. The gate has been recently reconstructed and the statues returned. A "rakkei" ceremony to commemorate its completion was held on October 28 and the heads were covered until then.