Miyajima Island

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine has been designated as a World Cultural Heritage Site  by UNESCO.  It is dedicated to three goddesses:  Ichikishima-hime, Tagitsu-hime, and Tagori-hime.  They are the deities of traffic safety, sea, fortune and accomplishment.  The shrine was built in 593 and remodeled in 1168. (I didn't know that remodeling was even a thing back then!)  The vermillion color of the shrine and the o-torii gates is considered to keep evil spirits away.

The o-torii gate is  an historical cultural property.  It is one of the largest wooden torii gates in Japan. It stands about 16.6 meters high and weighs about 60 tons. The roof is made of thatched Japanese cypress bark and is about 24.2 meters long. The main pillars are about 9.9 meters in circumference and made of natural camphor trees.  The 4 supporting pillars are made of natural cedar.  The top rail has hollow spaces where stones the size of your fist are put inside as a weight.  They use about 7 tones of stones.  It is standing of its own weight. This o-torii gate is the 8th gate built since the Heian period and was built in 1875.

In the background behind trees we could see a 5 storied pagoda.  It was built in 1407 and is about 28 meters tall.

After visiting the shrine and the o-torii gate, we wandered through Omotesando Shopping Arcade taking in all the sights, sounds and smells.

There are also wild deer on the island.