With yesterday's meeting out of the way, time to get going. First stop: Miyajima. It is an island just a ten minute ferry ride across from Hiroshima (more or less). You might know it from pictures of the famous tori-i, or shrine gate which sits on the shore, sometimes in the water, sometimes standing tall on the sand, depending on where the tide is at any given moment.
We are staying overnight. I'm looking forward to it, to see the gate and the sea in all their variations. I visited the island way back in my student days, but just a day trip. Mum saw the island featured on a tv program a little while back and that put the idea in our minds to venture down this way.
So glad we did. It was lovely to see it again after all these years...and the overnight stay was an excellent idea...
(*I planned to limit the number of pics to ten...but failed*)
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| When on the shinkansen 1 |
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| When on the shinkansen 2 |
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| In the distance (2.29pm) |
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| Near the lodgings |
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| The five-storied pagoda |
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| Looking across the shrine |
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| Tide's out (3.48pm) |
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| Another angle on the shrine |
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| Passing traffic |
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| Through the trees, from the shore (3.50pm) |
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| Birds parked |
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| Every woman and her dogs came to visit |
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| Majestic (3.56pm) |
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| Coins for luck |
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| You place one on the gate at low tide, the hight tide washes it off... |
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| Leaves and seaweed |
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| Stone crossing |
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| At the entrance, tradition has it we wash our hands before entering |
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| I have a similar pic from 30 years ago |
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| The spring seen only at low tide |
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| ANother view |
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| Almost postcard (4.23pm) |
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| Lanterns in a row |
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| Starters |
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| Entree |
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| Chawan mushi, the local variation |
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| Mains |
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| Sides |
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| The broth and pickles |
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| How to : sake |
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| Dessert : refreshing |
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| Then a tour at night : the pagoda |
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| Shrine lights (8.41pm) |
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| Reflected (8.42pm) |
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| Full moon over the shrine (8.46pm) |
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| At night (8.50pm) |
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| Boat sails through (8.52pm) |
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| Majestic, by night (8.53pm) |
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| Reflective in other ways |
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| Night light pines |
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| Looking back towards the main buildings (8.57pm) |
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| Finishing the evening with a clarinet recital |
The lodgings (Arimoto) suggested various walking tours, today's on arrival (with the tide out) and the evening one with the lights. There's another one in the morning and fine weather is predicted.
The deer are wild but quite used to the visitors. The lodgings were fine, with all the excellent food one would expect and a perfect bath, to soak. And I was so pleased with the different effects the light had on the tori-i over the 24 hour period we were there. Recommended.
[Camera : Canon EOS M5, iPhone6s; 3 March 2018]
