Itsukushima Shrine, a World Heritage Site, has a rich history and is truly a place worth seeing. The vermilion-lacquered Otorii gate, shrine pavilions, and cloisters floating on the sea are especially famous as its symbols. Last year (December 2022), after three and a half years of repair work, the Otorii was once again revealed in its beautiful form.
I have been there many times, partly because it is close to my home, and I always think it is wonderful.
As I mentioned in another article, “rokaibune,” an old-fashioned small boat that passes right under the Otorii at high tide, is also a fun experience.
We strongly recommend that you visit Miyajima at high tide.
But you can’t enjoy it at low tide?
No, not at all.
In this article, we will tell you how to enjoy Miyajima when you visit at low tide.
Don’t be disappointed even at low tide!
You may have seen a picture of the vermilion-lacquered Otorii (Grand Gate) floating on the Seto Inland Sea in a pamphlet or something, and thought it looked nice.
However, when you go there, it is low tide! It stands out on the beach, discolored where it has been immersed in the sea, covered with barnacles, and not very pretty at all.
But don’t be discouraged. If you change your mind, you can walk right up to the Otorii, which is an amazing experience in a way.
This is a shot of the Otorii gate at low tide on a recent visit to Miyajima. Many people were walking to the Otorii.
Even if you cannot see the Otorii floating on the sea, it will be a wonderful memory to walk there and feel it up close. It is only about 100 meters down to the beach, so you can get there quickly. (Please note that you may not be able to walk there even at low tide due to weather conditions, etc.)
Depending on the schedule, you may be able to see both!
It depends on the day and how long you can stay on the island, but if you do well, you can experience both high and low tides.
The other day, I arrived at Miyajima around 11:00 a.m. and it was almost high tide at that time.
If your schedule works out, you can enjoy both the floating torii in the sea and the torii on foot in one day. (For high and low tide times, please refer to the Miyajima Tourist Association’s annual tide chart below.)
Precautions and Manners
About shoes
Since the soil contains seawater and your shoes will get wet, it is better to bring sandals or shoes that can get wet.
Speaking of shoes, it is better to avoid wearing high-heeled shoes because the corridors of Itsukushima Shrine are constructed with a small gap between the floorboards, which may catch your shoes. Please be careful when walking along the corridor.
Prohibited items
Needless to say, this is a World Heritage site, so please do not write graffiti or damage the Otorii gate in any way.
Some visitors leave the shrine with a coin in a small hollow or cut in the wood of the Otorii, perhaps as a monetary offering, but this will lead to the coin corroding in the seawater and damaging the torii. This can lead to corrosion of the coins in seawater and damage to the torii gate.
Although you can walk very close to the Otorii, please do not touch it directly with your hands for your own protection.
Please note that you are not allowed to go down near the shrine pavilions and corridors of Itsukushima Shrine even when the tide is low.
Thank you for your cooperation.
High and Low Tide Times
How the Otorii gate looks like and whether or not you can walk up to it depend, of course, on the height of the sea water (high and low tides).
According to the information on the official website of the Miyajima Tourist Association,
If the tide is 250 cm or higher, the Otorii and Itsukushima Shrine can be seen floating in the sea, and if the tide is 100 cm or lower, you can walk to the Otorii.
If the tide is 100 cm or lower, you can walk to the Otorii.
The “tide level” is the height of the sea surface on a given day from a defined reference point. (Unit: cm)
If you want to seethe Otorii floating on the sea, you should check that the tide levelis 250 cm or higher. On the other hand, if you want to see the Otorii up close on foot , you should check that the tide level at low tide is 100 cm or lower.
The Miyajima Tourist Association’s annual tide table gives detailed information on high and low tide times around Miyajima. (The chart is for Hiroshima Port, and Itsukushima Port is said to be slightly earlier, but they are virtually identical.)
⇒ Miyajima Tourist Association’s Annual Tide Table
As an example, this image shows the annual tide table of Miyajima Tourist Association for August 1, 2023. (The image is from the official website.)
Looking at this day, the high tide is 316 cm at 8:51 a.m. This is a solid height, so you can see the classic Otorii gate floating on the sea. The same is true around 10:00 p.m. at night (although you may not see it at this time).
Low tide is 143 cm at 3:21 in the morning for the first time, and since this is before dawn, it has nothing to do with sightseeing. 3:23 p.m. in the afternoon is once again low tide at 12 cm. This one is much less than 100 cm, so you can walk around perfectly.
On the Miyajima Tourist Association’s Annual Tide Table page, you can look up the high and low tides for all days of a particular month, as well as the tide level with after hours on any given day.
If you have a fixed schedule for the day you plan to visit Miyajima, please use this page to find out at a glance what time is best for you to go there.
As for me, I would like you to experience both the floating Otorii on the sea and the walking Otorii by the side. If you are able to walk to the Otorii, please do so.
It is a rare experience for even locals to walk by and under the Otorii gate. It will be a great memory!
If you are interested in going through the Otorii gate on a rowing boat at high tide, please do not hesitate to try it!
Here is a list of articles related to Hiroshima on this blog. You can jump to the articles about sightseeing spots in Hiroshima and other articles from here.
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