Island of the gods

By Yuko Iida
Publisher:The Yomiuri Shimbun - Publication Date: 08-02-2008

A ferry sails across the quiet Seto Inland Sea in the evening and stops for a moment before the Otorii (grand gate) of Itsukushima Shrine, which stands in the waters off Miyajima island in Hiroshima Prefecture. The ferry then slowly passes through the vermillion gate.
A closer look at the gate's two 16m-tall main pillars reveals that the columns retain the natural, strong features of the giant camphor tree.
The ferry cannot approach the gate at low tide, but it was full spring tide at the time of my visit. A guide told me the traditional and official way to visit the shrine is through the gate in the sea.
As the shrine's main building, a splendid example of Shinden-style architecture, was lit up to reflect on the surface of the water, I stood on the deck of the ferry and prayed in its direction.
This is the world-famous Itsukushima Shrine, which was officially designated a World Heritage Site in 1996 along with the surrounding area, which includes the virgin forest on Mt. Misen and the sea.
The shrine was built during the reign of Emperor Suiko (554-628) to worship the god of naval forces and navigation. The island was regarded as a home not for humans but for the god.
First built in the latter half of the sixth century, Itsukushima Shrine was remodeled in the later years of the Heian period (794-1192).
I took the ferry to Miyajima at about lunchtime. After a 10-minute walk from the pier to the shrine, I found several deer strolling on the approach to the shrine, which was crowded with tourists. The animals showed no fear of humans, reflecting that they had been treasured as the "apostles of the god."
However, as the area has become overpopulated with deer recently, residents are beset by the damage they do by nibbling on trees and wood. I found a lot of kadomatsu, a New Year's decoration made with fresh pine boughs for the entrance to a house, protected by wire sheets.
I travelled around the small town in a rickshaw pulled by Minoru Ohashi, who was clad in a hanten coat and momohiki long pants. Ohashi's trademark is a topknot, and the 49-year-old told me he spends an hour every morning making the hairstyle.
It was my first time to take a rickshaw. The high seat gave me a wide view, and it was a pleasant ride with far fewer vibrations than I had expected.
I passed through a local shopping street studded with stores selling the local specialty momiji-manju -- a maple-leaf-shaped bun containing bean jam -- grilled oysters and other foods. I then went through a quiet street lined with houses with lattice doors.
A five-story pagoda suddenly appeared on a gentle curve. The vermilion colour stood out against the foreground of the old houses. No wonder Ohashi said the view of the pagoda from that point is said to be the best.
I got off the rickshaw at Daishoin temple after passing through Takinokoji, a slope leading from the shrine to the mountains.
Daishoin was in charge of all rituals here as administrator of Itsukushima Shrine prior to the Meiji Restoration (1868). The temple is home to the Gohyaku Rakan, 500 statues of Buddha's disciples. Along countless additional stone statues, including that of Jizo, the guardian deity of children, they ensure that visitors never feel bored.
I walked around Hakkakudo, an octagonal hall standing in the middle of the pond where the Seven Gods of Good Fortune are worshiped. The stairs leading to Maniden, the main building of Daishoin, were lined with cylinder-shaped Maniguruma prayer wheels, inscribed with the Hannya Shingyo sutra.
It is said you can accumulate good deeds equivalent to one volume of the Buddhist texts with a turn of the wheels. So I turned all of them, in the hope that I might be able to compensate for my lack of religious attitude.
I then stepped in front of the Ichigan Daishi statue at the rear. I was going to pray for a lot of things, but my greed soon withered as I learned the statue is supposed to grant only one wish.
Mt Misen, the 535m peak in the centre of Miyajima, has been worshiped as the body of a god. I decided to go to the top to conclude my trip to the sacred island.
I changed cable cars in the virgin forest and reached the last stop, Shishiiwa Observatory. I needed to walk for another 30 minutes to get to the top.
I had no difficulty reaching the main building, where Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism, is said to have performed ascetic practices by lighting a holy fire in 806.
The fire is still kept at Reikado eternal fire hall across the building. Water boiled by the fire is said to be good for all kinds of diseases.
I then walked through a giant rock tunnel and arrived at the observatory at the top. I could not make out the sea because of the fog in the springlike weather. I could not even see the mountain peak which is supposed to be visible.
With some reluctance, I took the ferry away from the island. I went on deck, remembering what Ohashi had said.
He told me the ridge line of the island, when seen from the sea, looks like a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, lying on her back.
Sure enough, the area around the mountain peak I had just visited looked like the profile of a woman. Her eyes in the light fog looked gentle.
Getting there
You can get to Hiroshima by air or Shinkansen. From Hiroshima Airport, the bus to JR Hiroshima station takes about 50 minutes. From the station, it is a 25-minute train ride on the JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi Station, from where it takes about 10 minutes to Miyajima island by ferry.
For more information, call the Miyajima tourism information centre at (0829) 44-2011.

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