Thie third most scenic spot in Japan: Miyajima.

Miyajima is an island off Hiroshima. It's ranked in the "top 3 most beautiful views" in Japan - and it is a very beautiful place. I don't know what the other two beautiful views are but I'm guessing there's even more sightseers at them, and especially sightseers led by folk in fluro hats armed with flags and megaphones.


These deer are everywhere on the island are cute for about 3 seconds. Late last year the local government decided to stop selling deer food and began to tell people not to feed them. So, now the island is full of starving deer and don't give a fuck. You can appreciate that the man in the photo above is a bit concerned. I think he had an ice cream behind his back.

They don't mind a bit of a swim either.

Or a tasty bit of map.

This is the main event on Miyajima - the torii gate rising from the sea. More of that later.

Evil horse.

Five story pagoda.

You catch a cable car up Mount Misen (elevation 535m above sea level)...

..and up there is a colony of monkeys. Sadly for monkey-loving Will, they are extremely ugly and crazy aggressive monkeys.

Amazing view from the top of the inlad sea.

If you have non-Australian money in the bank, you buy a return ticket on the cable car (approx A$38). If you don't, you can try this special trick of buying a cable car ticket up (approx A$20) and hike down the mountain. The guide book said half an hour. It actually meant half an hour from the cable car depot to the top of Mt Misen. Oops. It was an epic and gruelling - albeit picturesque - supposed 90 minute trek down the mountain (I think it took us almost 2 hours). Now Lu can't use stairs anymore. Some obnoxious English tourists we saw huffing and puffing right near the bottom asked us how far up it was to the top. We said "A long way". I don't think they believed us.

At the bottom was Daisho-in temple, it was easily one of the best temples either of us has ever seen.

Guardian at the gate.

This one's totally blurry but was a room full of lanterns, buddahs and different animals.

Near the entrance was this garden with hundreds of these statues. Like 800 or something?

Lu had to sit cos her legs were stil shaky from the mountain descent. Let's just say it's lucky there's shake reduction the camera I'm holding as well.

These cute little dudes were dotted all throughout the complex.
All in different, equally cute poses.

One more of the torii - at sunset!

The less famous attraction of Miyajima - the big spatula (biggest in Japan!).

Every tourist spot in Japan does very similar special cakes, especially for tourists to take home to their friends and families. Miyajima's special cake's point of difference is that it is shaped like a maple leaf. Lucky for us while they're usually filled with red bean paste, we picked some filled with cream cheese. Winner!

From the ferry back to Hiroshima.

Next: TOKYO.