Itsukushima shinto shrine at Miyajima


The brilliant red-orange pathways on stilts of Itsukushima Shrine and five-storied pagoda

Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima) in the city
of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The shrine complex is listed as a UNESCO- World Heritage Site and
the Japanese government has designated several buildings and possessions as National Treasures.


(L) Guide map of Miyajima (R) Stone torii ( gateway at the entrance to a Shinto shrine ) and floating torii on the sea

(L) Itsukushima shrine complex seen from the seaside in the rainy morning (R) A garden lantern on the way to the shrine

Standing in the bay in front of the shrine, the floating torii is the gate to Itsukushima.

(L) The torii at low tide in back and a cute deer in front (R) Five-storied pagoda at Itsukushima Shrine

(L) A heron observed at the seaside of Miyajima
(R) A gentle deer is roaming free and stands at the entrance of restaurant in the Itsukushima area.

(L) The buildings that make up the shrine itself are also built in the water. (R) The main shrine

The Shrine's halls and pathways on stilts

A corridor connecting shrine complex buildings

Haiden, hall of worship, corridor and barrels of sake in one of the buildings

(L) Stone water basin for cleansing the hands and mouth before entering a shrine (R) Noh stage and arched bridge

A view of Itsukushima shrine complex from the seaside in the rainy morning

(L) Shrine and cherry trees in full blossom seen from the hillside
(R) Five-storied pagoda at Itsukushima Shrine

A weeping cherry and Toyokuni shrine ( Senjyoukaku )

Heron and Ryokan Iwaso

Iwaso is a luxurious ryokan ( Japanese-style inn ), opened in 1893 was the first ryokan opened for business
on Miyajima. It is situated in a very beautiful part of Momijidani Park, and when it was first constructed the
owner built a tea shop and planted the area with maple trees. Iwaso was constructed ryokan by the hand
of miya-daiku, a carpenter specializing to the buildings oftemple or shrine. The total numbers of guest rooms
are 38. No non-smoking guest rooms are available. However, if you express the complaints about it, they
may try to get rid of the smell. At a glance, no ashtray stand was observed in a lobby and at passage to rooms.

Kikugawa, a Japanese ryokan, is located in a quiet residential district in Miyajima, and is all-nonsmoking.
There are six western-style bed rooms and two Japanese-style rooms. It is a standard-class accommodation.

Smoke-free Hotels in Japan
A summary of smoking-room rate studied in local hotels of Japan

H
Smoking Restriction at Hotels in the World: Actual Survey
The ratio of a smoking guest room to the total hotel rooms was calculated,
based on-the-spot investigation.


///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome



Hiroshima Peace Memorial, commonly called the Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome, in Hiroshima is part
of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The ruin
serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
70,000 people were killed instantly, and another 70,000 suffered fatal injuries from the radiation.


President Obama Participates in a Wreath Laying Ceremony (2016)
Obama speech at Hiroshima


The 'Green Mover Max' was the first low-floor articulated Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) built entirely in Japan.
This train system was introduced in Hiroshima City by the Hiroshima Electric Railway Company.

Tourists from abroad at Hiroshima station and a super-express Shinkansen train


　宮島および広島
執筆　医学博士 宮本順伯
★This Web site is link-free.
This information was provided by the Smokefree Hotel and Travel.
The article was written in April 2012 and added information in May 2016.
All photography was taken by Dr. Junhaku Miyamoto in April 2012.
Copyright (C) 2012 Junhaku Miyamoto, PhD. All right is reserved.