geo.wikisort.org - Island

Itsukushima (厳島) is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. It is popularly known as Miyajima (宮島), which in Japanese means "Shrine Island".[1] The island is one of Hayashi Gahō's Three Views of Japan specified in 1643. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was part of the former town of Miyajima before the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi.

Itsukushima

Native name: 厳島 Nickname: Miyajima
Itsukushima Island
Itsukushima Show map of Hiroshima Prefecture Itsukushima Show map of Japan
Geography
Location	Seto Inland Sea
Coordinates
Area	30.39 km2 (11.73 sq mi)
Highest elevation	535 m (1755 ft)
Highest point	Mount Misen
Administration
Japan
Demographics
Population	2000

Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[2] According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555, Mōri Motonari defeated Sue Harukata at the Battle of Miyajima. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine.

Itsukushima has a number of temples, including Toyokuni Shrine with a five-storied pagoda,[3] and Daiganji Temple - one of the three most famous Benzaiten temples of Japan.[4] The island is also famous for its upper hill side cherry blossoms and maple leaf autumn foliage.[5]

The island of Itsukushima, including the waters around it (part of Seto Inland Sea), lies within Setonaikai National Park. This sea is affected by strong tides. At low tide, the bottom of the sea is exposed past the island's torii. At high tide, the sea covers all the previously exposed seabed mud and fills areas underneath the shrine boardwalk.

Location and geography

This section does not cite any sources. (December 2019)

Itsukushima is mountainous and sparsely settled. It has an elementary school and a middle school. There are no traffic signals. It is rural and mountainous, only 30.39 square kilometres (11.73 sq mi), and has a population of about 2000. There are no cities, only small towns with simple houses and privately owned shops. The islanders work hard to preserve the forests and respect nature.

Frequent ferry services, operated by JR West (JR Miyajima ferry) and by Miyajima Matsudai Tourist Ship, carry traffic between the island and the mainland at Miyajimaguchi. The trip takes about ten minutes.[6] There is an hourly express passenger ferry to Hiroshima harbour.

Miyajima's maple trees are renowned throughout Japan and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn. Momiji manjū, pastries filled with azuki jam or custard, are popular souvenirs and carry maple-leaf emblems. Many other varieties such as chocolate and cheese are available.[7] Because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber. Deer roam freely. Deer are thought of as sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods. They walk the streets of the city, not afraid of the tourists.

The shamoji, a style of wooden paddle used to serve cooked rice without impairing the taste, is said to have been invented by a monk who lived on the island. The shamoji is a popular souvenir, and there are some outsized examples around the shopping district.

The peak of Mount Misen, at 535 m, is the highest point on the island.[8] Miyajima Ropeway carries visitors to within a 30-minute hike to the top. There are several sites related to the historic Buddhist priest and founder of Shingon Buddhism, Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師) (774–835), including Daishō-in, near the top.[9]

The island contains the Miyajima Natural Botanical Garden (宮島自然植物実験所, Miyajima Shizen Shokubutsu Jikkensho) on its north coast.

People often take the short ferry ride from mainland Japan to pray at Miyajima’s shrines and to marvel at the beauty of its forests. Shrines on the island include Senjokaku (Toyokuni Shrine), Five-storied Pagoda, Two-storied Pagoda, Kiyomori Shrine, and Omoto Shrine.[10]

Shrines and temples

Note that in Japan, the term "shrine" implies a Shinto religious structure and "temple" implies a Buddhist one.

Itsukushima Shrine

Miyajima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社, Itsukushima-jinja) which is a Shinto shrine. It is known for its "floating" torii gate.[11] The historic shrine complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as one of the National Treasures by the Japanese government.

Daiganji Temple

Next to the Itsukushima Shrine is Daiganji Temple, dedicated to Goddess Benzaiten as well as three Buddhas important to Shingon Buddhism.[4] Benzaiten Goddess in Japan has been traced to Goddess Saraswati of Hinduism in India.[12] She is the Goddess of eloquence, music, arts, wealth and knowledge. The three Buddha in the temple are Gautama Buddha, Wisdom Buddha and Mercy Buddha.

Daiganji Temple is one of the three most famous Benzaiten Temples in Japan, along with Enoshima Benzaiten (Kanagawa) and Chikubujima Benzaiten (Shiga). The Benzaiten is opened to the public only once every year on June 17. On this day, Miyajima holds a big festival, and people of the region visit the temple to offer their prayers.[13]

The precise date for the first construction of Daiganji Benzaiten temple is unclear. It was reconstructed around 1200 AD in the Kamakura period. The construction date of Itsukushima-jinja and Daiganji temple is estimated to be 6th century or later, and the existence of Itsukushima-jinja is confirmed by early 9th century by ancient Japanese texts. The Nihon Shoki confirms the sacredness of these Miyajama structures during the Heian Period (794-1184).[2]

Daishō-in Temple

Daishō-in is a historic Japanese temple on Mount Misen, the holy mountain on the island. It is the 14th temple in the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and famous for the maple trees and their autumn colors. It is also called "Suishō-ji". As the headquarters of the Omuro branch of Shingon Buddhism, it is the most important temple of Miyajima. The temple was the administrator of the Itsukushima shrine before Meiji Restoration forbade (Shinbutsu bunri) syncretism (Shinbutsu-shūgō) between Shinto and Buddhism in 1868.[14]

Senjokaku (Toyokuni Shrine)

Senjokaku (lit. "pavilion of 1000 mats") is the largest structure at Miyajima Island as the name implies. Toyotomi Hideyoshi started construction of Senjokaku as a Buddhist library in which the chanting of Senbu-kyo sutras could be held for fallen soldiers.[15] Hideyoshi died in 1598 and the building was never fully completed. Originally, Amitabha Buddha and two Buddhist saints, Ānanda and Mahākāśyapa, were enshrined in the structure until the Meiji reformation. when the structure was converted into a Shinto shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Numerous votive picture tablets that had been hanging in the Itsukushima Shrine buildings until the Meiji era, have been hung on the walls inside the hall.

Five-storied Pagoda (Gojunoto)

The nearby Five-storied Pagoda constructed in 1407 (thus predating Senjokaku) enshrined Yakushi Nyorai Zazo, the Buddha of Medicine said to have been made by Kobo Daishi himself, accompanied by Fugen Bosatsu (Mercy Buddha) and Monju Bosatsu (Wisdom Buddha). The three images were moved to the Daiganji Temple during the Meiji reformation.

Gallery

• 
  Miyajima in 1913
• 
  Katsuyama Castle once stood on this site
• 
  Goju-no-to Pagoda from Senjō-kaku Temple
• 
  Deer near the torii gate
• 
  Cherry blossoms near Senjokaku Temple
• 
  Itsukushima shrine taken from water with gate (tori) in foreground
• 
  Sanki-gongen-dō temple near the summit of Mount Misen
• 
  Hiroshige
• 
  Hiroshige
• 
  Kunisada
• 
  Hiroshige II
• 
  Miniature Lotus flowers at Daisho-in Miyajima

See also

• List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments
• Itsukushima Shrine
• World Heritage Site
• Setonaikai National Park
• Three Views of Japan
• Itsukushima - two Imperial Japanese Navy ships named after the site
• Taira no Kiyomori
• Miyao Castle
• Mount Misen
• Momijidani Parkk*Daishō-in
• Marine Plaza Miyajima
• Miyajima, Hiroshima
• Tourism in Japan
• Battle of Miyajima

References

External links

• Guide
• Miyajima town guide
• Firewalking festival Miyajima

Three Views of Japan

Amanohashidate – Matsushima – Itsukushima

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Ferries and boats for Miyajima (Itsukushima Shrine)

JR Miyajima Ferry – Miyajima Matsudai Kisen – First Beach – Aqua Net Hiroshima

На других языках

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[de] Miyajima

Miyajima (japanisch 宮島, wörtlich: „Schrein-Insel“; eigentlicher Name: 厳島 .mw-parser-output .Latn{font-family:"Akzidenz Grotesk","Arial","Avant Garde Gothic","Calibri","Futura","Geneva","Gill Sans","Helvetica","Lucida Grande","Lucida Sans Unicode","Lucida Grande","Stone Sans","Tahoma","Trebuchet","Univers","Verdana"}Itsuku shima, deutsch ‚Insel der Strenge‘) ist eine Insel in Japan und gehört laut dem konfuzianischen Gelehrten Hayashi Razan zusammen mit Amanohashidate und Matsushima zu den drei schönsten Landschaften Japans.[1]

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- [en] Itsukushima

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[es] Itsukushima (isla)

Itsukushima (厳島, Itsukushima) es una isla ubicada dentro de la Bahía de Hiroshima, mar interior de Seto, en Japón. Es conocida popularmente como Miyajima (宮島, Miyajima). Itsukushima es parte de la ciudad de Hatsukaichi en la prefectura de Hiroshima. La isla fue el asentamiento del pueblo de Miyajima antes de que se uniera a la ciudad de Hatsukaichi en 2005. Declarada patrimonio de la humanidad por la UNESCO,[1] su arquitectura presenta frecuentemente una relación con su entorno paisajista y natural.[2]

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[fr] Itsuku-shima

Itsuku-shima (厳島, Itsukushima?), appelée aussi Miya-jima (宮島, Miyajima?, littéralement « île Sanctuaire »), est une île japonaise se trouvant dans la mer intérieure de Seto.

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[it] Itsukushima

Itsukushima (厳島?) è un'isola che sorge nella parte occidentale del Mare interno di Seto. L'isola, conosciuta anche con il nome di Miyajima (宮島?), sorge nell'estremià nord-occidentale della Baia di Hiroshima. Nel 1555 vi fu combattuta la Battaglia di Miyajima.

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[ru] Ицукусима

Ицукусима (яп. 厳島) — остров Внутреннего Японского моря, является частью города Хацукаити в префектуре Хиросима. Известен также как остров Миядзима (яп. 宮島) — остров Храма. На острове находился город Миядзима до его поглощения городом Хацукаити в 2005 году.

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