Obviously, the seaside shrine is the main draw. It has existed since the 6th century, with expansions and fame coming from its associations with powerful figures of Japanese history, Taira no Kiyomori and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and is dedicated to the 宗像三女神 Munakata sanjoshin, three kami of the sea and daughters of Susanoo no Mikoto. Besides the torii, it is famous for its kagura dance stage and long red corridors.

The obvious downside of the main shrine is that it's very busy, and any deviation from the main path between the port and the shrine is an opportunity to escape the crowds. Or so I thought when going up to this pagoda and the Senjôkaku to the left. This large hall, said to measure 1000 tatami mats, built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi is the nearest elevated viewpoint to the shrine, so it was busy, to the point it reminded me of an airport departure hall...

No, you'd have to go even deeper to get some proper space and the impression you're doing something different. On the day I visited, three years ago to the day, it was hot and I had plans to catch the Hello Kitty Shinkansen on its afternoon run to Kyûshû (RIP). So I only got as far as Fujinotana Park, which is definitely not far. Miyajima deserves a second visit in a cooler season, to see more of the less trodden areas.

"Any post, deer?"

One last unmissable part of the Miyajima experience is the deer. Like at Nara, they're everywhere, including on the most touristic paths, and they're not very afraid of humans. Is the one below booking its spot as head of the queue for the restaurant?