If you want to pass through the Great Torii Gate of Itsukushima Shrine, take a sculling boat.

I imagine some of you are on your Obon holidays, but how is everyone spending their time?

I recently had a precious experience while traveling at Itsukushima Shrine.

The experience of passing through the Great Torii Gate on a sculling boat.

Speaking of Itsukushima Shrine, it is one of the leading tourist destinations located on Miyajima in Hiroshima Prefecture.

The shrine pavilion and Great Torii Gate floating on the sea are famous, and many of you have likely seen or heard about them in school classes.

You can walk up to the Great Torii Gate of Itsukushima Shrine at low tide, but you cannot exactly swim up to it at high tide.

That is where the sculling boat comes in.

A sculling boat is a boat powered by human strength, moved by oars and sculls.
Being rocked by the boat, you can feel the sea breeze, the sound of the waves, and the relaxed nature. It feels very pleasant when you ride it.

Moreover, it comes with a polite tour guide.

The fare is 1,500 yen for adults and 500 yen for elementary school students and younger.

As soon as the boat departs, the guide's commentary begins.

• The camphor trees used for the two main pillars of the Great Torii Gate were transported from outside Hiroshima Prefecture.

• The current Great Torii Gate was built during the Meiji era.

While listening intently to the commentary, the boat gets closer and closer to the Great Torii Gate.

Because there are bumps and hollows on the surface of the main pillar wood, you can clearly see that it is not processed to be straight, but rather uses the wood as it is.

The boat approached the east side of the Great Torii Gate.
Please look at the upper left of the photo.

You can see something round and shining, right?
This is called decorative metal fittings, and it is said to represent sunlight.

Next, we came to the front of the torii gate.

This view can only be seen from the sea side.
On the tablet at the top of the Great Torii Gate, it is written as "Itsukushima Shrine".

I took a video of the part where we pass through.
Since I cannot post videos directly to note, I will post the one I uploaded to X.

When you pass through the O-torii gate, on the opposite side of the plaque...

"Itsukishima Shrine" is written.
It seems this originates from the fact that Itsukushima Shrine was once called Itsukishima Shrine.

The Itsukushima Shrine main hall as seen after passing through the torii gate.

The main hall seen from a rowboat, which only operates at high tide, truly looks like it is floating on the sea.

Next, please look at the upper left of the photo.

If you zoom in, can you see something like a crescent moon?
Earlier, there was a sun decorative metal fitting on the east side, but there is a moon decorative metal fitting on the west side.

Furthermore, the frame design is actually different between the plaque on the main hall side and the plaque on the sea side.

While the frame of the plaque on the main hall side (photo above, Itsukishima Shrine) has a swirl pattern, the frame on the sea side (photo below, Itsukushima Shrine) features a painting of a dragon.
It is hard to see due to the backlight, but there is a golden glowing dot on the lower left of the plaque.
It is said that this is where the dragon's eye is depicted.

This concludes the guide around the O-torii gate.

However, there is more fun to be had from here.

Those who wish to can experience rowing the boat.

My sons immediately took on the challenge.
They rowed the boat with all their might.

When there is no wind, it is said that the boat moves better if you don't row with brute force.
That is why even women and children can row the boat.
I wish I had tried it too.

From start to finish, the duration is about 30 minutes.

It was a wonderful experience worth more than the price.

Why not try it when you go sightseeing in Miyajima or visiting Itsukushima Shrine?

#66DayRun