Red Torii in the water with a small boat in the distance
Japan,  The Archives,  The places we've been

The Day of the Deer Assault

March 30, 2023 /

We were finally adjusted to Japan’s time zone and slept a REGULAR night. (Thank goodness, because 5am mornings when you’re up before 4am can become a bit dull!) This day, we hopped downstairs for our regular breakfast of salad, rice and curry before heading off on our adventure. Join us as we unpack our trips to Miyajima Island and Hiroshima aka the day of the deer assault!

Hopping the Ferry

Though the ferry looks to be built for cars crossing from Hiroshima to Miyajima, that morning only people were passengers. It was a cold morning, but fortunately the trip was short and the VIEWS were breath taking.

White multi level ferry with orange stripes
The JR Ferry
Interior of a ferry with lots of masked travelers aboard
Taking the Ferry ride
Man wearing winter coat, hat, scarf, glasses and a face mask riding inside a ferry
Who is that masked man?
Water in the foreground with a red Torii (Shinto Gate) in the water. Behind them are mountains.
First look at the Floating Torii

Miyajima Island and the Floating Torii

As we entered Hiroshima Bay, the Grand Torii gate came into view. We must have taken 100 photos of the island and the Itsukushima Shrine so we will let the pictures tell most of the story.

Mountain behind a bay. There is a board with people wearing traditional Japanese straw hats, rowing by the red, floating Torii (gate).
The Torii and the Boat
Statue of a man in traditional Japanese robes. Behind him is a beach with trees and sand and beyond that is water and mountains.
Tiara No Kiyamori, who built the shrine
Two men standing in front of rickshaws
Rickshaws at the ready
Corner of a temple in the foreground with a five level pagoda in the background
Pagoda coming into view
Stone Torii standing over a sand pathway
Stone Torii leading to the bay
Red Torii in the water in the distance. A stone shore with lanterns and trees are around to the right
I mean…WHAT.A.VIEW!
Red Torii in the water with a small boat in the distance
Just…Wow.

Inside the Temple

We were allowed to tour the inside of the temple. Although I understood that the empty building is supposed to help you meditate, once I was inside…I really got it. The quiet, the cold, the open air all work together to help you become still. Also, the ceiling is full of art and prayers to contemplate. It was an amazing experience.

Buddhist temple standing on sand
The temple
Interior of Itsukushima Buddhist temple. Prayers and pictures hang from the ceiling. Beneath are wooden posts and a shiny wooden floor.
Inside the temple
Wooden altar inside the temple at Itsukushima Shrine
Wooden altar
Wooden wheel with characters in the ceiling of Itsukushima Shrine
#japan #miyajima #hiroshima #shrine #itsukushimashrine
Painting of warriors at Itsukushima Shrine
Warrior painting
Wooden floor leading to wooden posts. Outside is the view of trees and mountains
The quiet vista
View of a red pagoda from inside the temple
View of the pagoda

The Snack and the Deer Assault

We stopped for a quick bite after visiting the shrine. As we are adventurous eaters, we opted for octopus balls and squid on a stick. They were all really good.

Woman holding a squid on a stick and a man holding a plate of fried balls
The Squid and Octopus Balls
A sign that reads "Octopus Balls"
We just HAD to

And now, let’s talk about the deer. The were cute and every where as we left the ferry to make our way to Shrine. What we quickly learned, however, is that they’re really ONLY hanging around in the hopes that you’ll share your food. And if you don’t, well…

Small deer resting on a beach
Beach deer
Small deer standing by people, looking over his tail
Cute, right?
A man petting a deer
Just a little pet
Deer sniffing the fingers of a person
Just a little sniff
A deer tilting his head toward a man's leg
Give me a taste
Deer hitting a man's leg with his head
The Miyajima deer assault

A walk in Momijidani Park

Since Stephen wasn’t too damaged by the cranky deer, we made our way over to Momijidani Park to view the gardens and enjoy the maple trees. I wish I could share with you how WONDERFUL and fresh the air smelled up there.

A sign that reads "10 minute walk - 7 if you run"
Only 7 if you run
A waterfall over a small brook
Little waterfall
Woman standing on a wooden bridge with red railings
The Red Railing bridge
Bridge in Momijidani Park
Bridge in Momijidani Park

From there we made our way to the Shinomiya Shrine before we made our way back to the docks.

Concrete stair case to Shinomiya Shrine
Staircase to Shinomiya Shrine
Plants near the viewer. A red pagoda and mountains in the background
View of the Pagoda
Petrified wooden table and stools
The petrified picnic set
Seated Buddha statue, wearing a red bib
Red bib Buddha
Wooden steps lined with drinks as offereing
Offerings at Shinomiya
Wooden altar at the Shinomiya Shrine
Wooden altar

Fortunately we had just enough time to snag a famous cone of “Specialty Coffee Ice Cream”. It was FANTASTIC.

Small sign that shows a soft serve ice create cone and the words "Soft Serve Specialty Coffee Ice Cream"
Woman and man holding soft serve ice cream cones
Yay! Ice Cream

To Hiroshima

From the Miyajima station, we caught the train to Hiroshima. Talk about a shift in gears! We went from the quiet, traditional island to the hustle and bustle of a big, modern city.

Brown street train in front of tall gray buildings
Street Car
Store fronts in Hiroshima. Electrical wires hanging over head.
Shopping street
Tall white building with a restaurant on the bottom floor
Restaurant on the corner
River with tall gray buildings on either side
The Enko River
Woman bending down to pet two small dogs on leashes. They are standing in an open air mall.
Always pet the dogs

Hiyajima Shrine

Even in the big city, we were still able to find our way over to the Hiyajima Shrine.

Red torii over a stone path
Red torii
Lantern with a roof that looks like a Japanese roof
Lantern at the Shrine
Stone lion sculpture
The stone lion
Temple at the Hijiyama Shrine
The temple

The World Famous Pancake

As you might imagine, we had been walking for hours by this time and were hoping to grab a world famous Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki before we had to head back to Kyoto. The place that was recommended to us had a line at least 20 people long, winding down the block. We were actually SO LUCKY that was the case because we found our way to Yoshiki instead.

Colorful signs in front of a small restaurant door
The door to Yoshiki
A woman working behind a kitchen grill. There is a wooden counter in front of the grill and a refrigerator behind her.
The kitchen at Yoshiki
A man holding a beer stein with light colored lager in it
The afternoon beer
A round white plate holding a ring of green onions beneath a pancake. There is a brown sauce above that. Eggs agove that and topped with octopus rings.
The okonomiyaki

The Atomic Bomb Dome

The area is now called something like the “Peace Memorial” but there is no getting around the atomic dome and seeing first hand the devastation a nuclear bomb can do.

Shell of a building surrounded by shrubs
The Atomic Bomb Dome
A shell of a once lovely building in the background. In the foreground is a stone memorial lined with flowers.
The peace memorial

I felt very emotional when it first came into view but that moment was quickly ended when I tripped over a curb and almost fell into an alarmed fence. Thankfully I didn’t create an international incident that day.

Last stop – Hiroshima Castle

Bonsai tree in the foreground with a traditional Japanese building in the background
The Gate
Imposing, multilevel Japanese building
Hiroshima Castle

Originally built in the 1500’s, Hiroshima Castle served as the headquarters of the 2nd General Army during World War II. It was leveled by the bomb in 1945 and rebuilt in late 1950’s. It’s also known as Carp Castle, thanks to these dudes.

Multiple orange and white Koi, swimming near a bridge
The koi at the Castle
A single light orange carp, looking at the camera
The main carp

After all that, we still had 19 minutes to catch the train back to Kyoto. Not too shabby for a day’s adventuring.

Woman and a man in winter clothes
Adventurers at the end of the day

If you liked this week’s tale, wait until NEXT week. We’re visiting a kimono forest, a bamboo forest and about 200 stone mini-monks! If you want to get the latest right to your in-box, consider subscribing for free! Or follow us on Instagram for real time highlight at The__Travel__Oracle.

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