After we left Kyoto by train, we
went all the way to the southwest part of Honshu to Miyajima, a small,
picturesque island off the coast of Hiroshima.
Miyajima has one of the most famous
Shinto shrines in Japan, the Itsukushima Jinja, which is built on stilts
above a tidal flat. About three hundred yards in front of the
shrine is a gate (o-torii), which rises majestically out of the sea at
high tide and is one of the most recognized images of Japan.
We stayed at a Ryokan, which is a
traditional Japanese Inn, sort of like an American B&B but a little
less like staying in someone's house...and with in-room Dinner being the
main included mean, not breakfast. Like our weird meal in Kyoto,
we also made our way through a 9 course Kaiseki dinner here.