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\nTo get to the island you must take a ferry, which runs every half hour.
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<\/p>\nMiyajima (Shrine Island) is, as the name implies, the site of a number of striking shrines and temples. It claims to be “one of Japan’s Three Most Scenic Spots” (the others being the Amanohashidate sandbar and Matsushima Bay, neither of which I have seen.)<\/p>\n
The island was visited by Kobodaishi in they year 806 and has a number of Shingon Buddhist temples. Because of the island’s sacred status, no one is allowed to die or be born there. I don’t know what the penalty is for breaking this rule.
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\nTo get to the island you must take a ferry, which runs every half hour.
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The ferry passes rows of oyster farms.
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As the ferry approaches the terminal, the famous Otorii, the “floating” torii of the Itsukushima Shrine, can be seen to the right.
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Deer wander everywhere on the island. They are totally unafraid of humans and you can pet them.
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However they are still wild animals and should be treated with a certain amount of caution.
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Guidebooks warn that the deer will eat just about anything including paper shopping bags, tickets and other valuables.
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The Omotesando shopping district is a small group of stores located midway between the ferry terminal and the Itsukushima shrine.
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A number of shops have huge machines in their windows for making “momiji manju”, a maple-leaf-shaped pastry that comes with a variety of fillings.
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Fresh oysters are available in a number of different forms. Yum!
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Another form of the “beckoning cat.”
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The world’s largest rice scoop.
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Actually the island is famous for rice scoops and many are sold as souvenirs. Apparently they are traditional offerings to the shrine.
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OK, I don’t know what a pocari is, but this is still sort of disturbing.
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This shop has a beautiful garden in back.
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All Entries For This Trip.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"