Mt. Misen on a Beautiful Day

Seeing Miyajima with fresh eyes - 8

By Larry Knipfing

Community writer

Looking up to the peak of Mt. Misen from the trail below

A number of cute statues can be found along the trail up to the top of Mt. Misen

I have no idea what the meaning behind this one is, but it sure is cute

This little guy was up on a rock ledge looking down

Riding the ropeway down to Miyajima Island

Miyajima's Mt. Misen is a holy mountain. It was visited in 806 by legendary Buddhist priest, Kukai.

I visited in late November, when the autumn foliage was at its peak. It was beautiful, and the hike to the top (I cheated a bit - I took the ropeway halfway up) was full of color. The scenery at the top was spectacular with views of the Inland Sea, and on the other side, Miyajima Island, the bay, and the land and buildings across the bay.

If you want to hike all the way up, it will take about 90-100 minutes from Momijidani Park. There are two other paths, one from Omoto Park and the other from Daisho-in Temple, that take about the same amount of time. The ropeway is a 20-minute ride, with an additional 60-minute hike, but during the busy season the wait to get on the ropeway might be almost an hour in itself!