Itsukushima Shrine (Itsukushima-jinja, 厳島神社) is a Shinto shrine built over the sea on Miyajima, an island 10 minutes by ferry from Miyajimaguchi near Hiroshima. Founded, by tradition, in 593 and rebuilt in its present form in 1168 by Taira no Kiyomori, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1996) and the home of the floating Great Torii, the Miyajima torii gate seen in so many photos of Japan. Admission is ¥300 for adults, ¥200 for high school students and ¥100 for elementary and junior high students, cash only. The shrine opens at 6:30 every day and closes between 17:00 and 18:30 depending on the season; the full list is in the table below.
What you see depends on the tide. At 250 cm or higher, the corridors and the torii appear to float; at 100 cm or lower, you can walk across the seabed to the foot of the gate. High and low tide come roughly six hours apart, so with a tide table you can see both in one day. From the ferry pier it is a 10–15 minute walk to the shrine entrance along Omotesando shopping street. This page covers hours and the entry fee, how to get there, the tide schedule to plan around, the best way to see the shrine, what to see inside, and the charms (omamori) sold there.
| Admission | ¥300 adult / ¥200 high school / ¥100 elementary and junior high. Cash only |
| Hours | Opens 6:30 daily. Closes 18:00 (Mar 1–Oct 14), 17:30 (Oct 15–Nov 30 and Jan 4–end of Feb), 17:00 (Dec), 18:30 (Jan 1–3; on Jan 1 it opens at midnight) |
| Getting there | Ferry from Miyajimaguchi (10 min), then 10–15 min on foot from Miyajima pier |
| Floating shrine | Tide level 250 cm or higher |
| Walk to the Great Torii | Tide level 100 cm or lower |
| Night | Shrine and torii lit from about 30 minutes after sunset until around 23:00, viewed from outside (free) |
| Also on the island | ¥100 Miyajima visitor tax per person, paid with your ferry ticket |
Hours and admission
Admission (inner shrine): adults ¥300, high school students ¥200, elementary and junior high school students ¥100. Pay in cash at the entrance; credit cards and IC cards are not accepted. A combined ticket with the shrine’s Treasure Hall costs ¥500 for adults and is sold only at the shrine entrance.
Opening hours:
- January 1: 0:00 – 18:30
- January 2–3: 6:30 – 18:30
- January 4 – end of February: 6:30 – 17:30
- March 1 – October 14: 6:30 – 18:00
- October 15 – November 30: 6:30 – 17:30
- December 1–31: 6:30 – 17:00
Wear flat shoes. The corridor floorboards have gaps between them to let seawater pressure escape at high tide, and heels catch in them. Strollers have to be lifted over a few small steps, so a baby carrier is easier.
How to get to Itsukushima Shrine
Take a ferry from Miyajimaguchi to Miyajima: JR West Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen both take about 10 minutes and cost ¥200 plus the ¥100 visitor tax. The JR ferry’s Great Torii Route (departures 9:10–16:10) passes close to the torii on the way in, and the Japan Rail Pass is valid on it. You can also take Aquanet Hiroshima’s direct boat from Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, about 45 minutes.
From Miyajima pier, walk along the shore or through Omotesando shopping street; the shrine entrance is 10–15 minutes away. See our Miyajima ferry guide for fares, timetables and the Japan Rail Pass. Coming from Osaka, Kyoto or Tokyo? See our guide to getting to Miyajima by shinkansen.
Tide times: when it floats, when you can walk to the torii
Itsukushima Shrine changes with the tide more than with the seasons, so check the tide table for your date before you go. Our Miyajima tide times page explains how to read it.
High tide (250 cm and above): the floating shrine
At 250 cm or higher, the sea comes in under the corridors and around the torii, and the whole shrine appears to float. This is the classic view. Combined with the evening illumination, which starts about 30 minutes after sunset, it is the most photographed time of day.
Low tide (100 cm and below): walk to the Great Torii, and the Mirror Pond
At 100 cm or lower, the seabed in front of the shrine is exposed ground and you can walk across it to the foot of the Great Torii. The sand and seaweed are slippery and muddy, so wear shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. At the same levels, three small pools appear on the beach beside the shrine: Kagami-ike, the Mirror Pond. The autumn moon reflected in them, Kagami-ike Shūgetsu, has been celebrated in poetry for centuries.
The best way to see it: both tides in one day
High and low tide are roughly six hours apart, so the best way to see Itsukushima Shrine is to plan around the tide schedule and catch both. Arrive for one and stay for the other: for example, walk to the torii at the late-morning low tide, have lunch and visit Daishoin Temple or Mount Misen, and come back for the floating shrine at the evening high tide. The JR ferry runs until after 22:00, so you can stay for the illumination. What there is to do after dark, including the night cruise, is in Miyajima at night.
What to see inside: the corridors, the Great Torii and the main hall
The shrine is built in shinden-zukuri, the style of Heian-period (794–1185) aristocratic mansions, and its present layout dates from Taira no Kiyomori’s rebuilding in 1168. Nearly every building is a National Treasure or an Important Cultural Property. The covered corridor, the kairō, runs about 275 meters over the water and is itself a National Treasure; the route takes you past the main hall and the Takabutai dance stage. The floorboard gaps that let the sea through are part of the design.
The Great Torii stands in the sea in front of the main hall. It is about 16.6 meters tall, weighs about 60 tons and is made of kusunoki (camphor) wood. It is not buried in the seabed: it stands by its own weight on a foundation of driven wooden piles. The present gate, built in 1875, is the ninth; a survey before the 2019–2022 restoration found records of a second gate that had been overlooked, so it is no longer counted as the eighth.
The shrine enshrines the Munakata Sanjoshin, three sister goddesses (Ichikishimahime, Tagirihime and Tagitsuhime) who protect sea travel and all journeys. Ichikishimahime is also revered as Benzaiten, goddess of wealth and the arts.
Night: the illumination
From about 30 minutes after sunset until around 23:00, the shrine, the Great Torii and the Five-Story Pagoda are lit up. The inner shrine is closed by then, but you can see the illumination for free from the waterfront promenade, or from the sightseeing boats that sail near the torii. To see it without rushing for the last ferry, stay the night; our where to stay in Miyajima guide compares the island, Miyajimaguchi and Hiroshima.
Omamori and omikuji
The charm counter (juyo-sho) in the middle of the shrine sells omamori for traffic safety, good luck, protection from misfortune, academic success and safe childbirth, from ¥300. The academic success charm (¥300) comes in five colors: purple, light blue, white, yellow and red. Because the shrine’s three deities are goddesses, it has long been visited to pray for safe childbirth and children’s health. Many designs carry the shrine’s crest, the Great Torii or the island’s deer.
The shrine’s omikuji (fortune slips) include a result called “Taira” (平), found at only a few shrines in Japan. It sits between good and bad luck and means roughly “calm and steady.”
FAQ
Why is Itsukushima Shrine famous?
For the Great Torii and the shrine buildings standing in the sea: at high tide they appear to float. It is one of Japan’s “three most scenic views” with Matsushima and Amanohashidate, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Its present form dates from Taira no Kiyomori’s rebuilding in 1168.
Is it worth visiting, and how long do I need?
Yes. Allow about an hour for the shrine itself, plus 10–15 minutes each way from the pier. To see both the floating view and the walk to the torii, check the tide table and plan around half a day on the island. Timed plans for three hours, half a day and a full day are in our Miyajima day trip guide.
Can I see Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day?
Yes. Visit Peace Memorial Park in the morning, then take the train and ferry, or Aquanet’s direct boat from the park (about 45 minutes), to Miyajima for the afternoon. The shrine closes between 17:00 and 18:30 depending on the season, so arrive by mid-afternoon.
Can I walk up to the Great Torii?
Yes, when the tide is 100 cm or lower. Check the tide table for your date, wear shoes that can get muddy, and take care on the slippery sand and seaweed.
Why is the Miyajima torii gate in the water?
Because the whole island has long been worshipped as sacred, the shrine was built on the tidal flat rather than on the island’s land, and the Great Torii stands in the sea as its gate. The full story is in why the shrine seems to float.
What is the floating torii gate called?
It is the Ōtorii, the Great Torii of Itsukushima Shrine. It is a ryōbu-style torii, with four smaller supporting pillars around the two main ones, a style used since its 1547 rebuilding. The present gate, the ninth, was built in 1875 and has been a National Important Cultural Property since 1952. Its history is in the Great Torii’s history.
How do I get to the floating torii gate?
Take the 10-minute ferry from Miyajimaguchi and walk 10–15 minutes from the island pier along the shore and Omotesando. At high tide you see it from the waterfront, the shrine corridors or a sightseeing boat; when the tide is 100 cm or lower you can walk across the sand to its foot.
When does the shrine look like it is floating?
When the tide is 250 cm or higher. The view is at its best at high tide after sunset, when the evening illumination starts.
What’s the best way to see Itsukushima Shrine?
See it twice if you can: once near high tide, when the water is above about 250 cm and the corridors and torii seem to float, and once near low tide, below about 100 cm, when you can walk across the sand to the Great Torii. Come early (the shrine opens at 6:30) to beat the crowds, allow about an hour inside, and take the JR ferry’s Great Torii route (departures 9:10–16:10) to see the gate from the water on the way over. After dark, the shrine and torii are lit from about 30 minutes after sunset.
Where is Itsukushima Shrine?
On Miyajima island, at 1-1 Miyajima-cho, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, about 10–15 minutes on foot from the island’s ferry pier.
Can I visit at night?
The inner shrine closes at 17:00–18:30, but the illumination continues until around 23:00 and can be seen from outside for free, from the promenade or a sightseeing boat.
What is the admission (entry) fee, and do they take cards?
¥300 for adults, ¥200 for high school students and ¥100 for elementary and junior high students. Cash only: no credit cards or IC cards. The ¥100 Miyajima visitor tax is paid separately with your ferry ticket.
What does the omikuji result “Taira” mean?
“Taira” (平) is a fortune found at only a few shrines, Itsukushima among them. It sits between good and bad luck and means roughly “calm and steady; things will settle.”
Nearby
- Daishoin Temple — the island’s oldest temple, on the hillside behind the shrine.
- Senjokaku and the Five-Story Pagoda — on the hill just north of the shrine.
- Mount Misen — the ropeway and trails to the summit.
- Anago meshi (conger eel rice) — the island’s signature lunch.
- Miyajima Aquarium — a good choice on a rainy day.
Hours and admission are from the shrine’s official website (checked October 2026) and may change.
