Warlord Motonari At Miyajima

Above, the Great Torii gate and the Itsukushima Shrine. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one decides to pay a visit to Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park, they should take some time to go visit nearby Miyajima (officially, it is Itsukushima Island).

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) has posted an interesting article on some Miyajima history,

It starts with:

MIYAJIMA, Hiroshima—I’m a big fan of feudal warlord Mori Motonari (1497-1571). 

Despite being geographically sandwiched between two bigger forces—the Amago clan in Izumo (now Shimane Prefecture) and the Ouchi clan in Yamaguchi Prefecture—Motonari rose from a small domain lord of Yoshida in Aki (now Hiroshima Prefecture) to become a powerful daimyo feudal lord who governed the Chugoku region. I’m fascinated by his resilient rise to glory. 

I visited Miyajima, which is regarded as one of the three most scenic spots in Japan, to get a sense of the most crucial moment Motonari experienced in his life.

In 1555, at the age of 59 by the Japanese method of counting age, Motonari fought against Sue Harukata (1521-1555) on the island. Harukata had overthrown Ouchi Yoshitaka, who had indulged in a luxurious life. Motonari’s military force was vastly outnumbered by the forces of Harukata, who had taken over the mighty Ouchi clan.

I visited Miyajima (located in the Inland Sea of Japan) in 2004. It is a very scenic place to see and I recommend a visit to anyone, whether they are interested in Japanese history or not.

To read the full article, go here.