Japan's Best UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Above, Itsukushima Shrine's grand vermillion torii gate at Miyajima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of these days, tourists will flock again to Japan to enjoy its scenic beauty and take in Japanese culture.

Until then, all we can do is read about it and catch a video of Japan on YouTube and other sources.

Japan has a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for people to visit and Time Out Tokyo has listed the best ones.

They begin with:

It’s no secret that Japan is filled with some of the most picturesque sightseeing spots in the world – we’re talking soothing bamboo forests, summer festivals and winter villages. So many of Japan’s historic sites have been damaged or destroyed in natural disasters and wars, so the ones that still remain are considered rare and therefore special.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, or Unesco, aims to preserve global cultural, historical or natural landmarks by designating them as World Heritage Sites. And Japan boasts a whopping 23 World Heritage Sites, ranging from traditional villages to Shinto and Buddhist shrines and temples, and more.

Thanks to preservation efforts, both tourists and residents can still visit these ancient sites and learn about the history of Japan. Here are some of Japan’s best Unesco World Heritage Sites, from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial to Kyoto’s ancient monuments. 

To read more, go here. 

 

JR Central To Launch Online Shinkansen Reservation Service

Above, the torii gate at Miyajima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those who are planning a trip to Japan and whose itineraries include taking a shinkansen from Tokyo to Hiroshima, and points in-between, they no longer have to be in Japan to make train reservations.

Japan Today reported:

TOKYO - Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) will launch an official online reservation service allowing oversea travelers to purchase, before coming to Japan and from all over the world, tickets for the Tokaido Sanyo shinkansen (bullet train) which runs through Japan’s golden route connecting Tokyo, Mt Fuji, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata and other destinations. 

The shinkansen offers high speed and convenience. Trains run frequently and on time, seating is readily available, and travel is comfortable, safe and enjoyable. It is an efficient and reliable choice for long distances as well as short day trips.

To read more, go here. 

Despite Restoration Work, Miyajima's Beauty Can Still Be Enjoyed

Above, O-torii at Miyajima in 2004. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2004, G-TOUR made a stop at Miyajima near Hiroshima to take in the sights, including the O-torii Gate and Itsukushima Shrine. Access to Miyajima is by ferry boat.

Currently, restoration work is taking place at the popular tourist attraction, but as Stars & Stripes (a.k.a. Stripes Japan) points out, the work shouldn't detract from the beauty of them.

Above, Itsukushima and O-torii from the ferry. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

They begin with:

The floating O-torii and Itsukushima Shrine at Miyajima south of Hiroshima are two of Japan’s most popular attractions, but ongoing restoration work there shouldn’t stop Americans stationed in Japan from planning a visit. 

Miyajima, or the “Island of the Gods,” is one of the three most scenic places in Japan, according to the island’s official tourist website, and a prime destination for an easy day trip or weekend getaway for those at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. 

It’s especially popular for professional and amateur photographers who make their way around the picturesque landscape. 

The most popular photo subject is the O-torii, which appears to float gently on the waves when the tide is high. The bright orange structure, which stands nearly 60 feet tall in stark contrast to the dark green, forested hillsides behind it, was built in 1875 and is the eighth O-torii at Miyajima. The first was built in 1168. 

Other photo ops include Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its brilliant orange pillars and wooden walkways. There’s also the five-story Tahoto Pagoda, which pokes above the cherry trees, and the many scenic orange footbridges in Momijidani Park that cross a small river. They’re perfect for family photos.

To read more, go here. 

Itsukushima Shrine Undergoing Repairs

Above, the famous Itsukushima torii gate in 2004. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the stops we made during 2004's G-TOUR was the Itsukushima Shrine with its torii gate near Hiroshima.

For the first time in 70 years, the first "large-scale" repair work on the gate began on Monday.

According to News On Japan:

A major renovation project has begun at Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan. 

Last rebuilt in 1875, the shrine's grand torii gate has suffered damage from exposure to seawater and insects. Past inspections found cavities inside its pillars.

To read more, go here. 

TripAdvisor: Western Japan Dominate With 30 Tourist Draws

Above, Miyajima's famous "floating" torii gate. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like western Japan is dominating with 30 tourist attractions, according to travel website TripAdvisor.

The Asahi Shimbun reported:

West is best for tourist attractions in Japan, according to international users of TripAdvisor, with eight of the top 10 sightseeing spots lying on the western side of the archipelago. 

TripAdvisor, one of the world's largest travel websites, on June 12 published its annual list of the top 30 tourist draws for foreign travelers based on visitor feedback posted in languages other than Japanese. 

Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine in Kyoto, renowned for a large number of vermilion “torii” gates in its grounds, tops the list for the fifth year in a row. 

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, including the Atomic Bomb Dome and the peace memorial museum, ranked second, followed by the Itsukushimajinja shrine, famous for its “floating” gate on the shore of the Miyajima district in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, completing a western Japan top three.

To read more, go here. 

Visitors Damaging Japan's Famous Torii Gate

Above, the Itsukushima Shrine Torii Gate during high tide. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Visitors to the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island near Hiroshima are unintentionally causing damage to the iconic torii gate which may eventually cause it to collapse.

According to RocketNews24:

Hiroshima Prefecture’s Miyajima, though, is absolutely worth visiting, regardless of what specifically drew you to Japan. The mountainous island is covered with centuries-old shrines and lush forests, and wild yet calm deer walk through the town where the ferry port is located. And then there’s the sight of Itsukushima Shrine’s torii gate rising from the waters of the bay, one of the most iconic views in all of Japan. 

When the tide is low, you can actually walk all the way out to the base of the torii, where travelers routinely snap close-up photos of its orange-painted timbers. 

But because the lower part of the gate spends much of the day underwater, the wood is cracked and warped in spots. Unfortunately, some tourists have taken to cramming coins into the cracks, creating an unsightly mess that can’t be good for the torii. 

To read more, go here. 

Miyajima's Scenic Spots

Above, Miyajima's famous "floating" torii gate. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2004, the first G-TOUR took a day trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima via shinkansen. It's hard to believe that nearly 12 years had passed since that trip.

While we were in the Hiroshima area, we paid a visit to Miyajima that sits in the Seto Inland Sea. We took a ferry to the island and spent a few hours wandering around.

Following our visit to Miyajima, we visited the Peace Memorial Park and Museum in Hiroshima.

Malay Mail's website has an article on the things to see on Miyajima that includes Itsukushima Shrine, the famous "floating" torii gate and wandering deer.

They begin with:

MIYAJIMA, June 26 — Named one of Japan’s top three scenic spots, Miyajima is a tiny island that packs a great number of attractions and picturesque sights, making it a compact destination on its own or as a side trip from Hiroshima. You can get a quick overview of its key landmarks within three hours but it is best to set aside a full day to discover her multiple charms. Here are 12 things to do, see and taste at this serene island. 

I am considering a return visit to Miyajima later this year.

To read more, go here. 

Latest Blog Post Pick-ups

The fine folks at The Japan Daily has picked up some blog posts for sharing with their readers.

They are:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

What's A Torii?

Above, toriis near Hakusan Park in Niigata. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

People just getting interested in Japanese culture who have visited Japan for the first time or have seen pictures of torii gates may wonder, What's a torii?

Above, a torii at Lake Ashi. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I've been to Japan seven times and I have seen torii gates of different sizes at many places.

But to answer the question what a torii is, here's what Wikipedia says:

A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred (see Sacred-profane dichotomy). The presence of a torii at the entrance is usually the simplest way to identify Shinto shrines, and a small torii icon represents them on Japanese road maps. They are however a common sight at Japanese Buddhist temples too, where they stand at the entrance of the temple's own shrine, called chinjusha (鎮守社, tutelary god shrine) and are usually very small.

The photos that accompany this blog post are just some of the torii gates that I have seen.

The most famous torii gate is the one at the Itsukushima Shrine at Miyajima.

Above, the torii gate at the Itsukushima Shrine at Miyajima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.