Day 4: Mount Misen

We wanted to climb to the top of Mount Misen for the view and sightseeing. Also you can take a ropeway most of the way.

If there's any sort of transportation Ava likes more than escalators, it's ropeways.

From the ropeway car, looking back towards Miyajima-guchi.

There are two ropeways you take on the way up to Mount Misen. Ava looks out from the Kayatani transfer station, halfway through the journey.

The top of the ropeway line, Shishiiwa Station. The two legs of the ropeway cross a mile of ground and ascend about a thousand feet.

From the observatory point at Shishiiwa Station, Ava looks out over towards the sea. It was a bit foggy that day, unfortunately.

From there it's a half mile hike to the summit of Mount Misen. It was pretty hot, but we were determined. And maybe just a little bit insane.

Along the way to the top we passed several temples and shrines. On the left is the exterior of Keizu-no-Reikado.

The fire inside has been burning continuously for 1200 years since it was originally lit by Kōbō Daishi, the monk who traveled to Miyajima in 806 CE and founded the Daishō-in temple.

Along the climb we passed by some of Mount Misen's strange rocks. There's Kanman-Iwa, 1500 feet up the mountain, which is nevertheless said to collect salt water in its hollow when the tide comes in, and Kugiri-Iwa, a natural arch formed from gigantic boulders. At the summit stands the stump of Ryuto-no-sugi, what remains of a cedar tree from which, it's said, you can see mysterious lights floating out over the sea.

We continued climbing, passing small shines and monuments along the way.

The summit of Mount Misen.

An observatory platform at the summit looks out over the inland sea.

There's a small rest stop at the top of the mountain selling drinks and snacks. The climb had been tiring, it was mushiatsui, and I'd never been more happy to see lemon flavored shaved ice in my life.

From the observatory platform on the roof of the rest stop we could see most of the island, including the ropeway station we had just hiked from.

We soaked in the view and then rode the ropeway back to Miyajima. It was time to move on to the next city, Okayama.