Instead of exploring first the Itsukushima Shrine, I decided to visit the Mount Misen because it seems that we need to spend more time in the mountain than in the shrine as I am expecting that there some part of the mountain that we may need to trek or climb. From the viewing area of O-Torii which just below or near Toyokuni Shrine, we followed the pathway to Momijidani Station wherein we passed the 5 Storied Pagoda, Itsukushima Shrine, office of Itsukushimi Shrine and a small town nearby. In Momijidani Station, there is a regular mini-bus available that pick-ups the visitors of Mount Misen. The bus will dropped all the passengers at Momidijani Park Entrance where the Momijidani Ropeway Station is just near. The mini bus is a regular service back and forth between stations. When I was looking at the map of Miyajima, I just realized that the park within the mountain seems a great place to discover as well but due to limited time we have, I snapped out the idea and focus on reaching the top or summit of the mountain.
While waiting for the bus, one of the local store owners approached us and showed us that we can buy ticket in their store and it seems the person is legitimate, we bought the ticket for our Mount Misen adventure in their store and other people does as well. The bus arrived and the good thing about it, all the four of us able to hopped on the bus from the queue we lined-up. It’s not really a long distance travel but because the area is already part of the mountain, the walk or let’s say the trek will not be an easy. We reached the bus stop and we walked-up a bit to Momijidani Ropeway Station. At the station, there is an office that you can also buy the tickets, since we already bought ours, we went straight to the stairs up to where the cable car is.
There are two types of cable car that we rode up to the Shishiiwa Station. First was a Gondola lift and second was Aerial Tramway. In Gondola lift, only the four of us got in which means we have exclusivity in the ride and we enjoyed our flightseeing up to the to of the mountain. When we reached the middle station or Kayatani Station, we transferred to another lift and we took the aerial tramway where it fits more people. We are the last group to get in the tram and that means we do not have great position to take photo during flightseeing but our eyes enjoyed the scenery on our way to Shishiiwa Station.
Shishiiwa Station Observatory Hall
Shishiiwa Station Observatory Hall (captured after descending the summit)
Shishiiwa Observatory
Mount Misen Map
We reached Shishiiwa Station where there is great observatory nearby. We spent time taking photos in the observatory and of course we took time to enjoy the sceneries. We found a map that Shishiiwa Station was not yet the summit of the mountain. I talked to my family and asked everyone who wants to see more of the mountain. Three of us agreed to come to the top and my mother decided to stay in Shishiiwa, she just stayed inside the station.
Sceneries at Shishiiwa Observatory (Part 1)
Sceneries at Shishiiwa Observatory (Part 2)
Sceneries at Shishiiwa Observatory (Part 3)
Sceneries at Shishiiwa Observatory (Part 4)
Our adventure continues in the mountain together with my sister and my father. We followed the track and the stairs to the summit. We reached the first place where we can rest and from the map it was the place where the following halls stands: Akaido Hall, Misenhondo Hall and Rekaido Hall (Eternal Fire Hall). With regards to Rekaido Hall or Eternal Fire Hall and sometimes called as Eternal Flame Hall is believed that the fire exist with more than 1200 years, if that was really true then its an amazing facts about the hall. My sister got tired and I decided to go up all the way to the summit. I thought that I am the only one who want to go up to the summit until I saw my father following me. Along the way, we saw another halls in the mountain: Sankido Hall, Kanondo Hall and Munjudo Hall. I thought the trek will never end until I just arrived in the summit of the mountain where Mount Misen Observatory located.
Captured on the way before reaching Eternal Fire Hall area
Misenhondo Hall
Reikado Hall (Eternal Fire Hall)
Sankido Hall
Kannondo Hall and Munjudo Hall
Scenery near Kannondo Hall and Munjudo Hall
At the summit we enjoyed the beautiful sceneries that surrounds the island. My father and I took photos of each other together with sceneries as our souvenir in the summit. After sometime we both decided to descend the summit since the time announcement that the last trip of the aerial tramway is up to 5PM in the afternoon. If we will missed it, it means that we will trek the mountain with our own legs and I was not sure if my family will be able to do that. When we descended the mountain, we used the same trail though based on the map there was another trail to go down the mountain and we never took that as we need to meet my mother back to Shishiiwa Station and we have to take the same lift we had when going up the mountain to go down too.
Fudo-iwa (Acala Rock)
Kuguri-iwa (Duck under rock)
At Mount Misen Summit Sceneries
At Mount Misen Summit
Mount Misen Observatory
We took the aerial tram and gondola lift from Shishiiwa Station to Kayatani Station and gondola lift again to Momijidani Station. We waited for the bus and go back to the bus stop where we started earlier our trip to the top of the mountain.
On our way to the ground
We passed few local stores and the office of Itsukushima Shrine. After mountain adventure, next stop was the World Heritage Site – Itsukushima Shrine.
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