Climbing Mt Misen on Miyashima Island

The view from the top of Miyashima Island has been described as one of the three top scenic views in Japan, so I had determined to see it. (They were described as uninterrupted 36o degree views, hardly a surprise as they’re on top!) But with sore feet after the temple experience, and because of the hot weather I decided to get the available ropeway there and back (a ropeway in Japan is what I had previously called a cable car), rather than just one way and walking back as originally planned. I regard this as evidence that I am getting smarter as I get older – albeit scanty.

En route to the ropeway, I stopped to rest my feet and have some lunch. I spotted a deer outside the restaurant and inside noticed that they used tatami mats for seating around tables. There are many deer on Miyajima Island, all quite tame and this one looked as hungry as me. I’ve long ago stopped sitting on the floor to eat, however, and had chosen a chair with my table … further evidence of advancing wisdom.

I always worry a bit about cablecars, to be honest. I can all too easily imagine the effects of a little bit of rust, a little bit of metal fatigue, an unusual response to environmental stress, etc. But I threw all caution to the winds and took off up the mountain, which tops out at 535 m.

Actually, there were two successive ropeways in this case, the first one with a smaller car than the second. Both show the luxuriant tree growth on the island, and both proceeded without incident (phew!). A nice thing about a small cable car is that you can meet others, of course, similarly imperilled, and in this case I met a lovely family holidaying from Tokyo. I even tried to engage the older child (a boy) in English conversation, ready for the return to school tomorrow, especially as he had not yet done his homework. [I was surprised to find children got lots of summer holiday homework, which is rare in Australia.]

Once we reached the top, the view was indeed terrific. I could se parts of the ‘inland sea’ between Honshu and Shikoku, including some islands. The heat made it a bit hazy, but I was still pleased to be there.

However, the climb was not over, as there was a walk to the top of the mountain. This proved to be very hard in the heat, with my feet still complaining from the temple walk and because it was quite steep. I did not have to climb (in the Hillary and Tensing sense), but it was tough going. Made me realise that although my brain still thinks I’m about 22 or so, my body has better evidence of my age, and I was uneasy about getting to the top observatory before it closed at 4 pm.

Along the way there were small temples, some founded by the same man who founded Daisho-in temple, as described in another blog. Reikado Hall is quite famous it seems for housing a fire that has been burning for 1200 years! The same fire was used as a pilot to light the flame of remembrance in Hiroshima’s Peace Park (as described briefly in another blog), making an interesting and unexpected connection of my two blogs. But all I noticed on the way up, having stopped at the temple to catch my breath (only just successfully) was that there were still more stairs to climb! (Click on the images to expand them, and see the stairs for yourself).

So I trudged on up the hill, determined not to be beaten, against the advice of my feet. To prove I actually made it, here is a picture of the observatory, at the top, which was a very welcome sight. I’m pleased that Mt Misen was not 540 m high … I don’t know that I could have made another five metres!

I rarely indulge in selfies, having already a pretty good idea of what I look like, even under conditions of heat stress, but on this occasion I succumbed to a suggestion of my companion family (who had reached the summit some time before me) to recognise my success with a photo:

The view was indeed magnificent, and in all directions. I was able to see more of the Inland Sea and of course across to Hiroshima, from whence I had come for the day out. here are a few snaps:

And here is a picture of my travelling companions and myself, enjoying the comforts of the observatory before tackling the descent. They were very pleasant company.

The trip down the hill was a little easier, after the success of the climb. I paused occasionally to capture the views, and especially liked seeing some of the trees against the sea, even dead trees:

In all, a wonderful day’s outing to Miyajima, that made me glad I came, despite the physical hardships. It’s a lovely place, and I can now see why some people prefer to stay overnight at the island to enjoy its many charms, but at a more relaxed pace. The sense of achievement in reaching goals is pretty nice too, as even my feet probably agree.