Ninety seconds on Itsukushima Shrine
From the shore at high water, the shrine's corridors and its vermilion gate seem to stand on the sea. Hours later the bay drains and you can walk out across the sand to the gate. Time your day for both.
Two figures on the tide table decide the visit. When the tide table reads above 250 centimetres, the halls and the gate stand in water; below 100 centimetres, you can walk out to the gate. The Miyajima Tourist Association publishes the table for every month on its website, so check it before you choose your ferry.
High and low tide come about six hours apart, so a long day usually catches both. Walk the corridors on the high water, then come back down to the shore for the low.
Stay the night on the island if you can. Once the last ferries take the day-trippers back, the shrine and the gate are lit until eleven and the waterfront goes quiet.
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