The Magic of Miyajima Island - Tips for making the most of your trip to one of Japan's Top Sights

Miyajima island in Hiroshima is a magical place, but also one of the most popular tourism destinations in Japan- only 1500 local residents yet over 4 million visitors each year, it's an important place to discuss how to avoid crowds and create policies that give back value from tourism income to preserving the local culture, traditions and environment and quality of life for locals. Watch the video of this talk here.

Discussed some of my favorite places to wander: Mt.Misen hikes and views, Daishoin (SuhGenDo) Buddhist Temple, Itsukushima Floating shrine (and usually the giant Tori gate in front but it is still under scaffolding for a few more years), the 1000 mat pavillion and the 5 story pagoda.

Wish List for Miyajima:

• Transparency for how the tourist-tax benefits local people-planet-profit balance
• Encourage local oyster farmers to go back to using bamboo, wood and rope (instead of plastic and styrofoam) - Hiroshima plastic pollution from the oyster industry is a huge ocean plastic problem for the Seto-naikai area of Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Okayama but it gets as far as Hawaii's beaches too.
• Maintain building regulations/restrictions on the island to maintain the cultural/traditional aesthetic for tourism appeal, but as an asset for Japanese heritage
• Preserve natural beauty of the sacred island, limiting the use of concrete
• Find ways to stagger crowds on the main shopping street by slowing or limiting entry
• Serve local momiji-manju cakes without the plastic wrapping at least to those who want to eat-in
• Offer more local vegetables, local wood, plastic-free options as goods and services

JJ's Miyajima videos:

• Miyajima BeeKeeper + Bee Farm visit: https://youtu.be/h5rQXtvHD_Q
• Miyajima Natural Farm visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKgicWhAQwg&t=137s
• Live from the top of Mt.Misen: https://youtu.be/uLfgIVah4cs

ShoutOuts:

• GetHiroshima- news + events + local Hiroshima area insights (I cofounded in '99): https://gethiroshima.com/
• Miyajima Tourism official website: https://www.miyajima.or.jp/english/
• Sarasvati Coffee in a Restored old House Shop: https://goo.gl/maps/C1AE9YjUXx5iuPma9
• Setouchi Lovers Website for Daishoin temple details and vegetarian/vegan options: https://setouchilovers.com/
• Azby Brown on Japanese Temple Carpentry: https://youtu.be/YeG45EJHuEY
• Jon Stollenmeyer: https://youtu.be/75ZGcX1ac84 / https://youtu.be/lQBUl0JCaHk
• Barefoot samurai shows amazing traditional Japanese woodworking skills  @Barefoot Samurai 
• Hiroshima design and source of Hyotan repair details in the 1000 mat pavillion:
• Michiaki Nishio: https://youtu.be/yxhXhIP2X9I @240design

#sustainabletravel #miyajima

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