Better known as Miyajima (translating to “shrine island”), the historical Itsukushima Shrine is an icon of Hiroshima, only a short ferry ride away from its vermillion “floating” torii gate, rising from the ocean. A shrine complex made up of several sacred structures built over the waters of the Seto Inland Sea, Itsukushima is a national treasure and UNESCO World Heritage Site that backs onto Mount Misen, offering hot springs and beautiful views from its peak. Miyajima Island is famous for serving delicious local anago (eel) and juicy Hiroshima oysters at its cozy family-run restaurants. Shamoji are Miyajima’s rice scoops, supposedly invented on the island, which in fact has the world’s largest on display. Leisurely explored on foot, Miyajima bustles with street food stalls selling sweet momiji manju (maple leaf shaped cakes filled with red bean paste) while deer roam freely amongst visitors (shamelessly angling for a bite). Encapsulated by natural beauty, visitors love Itsukushima Shrine for its stunning views and delicious local food, like a traditional Japanese feast at an overnight ryokan stay.

Itsukushima Shrine

The capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima City, was completely destroyed by the tragic bombing of 1945, but has since grown out of devastation into a modern city, with only the memory of the Peace Memorial Park remaining. Backing onto the Chugoku Mountains, Hiroshima is now a modern city with six rivers flowing through its heart, sometimes called the “City of Water.” Across from the island of Shikoku, Hiroshima Prefecture and the beautiful Hiroshima Bay opens out onto the Seto Inland Sea with a smattering of smaller islands in-between. The iconic UNESCO World Heritage site of Miyajima Island, formally known as Itsukushima, is home to the huge red torii gate rising from its glorious waters. 

Shelter from Shikoku and gentle wind from the inland sea makes the climate in Hiroshima Prefecture mild all year round, with great weather for producing the country’s highest quality lemons. Hiroshima Bay also grows Hiroshima’s famous oysters, enormous and succulent; they’re delicious served inside a slab of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki (a savory Japanese pancake with layered ingredients). With over 50 breweries, the city of Hiroshima proudly owns the Saijo sake brewing district, protecting a fierce reputation as one of the top three sake-producing areas in Japan. Hiroshima Prefecture is also known for its delicious salt water eel, anago, drenched with a sweet soy glaze. There are also a number of local specialties within Hiroshima Prefecture. Onomichi is famous for its namesake ramen, and for being a picturesque filming location for a number of popular Japanese period films, while the ship-building port city of Kure is famous for its kaiji-kare, a special Japanese curry eaten every Friday by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force stationed along the inland sea. With access to mountains and sea, Hiroshima Prefecture is a less-traveled destination featuring a bounty of fine local foods.

Hiroshima

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Tucked to the south of Honshu between the Chugoku Mountains and the Seto Inland Sea, the humble Hiroshima Prefecture is known for its oysters and freshwater eel, as well as local okonomiyaki and sake produced in the revitalized capital of Hiroshima. 

One of Japan’s famous icons on Miyajima Island, the sacred Itsukushima Shrine rises from the waters of the Seto Inland Sea, surrounded by street food stalls and cozy restaurants specializing in local oysters, eel, and traditional souvenir sweets.

Gluten-free

Halal

Kosher

Vegan

Vegetarian

Pescetarian

Family-friendly

Wear kimono

Learn etiquette

Tea culture in Japan has long been held in high regard amongst the Japanese people, even extending to the spiritual island of Miyajima, close to Hiroshima. Sado in Japanese means “the way of tea,” referring to how to serve and enjoy it as an art form. A tea ceremony in Japan includes many elements, not only matcha green tea made from high-quality ingredients, but the serving utensils and tea vessels contribute to the atmosphere and ritual of any tea ceremony. The room also cultivates ambiance as a part of the ceremony, where you can enjoy tea with peace of mind, appreciating the refinement of tea in a beautiful surrounding. This Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony in Miyajima is a cultural class that offers the opportunity to understand more about Japanese tea and the historic tea ceremony from a deeper perspective.

Enjoy a Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony in Miyajima, the beautiful “shrine island” that’s officially known as Itsukushima. A wonderful day trip from Hiroshima is just a quick ferry trip away, so you can easily enjoy the wonders of a Japanese tea ceremony in Miyajima on a day trip during this atmospheric class. It also includes a session to try on a gorgeous Japanese kimono, making it a special experience where you can fully immerse yourself in traditional culture. With unmatched hospitality, during this tea ceremony in Miyajima, you’ll enjoy the performance of tea ceremony and participate while wearing a kimono, followed by a class of tea making. Here, you’ll learn to make your own tea, a humbling experience that’s perfect on the spiritual island of during this Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony in Miyajima.

Traditional Japanese performance of preparing tea.

Tea Ceremony

Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony in Miyajima

Tea experience

Appreciate the beauty of the island of Miyajima, across from Hiroshima City in the Seto Inland Sea. Officially named Itsukushima, Miyajima is home to Itsukushima Shrine, with its wonderful torii gate in the ocean is said to be one of the three most beautiful spots in Japan. Spiritual and humbling, it’s the perfect place to learn about Japanese culture through some of Japan’s traditional activities. This Miyajima Calligraphy, Kimono, and Tea Ceremony Experience is a one and a half hour immersive experience of Japanese traditional culture held in a 300-year-old Japanese temple!

Join a Miyajima Calligraphy, Kimono, and Tea Ceremony Experience to firstly try wearing a beautiful Japanese kimono. With a lovely Japanese pattern and many choices.  take part in a Japanese tea ceremony. Learn about “the way of tea” in Japan, sado, and learn about the ritual of preparing and enjoying tea. You’ll also learn how to prepare a hot cup of matcha for yourself, sipping from ceramics made locally in the Miyajima area. Finally, you’ll embrace the way of writing and try your hand at Japanese calligraphy. You’ll learn techniques and brush strokes using traditional brushes and sumi ink to write your choice of Chinese Chatacter(kanji) and your name in Japanese Alphabet. Enjoy three different aspects of traditional Japanese culture during this wonderful Miyajima Calligraphy, Kimono, and Tea Ceremony Experience on a lovely day trip away from Hiroshima.

Miyajima Calligraphy, Kimono, and Tea Ceremony Experience

Experience a combination of Japanese cultural activities during this experience on Miyajima, the famous “shrine island” across from Hiroshima City, formally called Itsukushima. This Miyajima Cooking Class, Tea Ceremony, and Calligraphy Experience even has a kimono wearing experience included! With Itsukushima Shrine’s red torii gate emerging from the ocean, it’s a beautiful sight (one of the most beautiful in Japan) and is the perfect location to immerse yourself in traditional Japanese culture.

First, you’ll get to try on a kimono and take some great photos. Then, you’ll enjoy a Japanese tea ceremony. The practice of sado (“The Way of Tea”) is one of the refined practices deeply rooted in Japanese culture. You’ll participate in the tea ceremony with a tea master, using local pottery from the Miyajima area, and learn how to drink and appreciate matcha tea. You’ll also learn about the history and ritual of tea ceremonies in Japan, and how to prepare your own matcha green tea.

Next, you’ll try your hand at Japanese calligraphy, shodo, a relaxing and meditative cultural practice in Japan. Calligraphy takes patience and practice, so your guide will teach you techniques to create your own beautiful piece of writing: your name written in hiragana! Or, if you request this, you can write on Miyajima’s specialty shamoji (a rice scoop paddle) which you can take home as a souvenir. Here, you’ll experience painting using a traditional brush and Japanese sumi ink.

Finally, you’ll find yourself making some simple yet delicious Japanese food during a mini Japanese cooking class. Whether it be sweets or an onigiri rice ball, the menu changes with the season and is flexible with your preferences. Japanese food and culture go hand-in-hand. It’s no wonder Japanese cuisine was named a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage! Enjoy the best of Japanese culture and join this Miyajima Cooking Class, Tea Ceremony, and Calligraphy Experience for a wonderful day trip from Hiroshima.

A fun, hands-on cooking experience for home cooks, people with basic cooking skills, or kids.

Casual Cooking Classes

Miyajima Cooking Class, Tea Ceremony, and Calligraphy 

Wear samue

Onigiri is Japan’s triangle shaped rice snack, a simple rice ball (often times wrapped in a layer of nori seaweed) that makes an excellent food to-go. Onigiri making is simple but requires the right technique to shape the rice into that plump, perfectly triangular shape. Onigiri comes in all sorts of delicious flavors, where fillings range from a classic salmon or tuna mayo, right through to the more traditional kombu (kelp) or umeboshi (pickled plum). It’s an appropriate snack anywhere, anytime, easily popped into your pocket for later. 

While onigiri are enjoyed easily picked up from a convenience store, they’re best either bought from a specialty onigiri store in your local shotengai (shopping street), made at home from scratch and filled with whatever you like. Convenient and simple, onigiri are a staple dish of Japanese cuisine, which are also eaten as meals in cafes or an easy meal made in Japanese homes. Learn how to make the perfect onigiri rice ball in an Onigiri Making Class in Miyajima on your next Hiroshima trip!

The beautiful island of Miyajima, officially named Itsukushima for its famous Shinto Shrine, is located a little ways off the coast of Hiroshima. Full of street food and beautiful views, it’s a wonderful day trip from Hiroshima City, just a short ferry ride away. With the red torii gate rising from the sea, it’s a beautiful sight, and one of the top things to do in Hiroshima. So, are you visiting Hiroshima on your next trip to Japan and planning to head over to Miyajima for a day? No need to bring some onigiri along, just learn how to make some for yourself during an Onigiri Making Class in Miyajima, the perfect day trip lunch on this beautiful and iconic island to the south of Japan. Look fabulous too, as this onigiri making class also includes a session where you can try on traditional Japanese kimono wearing. 

Food Experiences

Restaurant Reservation

Gourmet Product

Itsukushima Shrine