The island of Miyajima, Japan, has some of the most beautiful wooden shrines in all of Japan.
The Itsukushima Shrine was first built in the sixth century. Its unique location, floating on top of the seawater, makes it a one-of-a-kind World Heritage site. The shrine's beauty is further enhanced by the O-Torii (Torii Gate), a bright orange structure that seems to rise out of the water about 200 yds/185 m in front of the main shrine. At low tide you can walk out to it, but the best photos are to be had at high tide, around sunset.
Also on Miyajima is the Omoto Shrine, the Tahoto Pagoda and the Five-Storied Pagoda, and the Daishoin Temple with its 500 Rakan statues—with no two alike—that line the steps up to the shrine.
Miyajima also features performances of the ancient form of dance called Bugaku (check in advance for performance dates).
Miyajima is a short ferry trip from Hiroshima.
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