This torii gate is perhaps the most iconic of all such gates. It is part of the Itsukushima Shinto Shrine on the island of Miyajima, which is a short train and shorter ferry ride from Hiroshima. At low tide, one can walk under it. At high tide, it appears to be floating on the water.
I have seen this gate in old woodblock reprints, such as one on a calendar I keep. It always seemed so beautiful! It’s vermillion color blazing like a sunset. And, in fact, it is beautiful!
Seeing it in person is, however, not so evocative as suggested in those old prints. I found it difficult to take a picture of it that did not also include the buildings on the opposite shore. Those old painters didn’t include those buildings or the many ferry boats moving relentlessly across the water.
Also, my image of a serene shrine nestled away on a secluded island did not include all of the restaurants, souvenir stores, ice cream shops, and the like. I can’t complain. My imagination has often failed the test of reality.
Finally, while you can only see the very tiniest vermillion gate under the rays of the setting sun, I want to believe that the old painters of Japan would approve.
Autumn In Japan 