A cute Japanese girl Yu-chan guided me around the Miyajima by rickshaw😊| Miyajima, Hiroshima

A cute Japanese girl Yu-chan guided me around the Miyajima by rickshaw😊| Miyajima, Hiroshima

Me: Nice to meet you. She: Nice to meet you too. I’ve been expecting you. She: Okay, watch your step and follow steps 1, 2, 3 to ride on the rickshaw. Me: Thank you. She: Okay.

She: Could you put your backpack at your feet or next to your seat? Me: Yeah, I would put it at my feet. She: Okay. Thank you. She: I will set your seatbelt. Me: Thank you. She: I will put this blanket on your lap. Me: Yeah, thank you.

She: Could I wear a hat because of the strong sun? Me: Of course. She: Where did you come from today? Me: I’m from Tokyo. She: Wow, it’s so far. She: Thank you so much. She: How many times have you come to Miyajima? Me: This is the second time.

She: When was the last time you came here? Me: I came when I was a kid. I came on a school trip. She: So it’s been a while since you’ve come here. Thank you. Me: I was really looking forward to today. She: Oh, me too. I’m very excited.

She: Okay, I will guide you around Miyajima for an hour today. Me: Yeah, thank you. She: I will lift it up, so please lean back against the backrest. She: Okay,heave-ho! She: Wow. You have the reaction of a person who is used to riding.

Me: Oh, sorry, I should have made it looked more fun. She: No worries. She: I could understand that you are accustomed to riding. She: I’m “Yuna Takeuchi”. I’ll be in charge of driving for you today. She: If you like, you can call me “Yu-chan”. I’ll try my best today. Me: Okay. Thank you.

She: I’ll try to drive safely. Me: Yeah. Thank you. Me: I find a star on your name tag. She: Oh, you mean this one? She: This was given to me by a customer. Me: Oh, I see. That’s nice.

Me: That’s a nice one star. She: Yeah, I put this star on every day and run with it. She: Let’s depart when that white car passes by. Me: Okay. Me: Are those the people departing from this island? She: That’s right, it’s now time for more tourists are departing from this island.

Ebisuya staff: Good luck! She: We’re off! She: On days when there are many tourists, there is a long line to board the ferry leaving this island. Me: Oh, I see. She: Be careful not to miss the ferry. Me: Oh, yeah. She: How is the ride? Me: Very comfortable.

She: I’m glad you said that. Thank you. She: Have you seen any deer since you came to Miyajima today? Me: Yeah, I have. She: What is your impression of the deer on Miyajima? Me: The deer on this island often nibble on things that tourists hold in their hands.

She: That’s right, deers eat anything. Me: Yeah, I saw that scene several times today. She: They quietly approach tourists from behind and nibble away at what the tourists are holding in their hands. She: In addition to Miyajima, Nara Prefecture is another famous habitat for deer. Me: Yeah.

She: In Miyajima, unlike Nara Prefecture, deer crackers are not sold. Me: Oh, I see. She: On Miyajima, it is prohibited for tourists to give food to deer. She: The deer on this island are wild. They eat nuts and other things in the forests.

Me: Are all the deer on this island wild? She: Yeah. She: They eat fallen leaves as well as nuts. It is an organic style of eating. Me: Viewers, if you have a chance to come to Miyajima, please do not give food to deer. She: Yeah, please.

She: Until about 15 years ago, deer crackers were also sold on Miyajima. She: However, since the number of cases of deer harming people in search of food has increased, giving food to deer has been prohibited.

Me: When I came to this island as a child, deer crackers were still sold on this island. I once gave one to a deer. She: Wow. When I first came to this island, it was already prohibited to give food to deer. So I never did it.

She: Because of this rule, the deer of Miyajima are said to be smaller in stature and more gentle than those of Nara Prefecture. Me: The ocean is very beautiful at this time before sunset. She: Yeah, very nice.

She: The setting sun reflects off the surface of the sea, making the ocean appear to sparkle. She: Now I will guide you to a course that will offer more ocean views. Me: I’m so looking forward to it. She: I think you’ll get some good videos.

She: Here is a road dedicated to rickshaws. Me: Oh, really? That’s amazing. She: It will a little shaky. Me: Oh, there’s a deer. She: Yeah, the deer is welcoming us. Me: Wow, even though the rickshaw was approaching, that deer didn’t run away. She: Yeah, the deer didn’t move at all.

She: If a deer is standing in the middle of a narrow road, rickshaws can’t pass through. Because deer don’t give way to rickshaws. Me: Oh, that’s tough. Me: Wow, nice view. She: Yeah. She: There are no tourists or deer on this road, so you’ll have a nice view. Me: Yeah.

She: The view of Miyajima from here is excellent. Me: Wow, so beautiful view. She: At this time of the day, the sunset makes for a very beautiful view. She: It may be a little bright, but let me show you the view you can see from here.

She: The famous “Otorii(big torii)” gate can be seen on the right. She: And please look at the mountains. She: There is a big mountain there. Me: Yeah, that’s a very big mountain. She: The name of that mountain is “Misen”. That mountain is 534 meters high. She: The shape of that mountain is unique.

She: People in the area say that this mountain looks like the profile of a goddess. Me: Yeah, yeah. It looks like the profile of a goddess looking up. She: Yeah, that’s correct. She: Just to be sure, I will try to imitate that. She: That’s the profile of the goddess looking up.

Me: Thank you. You’ve made it easy for me to understand. She: Yeah. She: Over there is “Itsukushima Shrine”. That shrine is dedicated to three goddesses. Me: Oh, I see. She: Therefore, it is believed that the goddess of Itsukushima Shrine dwells on that mountain and protects the island.

She: There is a trail on that mountain. Me: Oh, I see. She: But that trail is very tough. Me: Yeah, because that mountain is very high. She: Do you see that five-story pagoda tower? Me: Oh, yeah. She: The area behind the five-story pagoda is the summit. Me: That’s high.

She: It would take more than two hours each way to climb to the top of that mountain on foot. Me: Two hours each way? Wow. She: Yeah. She: So it takes more than 4 hours round trip to climb that mountain. She: It’s so tough.

She: There is a ropeway at the foot of the mountain. Using it, you can get to the top of the mountain in about an hour one way. She: So it is especially tough to climb that mountain in the summer. I don’t recommend it. Me: Yeah.

She: I recommend climbing that mountain on a sunny day in a season other than summer. You can see the Shikoku region from the top of the mountain and the view is great. She: Viewers, if you have confident in physical fitness to try it.

She: Recently, I climbed that mountain on my day off and it was very tough. Me: Yeah. She: These days, foreign tourists often climb that mountain. They may be more active than the Japanese. Me: Oh, I see. She: When I climbed that mountain, about 90% of the climbers were foreigners. Me: Wow.

She: Oh, a deer is coming here. She: This deer is a male because it has antlers. Me: Yeah, big antlers. She: During this season they are in estrus. She: During this season, their antlers become sharp. She: Therefore, this is a very dangerous time to anger them. Me: Oh, yeah.

She: In the deer world, darker males are more favored by the females. Me: Oh, really? She: Yeah. She: Therefore, during this season, male deer put their own urine on their bodies and cover them with mud. Me: Wow. She: It’s like the tanning salons of the human world. Me: Oh, yeah.

She: To appeal to the female deer, the male deer darken their bodies. Me: The sea here is really beautiful. She: Yeah, I’m glad you said that. She: At this time of day, the sea level is about halfway between high and low tide. Me: Oh, I see.

She: Today’s high tide was at 2:00 PM. She: The sea here reaches low tide six hours after high tide. She: High and low tides repeat in six-hour cycles. Me: I have heard that during low tide, tourists can walk to the torii gate over there.

She: That’s right, they can walk to that torii gate. She: At low tide, this beach is devoid of saltwater. So, tourists can walk to that torii gate. Me: That sounds like fun. She: Yeah. She: Tourists take pictures under that torii gate and touch the torii gate to receive sacred power.

She: So tourists can enjoy Miyajima even when the sea is at low tide. She: Miyajima is a place that offers different views at different times of the day. She: At high tide, that torii gate looks like it is floating above the sea. She: At high tide, tourists cannot walk under the torii gate.

She: But on holidays, boats for tourists operate at high tide. That boat passes under that torii gate. Me: Wow, that boat goes under that torii gate? She: Yeah. She: But that boat is so popular so tourists have to wait in long lines to get on it.

She: This way, tourists can approach that torii gate at high tide. Me: Is this rickshaw driver job your main job? She: Yeah, this is my main job. Me: Oh, I see. She: It will a little shaky. Me: Yeah. She: I started this job as a part-time job when I was a college student.

She: I graduated from college this spring and this job has become my main job. Me: Wow. That’s cool. Me: It’s amazing how you turned the job of rickshaw driver from a part-time job to a main job.

She: Before I started this job, I was not a good exerciser. So when I started this job, I had a very hard time. Me: Why did you start this job? She: There is an event that triggered it. She: When I visited Kyoto, I saw a female driver driving a rickshaw.

She: I thought she was very cool. And it made me want to try rickshaw driver job. She: Then, I realized that I had become a rickshaw driver on Miyajima. Me: Wow. She: I remember being very impressed the first time I saw a rickshaw driver. I thought very cool.

Me: Yeah, I think it’s a very cool job. She: Yeah. She: Are you good at exercise? Me: I like watching exercise rather than doing it. She: Oh, I see. She: Miyajima is short of drivers, so if you are interested, contact us. Me: Oh, yeah. Thank you. Me: It’s a big torii. She: Yeah.

She: This is the entrance to the shrine. Me: This Komainu (guardian dog) is also big. She: Yeah. She: These Komainu have the role of guarding the shrine. She: There are set of spiritual barriers here. She: So, no evil beings are allowed enter this point. She: This torii is very valuable.

She: This torii gate was built more than 100 years ago. Me: Wow. She: Please look at the two wooden pillars. Oh, I made a mistake. They are stone pillars. She: These stone pillars have no cracks or seams. Me: Yeah, they are beautiful stone pillars.

She: These stone pillars were cut from huge stones and transported here. Me: Wow. She: There is a seam at the top of the torii gate. But the pillars do not have them. Me: Yeah. She: These stone pillars were brought from Yamaguchi Prefecture, next to Hiroshima Prefecture. Me: Oh, I see.

She: Now, let’s pass through the torii gate and enter the grounds of the shrine. She: Let’s bow before passing through the torii gate. Me: We entered the spiritual barriers. She: Yeah, we did. She: This road is sandy, so rickshaw will shakes like an attraction. Me: Okay, I understand.

She: Enjoy thinking of it as an attraction on Miyajima. Me: Yeah, thank you. She: On the right is the beautiful sea. She: Deer at Miyajima sometimes swim in this sea. Me: Oh, deer can swim? She: Yeah, they can swim. She: They has a great physical strength.

She: They sometimes swim to the mainland to escape when they have a bad day on Miyajima. Me: What is the distance to the mainland? She: About 2 km. Me: Wow. She: They are deer, but they swim with a dog paddle.

She: Because deer can escape to the mainland, they have microchips implanted in their heads indicating their whereabouts. Me: Oh, really? Wow. She: So the deer on Miyajima are wild deer but controlled by GPS. She: If they escape from the island, they are quickly captured. She: About 700 deer are living on Miyajima.

Me: Oh, it’s so many. She: Yeah. She: More than half of the deer do not come down from the mountains and live only in the mountains. Me: Oh, I see. She: We were talking about deer and arrived near the torii gate.

She: Do you know that that torii gate was under construction for a long time? Me: Yeah, I know that. She: The long construction was completed last December. She: The construction period was originally planned to be two years, but due to sea conditions and weather, it took about 3.5 years to complete.

She: During construction, that torii gate was covered with a black sheet. Tourists could not see that torii gate. Me: That’s too bad. She: Yeah. She: So we would point to the black sheet and try our best to explain to our customers that “That was the Otorii gate”.

She: This construction also included repainting the color of the torii gate. Me: Beautiful color. She: Yeah. She: Yeah, the color is beautiful as it has just been freshly repainted. Me: The shape of that torii gate is unique. She: That’s right.

She: A general torii gate shape consists of two pillars. The stone torii gate we just saw is the example. She: But that torii consists of six pillars. Me: Yeah. She: That shape of torii is called “Ryobu Torii”. She: It’s difficult to support a torii of that size with only two pillars.

She: And that torii pillar is not embedded in the ground. It is just placed there. Me: Is it just placed there? She: Yeah. She: Therefore, only two pillars are not enough to maintain balance. She: This is why that torii gate is shaped differently from a general torii gate to keep it in balance.

Me: It’s amazing that the pillars are not embedded in the ground. She: The height of that torii gate is about 16 meters. It is now slightly hidden under the sea. Me: Oh, it’s tall. She: The Great Buddha in Nara is famous for its large size, but that torii gate is even larger.

She: It’s a very big torii gate. Me: Wow. Me: Thank you for the interesting explanation. She: It’s my pleasure. She: That torii gate is very heavy because of its size. Me: Oh, yeah. She: That torii gate weighs about 60 tons. Me: Oh, I see.

Me: With that weight, it’s made of wood, right? She: Yeah, that’s right. Me: It’s made of wood but placed in the sea? She: Yeah She: As you are concerned, that one rots in seawater because it’s made of wood. So the purpose of the construction was to repair the pillars.

She: In addition, insects living in the sea ate the wooden pillars, which also caused a great deal of damage. She: I heard that there was a hole in the pillar big enough for a number of me to fit inside.

She: In this construction, that hole was filled with concrete and the pillars were reinforced with stainless steel. She: Oh, there is deer again. Me: Is that a pine tree on the left side? She: Yeah. Me: Pine trees and stone lanterns make a nice atmosphere on this road.

She: Yeah, this stone lantern is really nice. She: At this location we often take pictures of our customers riding on rickshaws. The torii gate is in the background. She: This is a photo spot.

She: From other locations, we can only see the side of that torii gate. From here, we can take pictures of the front of the torii. She: I recommend sitting on this bench to enjoy taking pictures. Me: Oh, that’s good. She: Yeah. Me: Today is a weekday, but there are so many tourists.

She: That’s right, recently the number of tourists has increased very much on Miyajima. She: This is due to a combination of the completion of the construction of the torii, the G7 meeting held this year, and the reduced impact of the corona.

She: This is why many tourists from Japan and foreign countries come to Miyajima for sightseeing these days. Me: Is it more crowded on holidays? She: Yeah, Miyajima is very crowded on the holidays. She: It has been very crowded on recent weekends. She: Today you can visit Itsukushima Shrine with no waiting time.

She: But on weekends, there is a long line from here to the stone torii gate we saw earlier. Me: That’s a very long line. She: Yeah, it’s very long, so it takes about 40 minutes to get into the shrine. Me: Wow.

She: On days when there are many tourists, it’s hard to drive a rickshaw. Me: Yeah, I’m sure it is. She: This is the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine. She: Please look to the left. Me: Oh, there’s something. She: Here is a white horse. She: This horse’s name is “Shinme”. It means “God’s horse”.

She: In the past, there were real horses in this building. Me: Wow. She: Currently, there is a horse figurine. She: In the past, when a dirty horse was placed here, it was turned into a beautiful white horse by the power of the deity.

She: Now, if tourists come here, they may have the blessing of beautiful skin. Me: Yeah. She: I would like to enter that building as I got a sunburn this summer. She: I want to receive the blessing of beautiful skin.

She: There is also an animal on the right, near the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine. Me: Oh, there’s a crow. She: Oh, you found it well. There are crows here. She: There is another crow on the stone lantern over there.

She: It is said that two crows led the deity of Itsukushima Shrine to this location. Me: Oh, I see. She: So at Miyajima, crows are considered sacred animals that serve as guides to the deity. She: For this reason, Miyajima residents call crows “Ogarasu” (=A polite name for a crow).

Me: I didn’t seen any real crows yet today. She: Yeah, I also didn’t see any real crows today. Me: There are many crows in Tokyo. She: Oh, really? Wow. She: I have the impression that there are many crows in Tokyo.

She: At Miyajima, crows are sometimes found on top of shrines and torii gates. Me: It’s lucky if find. She: Yeah. She: I don’t see it today. She: This is the back of the shrine. She: Today, around 2:00 p.m., the sea water level was much higher because it was high tide.

Me: Marks of seawater are still on the walls of the shrine. She: Yeah. She: It will soon be low tide, so the seawater will be much less now. She: Please look to the left. You will see the five-story pagoda. She: That one.

She: There are 42 five-story pagodas in Japan. Me: Oh, I see. She: That five-story pagoda is the seventh oldest in the country. It is a little halfway old, but remember it is the lucky seventh. Me: It’s red. She: Yeah.

She: That five-story pagoda is repainted from time to time to maintain its beautiful appearance. She: That was built over 600 years ago. Me: Wow. She: It’s a very old building. She: Generally, a five-story pagoda is supported by one huge pillar from the first to the top floor.

She: But this five-story pagoda has huge pillars only from the top floor to three floors below. Me: Oh, I see. She: This is because the structure is designed to release impact by shaking the building when it is subjected to strong winds or typhoon damage.

She: In Tokyo, there is the Sky Tree. Me: Yeah. She: The Sky Tree is built with the same structure as this five-story pagoda. Me: Yeah, I have heard that the Sky Tree is structured to be less susceptible to earthquake and wind damage. She: It is the same structure as this five-story pagoda.

She: In a fashionable saying, this is the Sky Tree as it was 600 years ago. Me: Yeah. Me: Today I came to Miyajima around noon. I walked around the island and was amazed at the number of shrines and temples. She: Yeah.

She: Miyajima is famous for Itsukushima Shrine, but there are many other shrines and temples on this island. She: Since there are “Omiya(=shrines and temples)” on Miyajima, it came to be called “Miyajima(jima=Island)”. Me: That’s interesting. She: The official name of this island is “Itsukushima”. She: I’m sure our job is unusual for foreign tourists.

Me: They seem particularly surprised that females are doing this job. She: Yeah. She: I’m often photographed by tourists. She: Did you eat anything when you came to Miyajima today? Me: I had oysters and sea eel. She: You made a perfect choice. She: Was it good? Me: Yeah, very. She: Oh, good.

Me: I also wanted to eat raw oysters. But they are not sold at this time of the year. Me: Raw oysters are sold on Miyajima from around November, I hear. She: Yeah, that’s right. She: Because oysters are in season during the cold season. She: You came a little early. Me: Yeah.

She: You can come back here again in the cold season. Me: Yeah. She: Raw oysters are great to eat during the cold season. Me: Oysters are a specialty of Miyajima, right? She: That’s right. Oysters and sea eel rice are the most famous specialties of Miyajima. Me: Yeah.

She: Did you eat the sea eel rice too? Me: Yeah, I did. She: Oh, nice. She: You made a good choice. She: There are two types of sea eel rice in Miyajima. She: One is sea eel rice with grilled sea eel on rice.

She: The other is sea eel rice made with steamed sea eel. She: Steamed sea eel has a good texture and taste. She: Grilled sea eel is savory and delicious. She: It is difficult to choose only one of them.

She: There are so many sea eel rice restaurants in Miyajima. Me: Yeah, there are so many. She: Sea eel rice is delicious at any restaurant in Miyajima. Me: What is your favorite Miyajima food? She: I have many favorite foods.

She: There are many foods to walk around and eat in Miyajima. In especially, “deep-fried momiji” is highly recommended. Me: Oh, yeah. She: It’s my favorite. Me: I have seen tourists eating it many times. She: The taste is so addictive that once you eat one, you won’t be able to stop.

Me: I will explain “deep-fried momiji” to foreign viewers. Me: “Momiji” refers to the “Japanese maple leaf-shaped buns” sold in Miyajima. Me: “Deep-fried momiji” refers to food made by deep frying those buns. She: That’s right. She: Now we are going to the park where that “momiji bun” originated. Me: Oh, look forward it.

Me: Oh, this is a nice street. She: Yeah. She: At the end of this street, there is “Momijidani Park” and a ropeway. Me: Oh, I see. She: Climbers and visitors using the ropeway enter the mountain through here. Me: This street has a nice atmosphere. She: Yeah.

She: Since this area is famous for its autumn leaves, manholes are painted with patterns of autumn leaves. Me: Oh, I see. She: Please try look for manholes. Me: Oh, I find it. She: Oh, yeah. Me: Autumn leaf markings. She: That’s right. Me: Wow, autumn leaves again. She: Yeah.

She: At this season, you can enjoy the beautiful deep green autumn leaves. Me: Yeah, it’s beautiful. Me: Oh, this is a slope. She: Yeah, there are so many slopes in Miyajima. Me: Wow. She: Miyajima is a large island, so tourists must walk long distances to get around.

She: Sightseeing on Miyajima also requires physical strength. Me: I don’t think one day is enough time for sightseeing in Miyajima. She: Yeah. She: If tourists wish to visit everywhere in Miyajima, one day is not enough time. She: So many tourists stay overnight on Miyajima and spend two days sightseeing.

Me: Early in the morning, there are fewer tourists, so tourists will be able to take their time and enjoy the sights. She: Yeah, I recommend sightseeing Miyajima in the morning. She: And, since the stores on Miyajima close around 5 p.m., many tourists leave the island at that time.

She: But Miyajima is lit up after 5 p.m. Me: Oh, I see. She: The Otorii gate, the five-story pagoda, and Itsukushima Shrine will be illuminated. Me: Wow. She: A night walk around Miyajima is recommended for tourists who stay overnight on Miyajima or stay on Miyajima until late at night. Me: Oh, that’s good.

Me: What hours are your rickshaw operations open? She: Rickshaw operations? Me: Yeah. She: Rickshaws are open from 10:00 a.m. to around 5:00 p.m. Me: Oh, I understand.

Me: Then I guess it would be better to ride on a rickshaw until 5 p.m. and after that enjoy the light-up of Miyajima. She: Yeah, that’s the best plan. She: The park with this red bridge is “Momijidani Park”. She: Now, the leaves are still green.

She: But in the fall, those leaves turn red like that bridge. She: There are about 1,400 japanese maple trees growing in Miyajima. She: Half of them, about 700 japanese maple trees, grow in this park. Me: Wow. She: This place is spectacular in fall.

She: As I said earlier, this is the birthplace of “momiji buns”. She: But the japanese maple trees growing in this park has nothing to do with the birth of the “momiji buns”. She: There is an old ryokan there called “Iwaso”. Me: Wow, this is an ryokan with a very nice atmosphere. She: Yeah.

She: “Hirobumi Ito”, the first Prime Minister of Japan, often came here to stay. She: I heard that he was quite a womanizer. She: He used to go to the cafe down the road. She: He liked the girl waitress at that cafe.

She: One day, when the girl waitress took the tea to Hirobumi Ito, he held her hand. She: He then joked to her, “Your hands are as pretty as autumn leaves, I want to eat them”.

She: The owner of that ryokan, who happened to be there, heard their conversation and came up with the idea of making autumn leaves sweets. She: The owner of that ryokan then worked with a Japanese confectioner to make “momiji buns”. It became very popular. Me: “Momiji buns” are now a popular souvenir of Hiroshima.

She: Yeah, many tourists who come to Hiroshima buy that and leave. She: Recently, the number of varieties of momiji buns has increased to over 60. Me: Wow. Me: Is red bean paste the most popular flavor? She: Yeah, that is the most popular.

She: There are two types of red bean paste, sweet bean paste and whole sweet beans. She: Different people have different tastes. She: Momiji buns can be purchased by the piece, so tourists can try to buy different flavors.

She: This is the second photo spot. We often park our rickshaws here to take pictures of our customers with the autumn leaves. Me: Wow. That’s good. She: Yeah.

She: We can take pictures of our customers riding on the rickshaw, or they can get off the rickshaw and we can take a picture of them on the red bridge. She: This is a great place to take nice pictures. Me: Yeah.

She: This place is beautiful now, but it is even more spectacular during the autumn leaves season. Me: When is the season for autumn leaves at Miyajima? She: The autumn leaves are most beautiful around the end of November.

She: If tourists come in late November, it’s great because raw oysters are also sold. She: Yeah, I recommend coming during that season. She: But Miyajima is very crowded with tourists during that season. Me: Yeah, I guess it will be very crowded.

She: The purpose of many tourists is to see the autumn leaves on this island. She: There is a bus stop on the right. Me: Oh, yeah.

She: There is a ropeway stop at the top of this slope. But it takes a long time to walk there. So many tourists take this free bus to get there. Me: Oh, is it a free bus? She: Yeah.

She: If tourist want to go to the ropeway station, I recommend taking a bus there. Me: Yeah. She: Oh, my colleagues is coming. She: Many of the rickshaw drivers on Miyajima are very muscular. Me: Are you the only girl driver on Miyajima? She: Yeah, only me. I miss having other girl drivers.

She: To the girl viewers watching this videos, if you are interested in this job, please come to Miyajima. Me: Miyajima is a wonderful place and working here will be a great experience. She: Thank you for saying so. She: The nature of Miyajima is wonderful and the Miyajima islanders are very friendly. Me: Yeah.

Me: Do you guide foreign tourists in English? She: I’m still learning English, but I do my best to guide foreign tourists in English. Me: I see, so foreign tourists can ride on your rickshaws? She: Yeah, they can ride. I’ll also take good pictures of my customers.

Me: Viewers, if you have a chance to visit Hiroshima, please go to Miyajima and take a rickshaw ride. She: Yes, we are waiting for you. She: You can enjoy the old streets of Japan and take good pictures. Me: Yeah.

Me: Tourists will be able to enjoy the wonderful scenery wherever they walk on Miyajima. She: Yeah. Thank you for saying so. Me: It’s a nice atmosphere in the town at this time of the day. She: Yeah, it’s a great time for sightseeing because there are fewer tourists.

Me: Are there fewer tourists at this time of the day? She: Yeah, very few. She: That is a taxi in this island. Me: It’s amazing that there are taxies in Miyajima. She: There are only three taxies on this island. So we were lucky to see it. Me: Wow.

She: You can see a building with a large green roof in front. That is the “Dai-shoin”. She: That is the oldest temple on Miyajima. Me: That temple looks very large from here. She: Yeah, that is a very big temple.

She: The grounds of that temple are large, with more than ten temple buildings. Me: Wow. She: It takes a very long time just to tour the inside of that temple. Me: I see. Me: There are old buildings lining this street, are they all residential houses? She: Yeah, that’s right.

She: The name of this street is “Takinokouji. It is said that the town of Miyajima was formed from this street. Me: Oh, I see. She: In the past, there were many residences on this street for people who worked at the temple.

She: Currently, the houses on this street are occupied by the general public. Me: This street has a nostalgic Japanese atmosphere. She: Yeah. She: This street has a long slope and not many tourists come walking here.

Me: You’re amazing to drive a rickshaw on this slope. She: Thank you. I go up a lot of slopes every day. She: There are often cars on this street. Me: Because of so many houses, right? She: That’s right.

She: There are several inns in this area where tourists can stay. So many pick-up and drop-off cars pass by. Me: Oh, I see. Me: Oh, what is this building? She: This is the “Shokei Yashiki”. She: This building has housed the head monk of that temple for generations.

She: This is the only private house on Miyajima designated as a national important cultural property. Me: Oh, I see. Me: It has a great stone wall. She: Yeah. She: It has a wonderful atmosphere. Me: Yeah.

She: Many Miyajima Islanders drive their cars, however, there is not a single traffic light on this island. Me: Oh, really? She: They have a spirit of give way to each other. They are all kind hearted people. Me: Good.

She: Rickshaws are classified as japanese category of small vehicles. So we need to follow the same traffic rules as cars. She: When the roads are congested, rickshaws must also stop. Me: Yeah. Me: Surprisingly, there are some people walking around. She: Yeah.

She: They research sightseeing spots in detail before coming to Japan. That is why they know more about the sightseeing spots in Japan than the Japanese do. Me: Wow. She: It is quite a distance from the ferry terminal at Miyajima to here. Me: Yeah, it would take about 30 minutes to walk there.

She: Viewers, if you’re going to get this far, you might as well take a rickshaw. I’ll do my best for you. Me: Yeah, I agree. Me: Where can tourists meet you all? She: We are waiting for customers at the entrance of the shopping street or near the exit of Itsukushima Shrine.

Me: Oh, I understand. She: I’m sometimes near the pier as well. Me: That’s where we departed from earlier. She: Yeah, that’s in front of the ferry terminal. She: If you see me standing alone in there, please talk to me.

Me: Tourists will have no difficulty finding you all if they walk around Miyajima. She: Yeah, that’s right. She: Thank you. She: There is a small shrine here. It’s called “Awashima Shrine.” She: This shrine enshrines a very pretty deity.

She: The deity enshrined at this shrine is “Sukuna-bikona-no-mikoto”. He is a small deity, about 3 cm in length. She: The deity of this shrine was the model for the famous Japanese folktale “Issun-Boshi(Little One-Inch)”. Me: Oh, I see. She: This shrine’s main benefit is the safe delivery of babies.

She: So, this shrine is often visited by female tourists. She: Oh, the deer is eating leaves. She: That deer looks like it has had its antlers cut off, but it is a male. Me: Yeah, the antlers were cut off. She: Oh, he is following us. She: Hi.

She: Miyajima’s male deer have their antlers cut off in the fall. This is to prevent danger to the people. She: Looks like he’s already been cut off. She: He seems to want to walk with us. Me: Yeah. She: Deer on Miyajima have a heart mark on their hips. Me: Oh, it’s true.

She: It’s so lovely. She: Lovely hips. Me: It’s a heart mark. She: Yeah. She: That deer guided us to the entrance of the temple. Me: Yeah. She: This temple is a “Daishoin”. She: This temple was built about 1,200 years ago by a monk named “Kukai”.

She: Tourists who come to this temple should see the “Namikiri Fudo Myouou”. She: This was Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s guardian Buddha. She: It is said that worshippers who come to this temple will break off bad luck and receive blessings for luck in victory and work. Me: Oh, I see.

She: Therefore, this shrine is sometimes visited by players of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Me: It’s a Japanese professional baseball player. She: Yeah. She: In addition to them, Gakkie has been here recently. Me: Oh, really? Me: Did she come here privately? She: Yeah.

Me: Viewers, Gakkie is the most popular actress in Japan. She: Yeah. She: Viewers, if you are interested, please visit this “Daishoin”. She: The temple grounds are very large and have many interesting things to offer. And you will get a lot of blessings. She: Oh, deer again.

She: This bridge is a photo spot. Me: Wow. She: During this season, you can take good pictures of the bridge together with the autumn leaves. Me: Good. She: Oh, there’s another deer. Me: There are a lot of deer around here because of the mountains nearby. She: Yeah, that’s right.

She: Until recently, deer birthing season. So we have a chance to see fawns at this season. Me: Oh, I see. She: Fawns are often found in areas near mountains. She: Wow. Me: They don’t run away when a car approaches. She: Yeah, they don’t move from there.

Me: Where is your favorite spot in Miyajima? She: I have a lot of favorite spots. She: First, It’s the standard “Otorii”. She: Most tourists come from the shopping area direction to see that torii gate. But my recommendation is to see that torii from near the exit of Itsukushima Shrine.

She: From there, tourists can find the symbols of the moon and the sun on the roof of the torii. Me: Oh, I see. She: Without careful looking, this is difficult to find. She: When looking at the torii from the shopping street side, only the sun symbol can be seen.

She: But from the exit of Itsukushima Shrine, you can also see the symbol of the moon. Me: That’s interesting. She: I hope tourists will enjoy looking at that torii gate from different angles. Me: I would never have known this information had you not told me. Thank you. She: My pleasure.

She: Another good spots to visit is “Senjokaku”. Me: What kind of spot is that? She: Next to the five-story pagoda we saw earlier, there is a huge shrine hall called “Senjokaku”. She: That shrine hall is so huge. Me: Oh, I see.

She: From inside that building, a panoramic view of Miyajima can be seen. She: I’m sure tourists will feel soothed when they enter that building. She: During the fall season, tourists can enjoy the view of Miyajima tinted with autumn leaves from inside that building.

Me: Hm? You mean “Senjokaku”, is the building with the Hokoku Shrine inside? She: That’s right. Why do you know it? Me: I walked to that building earlier. She: Really? Me: That building was amazing. She: Oh, I’m glad to hear you say that. She: That building is not well known to tourists.

Me: The view from inside that building was amazing. And I could look down on Itsukushima Shrine from the top. She: Yeah, glad to hear you went to that building. She: You are already a master of Miyajima. She: It’s my favorite spot.

She: Oh, we can see the roof of the “Senjokaku” from here. Me: Oh, it’s true. That’s the building with the big roof. Me: Miyajima is an island with a wonderful atmosphere where time seems to flow slowly. She: I’m glad you said that.

She: Especially during this time of day, tourists can enjoy sightseeing Miyajima with a good atmosphere. Me: I see fewer tourists than earlier. She: Yeah, very much so. Me: It was crowded with tourists around lunch time. She: Yeah.

She: There are many restaurants in the shopping street, but at lunch time there are lines at all of them. She: I recommend going to the restaurant outside of lunch time. She: Also, restaurants outside the shopping street may be less crowded, so I recommend going to those restaurants.

She: On the left is a momiji buns store. She: There are many stores selling momiji buns on Miyajima. Me: Yeah, I saw a lot of them. She: This store shows the process of making momiji buns. Me: Are you born in Hiroshima? She: Yes, I was born and have lived in Hiroshima ever since.

She: So I come to Miyajima to work on the ferry every day. Me: You commute by ferry? That’s amazing. Me: Are there any other sightseeing areas in Hiroshima other than Miyajima that you would recommend?

She: I recommend tourists to visit the “Atomic Bomb Dome”, which is a World Heritage Site. Me: Oh, Atomic Bomb Dome. Me: When I saw the actual Atomic Bomb Dome for the first time, I felt many things. She: Yeah. She: I would like to encourage foreign tourists to visit that place.

She: Another recommended sightseeing spot is “Hon-dori” in Hiroshima City. That spot is a huge shopping district, a popular spot for young people in Hiroshima. She: Many restaurants and cafes etc, line that shopping district. She: That’s the shopping district where the young people in Hiroshima go to hang out with their friends.

She: That’s a fun spot. Me: Viewers, if you have a chance to come to Hiroshima, you should visit these spots as well. She: Yeah. I recommend them. She: We’re back near Momijidani Park. Me: Yeah.

She: That is the sign for the ryokan “Iwaso” I introduced earlier. That ryokan is the oldest ryokan in Miyajima and Hirobumi Ito stayed there. She: It’s that ochre-colored building. She: At the G7 meeting held this year, the leaders of each country gathered at that ryokan for dinner. Me: Wow.

Me: I think it’s great thing that the G7 meeting was held on Miyajima. She: Yeah. She: Tourists were banned from Miyajima during the G7 meeting. She: Only islanders, police, and people like us who work on this island were allowed to land on Miyajima.

She: The ryokan around this area had been reserved by the police for several months prior to the G7 meeting to set up a security system. Me: Oh, I see.

She: The police officers who came to the island were patrolling in plain clothes. I didn’t recognize them as police officers, so I called out to them several times. She: During that period, that mailbox was blocked by the police to prevent hazardous materials from being set.

Me: What time does the last ferry leaving Miyajima depart? She: The last ferry leaving Miyajima departs around 10:00 p.m. Therefore, tourists can enjoy sightseeing in Miyajima until late at night. Me: That’s good. Me: I rode the ferry from the mainland to Miyajima took about 10 minutes. She: That’s right.

She: Please be aware that the number of ferry services is low late at night. Me: Oh, I understand. She: From here, it’s not the main street, but there are some good stores. Me: Hiroshima has a wide variety of foods and drinks made with lemon as an ingredient.

She: Yeah, that’s because Hiroshima is famous for its Setouchi lemon production area. She: Drinks and sweets using Hiroshima lemons are highly recommended. She: I especially recommend the lemon beer. Me: Oh, I really like lemon beer. She: Oh, really? Lemon beer is really good, isn’t it? Me: Yeah, it’s so good.

Me: Wow, we’re going through here? She: Yeah. We’re going through this tunnel now. She: This is the steepest slope in Miyajima. Me: Asakusa has no slope as steep as this one. Me: I have heard that driving down steep slope is very difficult. She: Yeah.

She: So far, I have had a hard time driving down slope. But recently our rickshaws have been set up with brakes. Me: Oh, really? She: Yeah. Me: Wow, it has brakes. She: When our rickshaws didn’t have brakes, we used the power of our feet to control the rickshaw.

She: But now we have brakes, which are very convenient. Me: Wow, that’s great. Me: I saw a rickshaw with brakes for the first time since my visit to Kyoto. She: Our rickshaws now have brakes, too. She: Oh, an oncoming car is waiting for us to pass by.

Me: This street also has a nice atmosphere. She: Yeah, I’m going to introduce this street now. She: The name of this street is “Machiya Street”. She: Here is the name of this street in Kanji characters. Me: Oh, it’s true. “Machiya” is meaning a traditional Japanese house.

She: During the Edo period, this street was the main street. Me: Oh, I see. She: The area where the shopping street of Miyajima is now located was the sea in the Edo period. Me: Oh, really? She: Yeah. She: The sea was reclaimed and a large shopping street was built.

She: There are few tourists on this street, so you can relax and enjoy the atmosphere. Me: Good. She: There are several Japanese-style cafes and inns along this street. She: This street is often passed cars. Me: Yeah.

She: Most of the land on Miyajima is within the grounds of Itsukushima Shrine. So there are only a limited number of streets on this island that are passable for cars. She: So the car traffic will be concentrated on a several streets. She: The buildings on this street are unique in shape.

She: The shape of the building is very depth. Me: Wow. She: The reason the building took this shape is that during the Edo period, housing taxes were determined by the width of the house facing the street. She: The house looks very small from the street, but it is actually a very large building.

She: Look at it from here. Me: Wow. Me: What is this music I hear from earlier? She: This is the music that tells people it is 5:00 p.m. She: At Miyajima, this music is played at noon and 5:00 p.m.

Me: Where does this music come from? She: It comes from several speakers in this island. She: This area was called “Geisha town” in the Edo period. Me: So there were Geisha working in this area? She: Yeah, that’s right. There were many Geisha in this area.

Me: Are there any Geisha still working in the area at present? She: No, there are no longer any. She: During the Edo period they were very numerous in this area.

She: So, on the second floor of the houses on this street, there are still windows for Geisha to call out to passersby. Me: Oh, I see. She: Oh, a rickshaw is coming from in front. She: Oh, and the taxi we saw earlier is coming again.

Me: We are lucky. She: Yeah. I’m sure good things will happen. She: Are you staying at Miyajima today? Me: Today I plan to return to the mainland of Hiroshima and stay overnight. She: Oh, good.

She: Are you going back to Tokyo tomorrow? Me: Tomorrow I will go for a rickshaw ride in another area. She: Oh, that’s nice. She: How often do you ride on a rickshaw? Me: Well… I have not decided how often I will ride on a rickshaw.

Me: I took my first rickshaw ride last year in April. Since then, I have ridden rickshaws about 200 times or more. She: Wow. That’s amazing. You are a veteran passenger. She: Heard that, I’m getting kind of nervous. Me: Don’t worry. Your rickshaws are great.

She: Oh, really? Me: Yeah, you’re a great guide and you have a very friendly atmosphere. She: I’m very happy to hear you say that. Me: Sorry, I may have just sounded very pompous. She: No, I was very happy. She: Thank you.

Me: Thanks to you, I’m really enjoying my first rickshaw ride in Miyajima. She: Wow, you say the nicest things. Me: I’m sure the viewers are enjoying your guide too. She: I’m glad they do. She: There are not many YouTubers who come this far to shoot.

Me: My birthplace is Yamaguchi Prefecture. She: Oh, really? It’s the next prefecture to Hiroshima. Me: But since I live in Tokyo, I don’t have many opportunities to come to Hiroshima. She: Yeah. She: I’m glad you came for the ride.

Me: I’m glad to know that there are people working on rickshaws job in Miyajima. She: Oh, thank you. She: I was born and grew up in Hiroshima, so I knew I wanted to do rickshaw work in Miyajima. She: So now I’m very happy to be working as a rickshaw driver in Miyajima.

She: I would like to also go to Tokyo someday and drive a rickshaw. Me: Oh, that’s nice. Me: Have you ever ridden on a rickshaw outside of Miyajima? She: Yeah, I have a several times. She: I have ridden in Kyoto and Nara. Me: Oh, I see.

She: There are many deer in Nara too. Me: Yeah. She: The rickshaws in Nara are very nice, too. Me: Yeah. Me: Your company opened its Nara branch in summer this year. She: You know it well. Me: Because I rode it in Nara. She: Oh, thank you.

She: Nara is great because it still has traditional Japanese scenery. Me: Yeah. Me: Ah, that’s where we departed from. Oh, it’s been an hour already? I had so much fun I lost track of time. She: Yeah, I agree with you. Me: I had a good time. She: Me too.

She: Do you have any last questions? Me: Oh, let’s see. Me: What do you think is the attraction of Miyajima? She: Oh, let’s see… She: The Otorii floating above the sea. It is a spectacular view that cannot be seen anywhere else.

Me: Oh, yeah. She: It’s a view that can be enjoyed only in Miyajima. Me: And Itsukushima Shrine built on the sea is also a very rare sight. She: You’re right. She: Viewers, if you want to see the beautiful scenery, I suggest you come during high tide.

Me: Yeah, you can search the web to find the daily high tide times. She: High tide times are listed on the Miyajima website. You should come and enjoy the best view. She: Thank you for the ride today. Me: Thank you too. She: I’ll put it down. Me: Yeah.

She: I’ll prepare to drop you off. Me: Thank you . Me: Thank you for helping me shoot today. She: Thank you too. Me: I’ll come back for a ride. She: Yeah, I’ll be waiting. Thank you. Me: See you again.

I took a rickshaw ride in Miyajima, Hiroshima driven by a very cute girl driver, Yu-chan!
Yu-chan is a rickshaw driver working at Ebisuya in the Miyajima area of Hiroshima.😊
Miyajima, one of the three most scenic spots in Japan, is a very beautiful island.
I hope you will enjoy watching the videos and enjoy Yu-chan’s wonderful guide and the beautiful scenery of Miyajima.
If you have a chance to visit Miyajima, try her rickshaw ride. ^^

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▼The rickshaw I rode on▼
Ebisuya Miyajima, Kyoto：
・Website
　https://www.ebisuya.com/en/branch/index.html#branch_miyajima

・Instagram
　ebisuya_miyajima
　https://www.instagram.com/ebisuya_miyajima/

▼The Shrine&Temples that Yu-chan introduced to me▼
・Itsukushima Shrine
　https://www.itsukushimajinja.jp/en/

・Miyajima Misen Daishoin
　https://daisho-in.com/

Thank you for seeing through to the end!
I will continue to show you the charms of Japan, so please give me a high rating and subscribe to our channel if you like😊

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#Tokyo
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I have done my best to translate the title, description, and subtitles, but I apologize for any errors in the content.
*This video was filmed with the permission of Ebisuya.

▼Main Camera : DJI POCKET 2
　https://amzn.to/3tuLKnq