Miyajima Machiya Street

Machiya Street runs parallel on the mountain side of Omotesando Shopping Street, Miyajima’s main street. When you walk along Machiya Street from the Miyajima Pier area toward Itsukushima Shrine, you will see the five-story pagoda of Itsukushima Shrine straight ahead. In the Edo period, when Miyajima was at its liveliest, this street was called Honmachi-suji, and Machiya Street was Miyajima’s main street. After World War II, it lost its former energy, but in 2001, the annual spring event "Miyajima Hina Meguri" began, and machiya architecture from the Edo period through the Showa period started drawing attention again. During "Miyajima Hina Meguri," Hina dolls from the Edo period through the Showa period that remain in households are displayed at inns and shops. Handmade lanterns hang under the eaves of shops along Machiya Street, and the atmosphere becomes even more charming when they are lit up at night. Many shops close by evening, but because there are guesthouses and ryokan along the street, staying overnight to enjoy the ambience is also recommended. Along the street, you’ll also find "Gyararii Miyago," a gallery with a cafe and antique shop, renovated from the workshop of an Edo-period rice paddle wholesaler.