We've been to Miyajima numerous times - it's an exceedingly attractive destination that's steeped in history and has some amazing UNESCO World Heritage structures - including Itsukushima Shrine and the O-Torii Vermillion Gate, Hokoku-jinja Shrine's Senjokaku and Five-storey Pagoda and Daisho-in Temple. It's also home to tons of cute wild (but habituated) Deer that roam the island, incredible views of the Seto Inland Sea (especially from the top of Mt. Misen, which you can go part way up via a ropeway), a cute shopping street, and some fine cuisine, including Oysters that are harvested in the area. And during the Fall foliage season, the autumn leaves burst in vibrant colors that add to the mystical appeal (including in the famous and picturesque Momijidani area.) And when it comes to the Torii gate, it shows itself in different ways, depending on the lighting/weather, low/high tide, and dawn/midday/dusk. It's for the last reason that we made yet another visit here.



For the past 3 years, the Torii had been undergoing restoration work, and was completely covered up for the vast majority of the process. It wasn't until December 20th that the Torii was finally revealed in all its glory, so we made a beeline to Miyajima before too many others found out about it. One advise for first-time visitors to Hiroshima/Miyajima: if at all possible, do not stay in Hiroshima - there's not a ton to see there, aside from the A-bomb dome and the Peace Memorial Park / Atomic Bomb museum, all of which can be seen in a few short hours, not to mention that there is no good luxury hotel to speak of. Miyajima is gorgeous at night (when many of the iconic landmarks are lit-up) and in the morning, and that's also when it's at its quietest, since 99% of visitors to the island are daytrippers. It's a 20 minute train ride from Hiroshima Station to the Miyajima Ferry port, and from there it's about a 10 minute ferry ride to Ferry terminal, with Kinsuikan just a short walk away.


Tokubetsu-shitsu "Special Room" #403 (top floor) with open-air (non-Onsen) bath, but only 42mē

We were very underwhelmed by the historic Iwaso ryokan during our previous visit, and we decided to try out Kinsuikan this time - it came highly recommended by numerous Japanese acquaintances. It's a 39-room ryokan that doesn't quite have the history, tradition or charm of Iwaso, but makes up for it with its (slightly) superior location and views of the ocean. We also learned that 6 rooms were newly restored, each of them being designated as "Tokubetsu-shitsu" ("special rooms.") Generally, Tokubetsu-shitsu rooms are the highest category rooms in a Japanese property, so we felt that we couldn't go wrong by choosing to stay in one. It wasn't, however, a slam-dunk choice, although in the end we would recommend it to just about anyone who would care to stay here and has the budget that allows it.

Tokubetsu-shitsu pros: 1) all rooms have a few of the Seto Inland Sea; 2) all meals are served in one's own room; 3) rooms are new and modern (completely redone either in 2021 or 2022, depending on the room) with all of the amenities you'd expect in a new room, including heated floors and power/USB ports everywhere; 4) in-room mineral baths with a view (more on what that means later); 5) superior meals for both dinner and breakfast. Guests staying in non-"special" rooms can pay extra to upgrade to the same quality dinner, but you won't have it in your room, and you cannot pay for the amazing Japanese breakfasts that they serve in the special rooms.


The bath has some mineral properties, but is not an actual Onsen

The main potential reason that someone might prefer a non-special room: some of the suites are far larger (the special rooms are a mere 42 square meters in size) - they are traditional Japanese, and the upper category non-special suites are upwards of 100 square meters in size. Unless you hate your partner, or are traveling as a family, in my opinion the aforementioned benefits of the special rooms are too great to ignore.

One bummer about Kinsuikan is the fact that in-room baths are not true Onsen. They do have some mineral properties courtesy of the rocks in the baths that produce calcium and magnesium, among others. Fortunately, the communal baths are honest-to-goodness Onsen, and reportedly the only one on the island.



The meals at Kinsuikan were incredible - they really focus on the bounty from the ocean and land in the area.... Hiroshima is renowned for its Oysters, Conger Eel in particular, and these delicacies were artfully presented as part of the kaiseki course. There are not too many places where you'll get to try out super fresh and high-quality raw Conger Eel (including fresh Conger Eel liver), Fugu (puffer fish), Abalone and other tier-1 Japanese seafood, as well as Oyster hot pot and succulent grilled Hiroshima Oysters. It was apparent from the very first bite that "special room" guests are treated to the very best that this region has to offer, umami wise.


Incredible sashimi - Stonefish (top) with Stonefish liver (far left), Conger Eel, Japanese Tiger Prawn and Abalone

Breakfast was also a highlight. Each "typical" dish (such as boiled tofu and grilled seafood) were done masterfully and creatively - it was not the typical ryokan breakfast (which - admittedly - we love.) You can tell they care about their food, and want to tell the story of everything they serve, because the menus (both in Japanese and English - remember, it's all Omakase or "chef's choice" so there is no selecting from it - it's all included) are among the most extensive that I've ever seen. Additionally, during breakfast I noticed that the paper table sheet had artwork and text that went into intricate detail about each ingredient that was used, all the way down to the name of the farm where the item was harvested from or the port that the seafood was brought into. Full transparency, complete pride, and great education to love, care and culinary craftsmanship.



Since this ryokan is on the slightly larger side, it does have some amenities that others typically do not have. There is a lounge, an all-day cafe/restaurant, as well as a rather large boutique that sells local gifts. It's not particularly necessary, since Kinsuikan is located just around the corner from the main tourist strip that is packed with restaurants, food stalls, snack shops, gift stores and all kinds of other fun things. Kinsuikan also has a very nice rooftop terrace where you can chill out and enjoy the view of Itsukushima Shrine, the Torii gate and Daisho-in from a not-too-far distance.

After our rather disappointing stay at Iwaso, we had sort of given up on the idea of a top-notch ryokan stay in Miyajima. Thanks to Kinsuikan, this is no longer the case for us

Finally - here are a few shots of the Torii gate at high tide/low tide, and dawn/midday.