Miyajima's Hall of 1000 Tatami Mats

Step inside and learn the story behind Senjokaku

Chantelle Silva Jul 19, 2013 - 1 min read

As soon as you walk though the entrance to the hall, look up - There is a multitude of artifacts to keep your eyes busy

The verandah which surrounds the entire hall is a perfect place to take refuge from the rain

Views like this will have you caught in a trance

The bright red of the Five Story Pagoda peeks through the hall

Get to the hall early in the morning and you'll have the entire place to yourself... for a while!

Walking through the hall you'll find that it almost feels as though you're walking through an ancient art gallery

Artworks from around Miyajima have now found a home in Senjokaku

The hall is now a shrine dedicated to the soul of Toyotomi Hideyoshi

The natural beauty which surrounds Senjokaku almost makes it appear as if you're looking out into a painting

A painting of the wild deer which inhabit Miyajima

Neighboring the Five Story Pagoda on the island of Miyajima, is Senjokaku - The Hall of One Thousand Tatami Mats. The hall was built in 1587 at the request of shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi wanted the hall to be a place for chanting Buddhist sutras in the hope of consoling the souls of those who had died in war. His death in 1598, however, prevented the hall from ever being completed and in 1872 it was renamed Hokoku Shrine in his honor. The hall is one of the larger buildings on Miyajima and is just a short walk from the Itsukushima Shrine. Artworks are affixed the beams in the ceiling rest which give the hall a feel similar to that of a gallery. There's is a lot to see and take in, so take your time and enjoy piecing together the story behind Senjokaku.

Chantelle Silva @chantelle.silva

My first encounter with Japan was in June 2013, when I spent a month in Tokyo/Hiroshima interning for Japan Travel. I knew from the moment that I set foot in this mesmerising country that one month would not nearly be enough time to enjoy what Japan has to offer. So here I am back in Japan, this ...