
Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Street
The Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Street is a 350m-long arcade that acts as one of the main paths between the island's port and Itsukushima Shrine. It's a lively thoroughfare filled with souvenir shops, street-side food counters as well as cafes, bars and restaurants. A folding roof provides a canopy to shelter from both rain or sun. Local delicacies steal the show so expect oysters, conger eel, momiji manju (a baked or deep-fried snack) or Miyajima craft beer along the route. Plenty of souvenir shops sell the famous shamoji (traditional wooden rice paddle) used for serving rice. A giant rice paddle—the symbolic Ōshakushi—used to be located here but has been relocated to the nearby etto Miyajima Community Centre. With most visitors to Miyajima not necessarily staying on the island overnight, many of the shops close by 5pm or 6pm. Nonetheless, once the sun sets the street takes on a warm, charming vibe under the glow of the lantern light that lines the street.