We started at Miyajima Park which is .07km to Ropeway (Momijidani Station). We took a ride in the cable car and enjoyed the picturesque view of the lush greenery and impressive coastal and mountain sights. Miyajima Ropeway is the cable car and gondola system linking Miyajima township to Mt. Misen. Please take note the Miyajima Ropeway is a two-stage system; the first stage is the Momijidani Line which goes from Momijidani Station to Kayatani Station. The second leg of the Miyajima Ropeway is the Shishiiwa Line (large gondola) from Kayatani Station to Shishiiwa Station. 

The Misen mountain trail starts immediately, we moved along without difficulty. The route is covered with virgin forest and there are huge and strangely rocks along the path. Since the rain had previously fallen the slope gets quite steep sometimes. And after the latter half of the hike, our legs felt sluggish, heart-pounding and breath became heavier and rapid with every step. Soon enough we filled the forest with loud panting. haaah! haaah!  It seemingly looks like a never-ending trail to the top. The pleasant sightseeing that we thought turned out to be an arduous hike.

However, when we reached Mt. Misen, the main peak in Miyajima, which is 535 meters above sea level, our efforts were rewarded with an exhilarating view as far off as the Shikoku Mountain Ranges and the dotted island of Seto Inland Sea. 

Mt. Misen is regarded as one of the three most scenic spots of Japan. In 1996, it was designated a World Cultural Heritage site as "Misen Virgin Forest" together with Itsukushima Jinja Shrine.

Just a piece of advice, do not plan on doing this mountain hike if you are not physically fit. It requires a lot of walking. If you wish to visit here make sure to bring plenty of water and wear suitable clothes like this guy.

Our time was limited but we got to hang around in the rest area/observatory among the hikers for a while before moving on to our next itinerary - Hiroshima Peace Memorial.