Hi, I’m Danny. Ah, autumn is here. It’s koyo (colorful autumn leaves) season in Japan.
However, autumn leaves had already fallen in my neighborhood…. I felt rushed and decided to go to Miyajima for leaf peeping. I really wanted to go to Miyajima in autumn!!
I knew it was crowded with people, but I left home late. I got to Miyajimaguchi Station just before 11:00 am.
When I was waiting at the boarding area of the ferry pier, there were a few people that were back from Miyajima.
Yeah, right. I must have left home early if I wanted to avoid the crowd… I felt down a little when I imagined the crowd in Miyajima.
I decided not to visit Itsukushima Shrine on that day, and I rushed to the station where I could ride a ropeway.
It takes 30 minutes on foot from Miyajima Pier to Miyajima Ropeway Momijidani Station. There is free shuttle bus service to Momijidani Station, too.
If you have time, I recommend that you walk to Momijidani Station.
It’s because the autumn leaves in Momijidani Park were very beautiful!! (You need to walk through Momijidani Park to get to Momijidani Station. The bus stop of the shuttle bus is at the entrance of Momijidani Park.)
There was a couple taking pictures for their wedding.
The shuttle bus carries 28 passengers.
When it’s filled, the bus carries more people.
It’s nice that the bus is kind to pedestrians.
(According to the website, the company operates temporary buses if it’s crowded.)
When you get here, it takes around 10 minutes on foot to Momijidani Station.
It feels good to take a walk.
And I got to Momijidani Station at last.
OK, let’s go! I was ready to ride on the ropeway, but I had to take a numbered ticket in front of the stairs that leads to the terminal of the ropeway.
There is an electric bulletin board where you can check your number. It shows how much time you need to wait.
You can take a walk in autumn color in Momijidani Park until your number is called.
The terminal of the ropeway isn’t large, so I recommend that you wait in the park.
I headed back to the terminal of the ropeway when my number was called out.
The ropeway has 2 sections, and you need to change gondolas at Kayatani Station.
The ropeway from Momijidani Station is a circulating type. The gondola was small and cute!!
The gondola carries only 8 adults.
The backs of the adults that were crammed in the gondola were pathetic, which was funny.
I knew everyone laughed at me when I got on the gondola. But I laughed to myself.
I couldn’t believe they were still using this small gondola although there were a lot of visitors and foreign tourists with large body frames!! The gondolas were cute. (lol)
From Kayatani Station, the ropeway changes to a funicular type.
The gondola carries 30 passengers.
Although they had increased the number of gondolas, I had to wait quite a long time.
I was bored of waiting because I could ride the circulating type ropeway without waiting. Wind and shade made me feel very cold.
When I looked out of the window of the ropeway,….
Uh-oh!
The trees of the mountains hadn’t yet turned red.
I was very disappointed because it was a good time to see autumn leaves in Momijidani Park.
Does the mountain look like this where it is filled with softwood trees?
I was jostled in the crowd and arrived at Shishiiwa Station at last.
The story will continue in the next part (#2).
