Before You Go to Miyajima (Itsukushima)

Short answer: everyone arriving by boat pays a ¥100 Miyajima Visitor Tax, collected with your ferry fare — IC-card gates charge it automatically. Whether the great torii "floats" or you can walk to it depends on the tide, so check the official tide table for your date.

Miyajima Visitor Tax (Hatsukaichi City, official)

• ¥100 per person per visit, for anyone entering Miyajima by boat. Optional ¥500 annual rate (apply at city offices or the city's LINE account).
• How you pay: included in tickets from machines/windows; charged automatically at JR West Miyajima Ferry and Matsudai Kisen IC-card gates. If you bought a discount/package ticket in advance, show it at the window and pay the tax separately.
• Exempt: preschool children; school-trip participants with a certificate (not universities); holders of Japanese disability certificates (companions not exempt).

Ferries (official fares)

• JR West Miyajima Ferry: visitor tax ¥100 charged separately on the way to the island; up to two preschool children free with a paying passenger.
• Matsudai Kisen: adult ¥200 one way / ¥400 round trip; child half. Tax ¥100 extra on the Miyajima-guchi → Miyajima leg.

The great torii and tides

• At high tide the torii looks like it floats; at low tide you can walk to its base (Miyajima Tourist Association). Times change daily — use the official tide table.
• The torii stands about 200 m offshore from Itsukushima Shrine.

Not confirmed by an official source, so left out: exact tide levels for "floating" or "walkable", JR ferry adult one-way fare, Itsukushima Shrine hours and admission, deer rules on the island, lockers. Check the official sites.

Places: All "before you go" guides · Fushimi Inari · Chureito Pagoda (Mt Fuji view) · Ghibli Museum · teamLab · Shibuya Sky · Senso-ji · Nara deer · Arashiyama · Miyajima · Disney & USJ · Kyoto autumn light-ups