What do you mean you’re only going to Japan’s Miyajima Island to see the floating torii gate – there’s another quirky hidden gem to be found if you know where to look! The giant rice scoop!
Tucked away in the backstreets of Miyajima, the pretty island close to Hiroshima, is a World Record Holder.
At 7.7 metres long, the World’s Biggest Rice Scoop can be found outside the Etto Miyajima Community Centre. And we’re very lucky it’s there, as for nearly 14 years it was tucked away in storage because they couldn’t find a space large enough to display it.
The scoop took over two years to carve and was finished in 1983 – although it didn’t go on display until around 1996. It weighs 2.5 tonnes and was made from a 270-year-old Zelkova tree.
Why Did Someone Make a Giant Rice Scoop
Now that is an excellent question, but if you spend a day in Miyajima, you might notice an abundance of rice scoops doing things other than actually scooping rice!
You’ll find souvenir ones in the shops, you can sign up for a class to make one of your own, and you’ll also find huge, people-sized ones at the amazing Senjojaku Hall on the island.
So what’s the deal with rice scoops on Miyajima? Well, as with so many things in Japan, there’s a legend.
The story goes that a monk living on the island had a dream about the goddess Benzaiten.
Benzaiten is one of Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods. Specifically, she is the goddess of wisdom and music, and she is often pictured holding a biwa (a musical instrument in the lute family). However, the monk felt it also resembled a rice scoop and began making them in her honour and started teaching others to do the same.
The people of Miyajima then got a reputation for making rice scoops. And, from that point, I guess it was only a matter of time before someone got carried away! Sadly, though, I don’t know the name of the person or group responsible for the record-breaking creation.
How to Get to World’s Biggest Rice Scoop
Well, first you’ll have to travel to Miyajima.
To do this from Hiroshima, you can take the Sanyo line to Miyamaguchi Station, then walk to nearby Miyamaguchi Port, where you have the choice of two ferries that will carry you the short distance to the island. The crossing will cost 200 yen, and ferries run every couple of minutes.
Or, you can also take the Aquanet ferry directly to Miyajima from the Hiroshima Peace Park. This costs a bit more, 2200 yen each way and takes around 45 minutes, but it can be more convenient if you are only in Hiroshima for a day and trying to cover both Hiroshima and Miyajima.
Do check the Aquanet timetables carefully, though, as the boat is less frequent than the Miyamaguchi ferries, and it also can’t run at high tide, which can affect schedules at certain points in the month.
Once on the island, you will need to walk to the Etto Miyajima Community Centre as there is no motorised transport on Miyajima. It takes about 10 minutes to walk here from the ferry terminal, and just three minutes to get here from the famous Itsukushima Shrine.
It’s best to visit the centre when it’s open, as they can close a set of glass doors over the scoop when the Centre is closed. If you really want to see it clearly, visit between 9:00 a.m. and 9.30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, as the centre is closed on Monday.
Who Writes Differentville?
My name is Helen Foster and I’m a journalist and author living in Sydney.
My travel articles have been published in titles including The Australian, Body & Soul at the Sunday Telegraph, RAC Horizons, Jetstar magazine and more.
I like the weird, the wonderful and anything that makes me jump and down with glee like I’m about three. That’s what you’ll find here.