Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Street

Omotesando Shopping Street is the food-and-souvenir spine of Miyajima, the sacred island famous for the great vermilion torii gate that appears to float on the sea. Running from the ferry pier to the approach of Itsukushima Shrine, this covered-and-open arcade is where nearly every island visitor eats, and it turns the walk to the shrine into a slow, delicious grazing route lined with oyster grills, confectionery bakeries, sake shops and craft stalls.

Two island specialities dominate. The first is oysters: the surrounding Seto Inland Sea is one of Japan's premier oyster-farming grounds, and along Omotesando you will find them grilled over charcoal in the half-shell, deep-fried as kaki-fry, baked into oyster curry buns, and served fresh with a squeeze of lemon. Eaten hot on the street, a plump grilled Hiroshima oyster is one of the best-value bites in the region. The second is momiji manju, the maple-leaf-shaped sponge cake filled with sweet red-bean paste, custard, chocolate or cheese, which was invented on this very island in the early 1900s. Many shops bake them fresh in fish-shaped iron molds while you watch, and several sell 'agemomiji' - a momiji manju battered and deep-fried on a stick, crisp outside and molten within, a treat almost unique to Miyajima.

Beyond those headliners, the street rewards curiosity. There are anago (conger eel) restaurants serving the island's other great dish, gelato and matcha soft-serve stands, sake breweries offering tastings of local Hiroshima brews, and craft shops selling the wooden rice paddles (shamoji) that Miyajima has produced for centuries, along with woodwork and the region's distinctive clay dolls. The mix of hot street food, sit-down seafood and traditional crafts means you can happily spend an hour or two here bracketing a visit to the shrine.

The atmosphere is part of the draw. Wild sika deer wander the street and the waterfront, generally tame but quite willing to investigate an unguarded snack, so keep food in hand or bag. The lane is busiest in the middle of the day when ferries disgorge waves of visitors; arrive earlier or linger into the late afternoon, once the day-trippers thin out, for a calmer stroll and shorter queues at the best oyster counters. In spring the island's cherry blossoms and in autumn the fiery maples of nearby Momijidani Park frame the whole experience beautifully.

Getting here is easy and largely covered by the Japan Rail Pass. From Hiroshima, ride the JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi, then take the JR-operated ferry across to the island; Omotesando begins just a few minutes' walk from where you disembark and leads you naturally toward the shrine, Momijidani Park and the ropeway up Mount Misen. Whether you treat it as a running buffet or a single memorable meal, this street is the culinary heart of one of Japan's most scenic places.