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Miyajima Visitor Tax: The 100 Yen Ferry Fee for Miyajima (Hiroshima), Explained

The red torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the sea at dusk
The torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima (Hiroshima). Almost everyone arriving by ferry pays the 100 yen visitor tax.Photo: lumoplank, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Taking the ferry to Miyajima (Hiroshima) to see the "floating" torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine? Since October 1, 2023, almost everyone who goes to the island by boat pays the Miyajima Visitor Tax: 100 yen per person per visit. It is small, and for most visitors it happens automatically with the ferry ticket. But there are a few cases where you have to pay it separately, and one option that can save money if you visit often. This short guide covers them, based on Hatsukaichi City (Hiroshima)'s official pages (Miyajima is part of Hatsukaichi City (Hiroshima), Hiroshima Prefecture).

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  • How much it is and who pays
  • How it's collected: ticket machine, IC card, or a tour voucher
  • Who doesn't pay
  • What the money is used for

The basics

How you pay

How the 100 yen is paid Paying the Miyajima Visitor Tax: a flow Start: going to Miyajima (Hiroshima) by boat. If you buy a ferry ticket at a machine or window, 100 yen is added; done. If you tap an IC card at the gates of JR West Miyajima Ferry or Miyajima Matsudai Kisen, fare and tax are taken automatically; done. If you have a voucher or package ticket: if the tax is included, nothing more; if not, pay 100 yen at the ferry window. Exempt: preschool children, school trips, disability certificate holders, residents and commuters. Option: 500 yen for one year, apply in advance. Going to the island by boat Ticketmachine orwindow IC cardat the ferrygates Voucher orpackageticket 100 yen added automaticallyNothing else to do Taxincluded? NO Pay 100 yen at theferry company window YES: nothingmore to pay Don't pay: preschool children,school trips, disability certificateholders, residents and commuters.Visiting often? 500 yen per year.
From the page of Hatsukaichi City (Hiroshima) for visitors to the island (checked October 2026).

Hatsukaichi City (Hiroshima) explains that the 100 yen tax is, in principle, collected by the ferry companies together with the fare, and paid to the city later. In practice:

If you go by a chartered boat, the operator adds the tax to the charge. The city also sets rules for people arriving by private boat; if that's you, check the city's overview page linked below.

Ticket gates and ticket machines at the ferry terminal
Ferry ticket gates at the pier for Miyajima (Hiroshima). With an IC card, the fare and the tax are taken at the gate.Photo: MaedaAkihiko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The 500 yen yearly option

Instead of paying 100 yen each time, you can pay 500 yen for one year. You apply in advance at the city hall of Hatsukaichi City (Hiroshima) or its branch offices on Miyajima (Hiroshima) and in Ono (Hiroshima), or through the city's official LINE account, and receive a certificate to show when boarding. The city's page on applying asks for official ID at the counter, and says the LINE route uses identity verification with a My Number Card (Japan's resident ID card) and payment by credit card or PayPay only. For a short trip with one visit, the 100 yen per visit is simpler.

100 yen per visit or 500 yen per year? Cost of the visitor tax by number of visits in a year Bar chart. 1 visit: 100 yen. 3 visits: 300 yen. 5 visits: 500 yen, the same as the yearly payment. Yearly payment: 500 yen for unlimited visits in one year. From the sixth visit, the yearly payment is cheaper. 1 visit100 yen 3 visits300 yen 5 visits500 yen Yearly payment500 yen From the 6th visit in a year, the yearlypayment costs less. Apply in advance.
Calculated from the city's rates: 100 yen per visit and 500 yen per year (checked October 2026). Note the online route needs a My Number Card.

Who doesn't pay

Where the money goes

The city says the tax helps keep Miyajima (Hiroshima) sustainable, with examples such as tourist information and toilets, management of the Mt. Misen observatory and trails, preserving cultural properties and historic buildings, and eco-tourism, including water refill stations. The island is part of the Setonaikai National Park and was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1996.

Quick checklist

  1. Buying a ferry ticket or tapping an IC card? The tax is taken care of.
  2. Have a tour voucher or package ticket? Check whether it includes the tax; if not, pay 100 yen per person at the ferry window.
  3. Traveling with young children? Preschoolers don't pay.

Japan's other new travel charges are explained here too: the 3,000 yen departure tax and the new tax-free refund from November 1, 2026.

Last reviewed: October 4, 2026. Hatsukaichi City (Hiroshima) plans to review the tax around five years after it started. Please confirm on the official pages below.

References

Related guides

Photo credits

  1. Ticket gates and ticket machines at the ferry terminal. Photo: MaedaAkihiko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  2. The red torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the sea at dusk. Photo: lumoplank, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  3. The long departure hall of Haneda Airport's international terminal with rows of check-in counters. Photo: Daniel L. Lu (user:dllu), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (title text added)
  4. A tax-free system banner hanging over the tax-free counter of a shopping mall in Japan. Photo: Naha Mama Pavilionz, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped, title text added)

Card images combine these photos with the page title. Photos are used under their licenses (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); adapted images are shared under the same license as the original.