is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay

Hiroshima Bay

is a bay in the Inland Sea, Japan. Administratively, the bay is divided between Hiroshima and Yamaguchi Prefectures. The bay's shore is a Ria. Its surface area is about 1,000 km², with a mean depth of 25 meters.-Municipalities:*Kure, Hiroshima...

. It is popularly known as , the Shrine Island. The island is one of . Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi

Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima

is a city of some 120,000 people located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The name derives from a market traditionally held on the 20th of each month with hatsuka meaning "20th day" and ichi translating to "market"...

 in Hiroshima Prefecture

Hiroshima Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...

. The island was the town of Miyajima

Miyajima, Hiroshima

was a town located on the island of Itsukushima in Saeki District, Hiroshima, Japan.On November 3, 2005 Miyajima, along with the town of Ōno, also from Saeki District, was merged into the city of Hatsukaichi....

 prior to the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi.

Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine

Itsukushima Shrine

Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan...

, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko

Empress Suiko

was the 33rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Suiko's reign spanned the years from 593 until her death in 628....

.