When comparing Miyajima Island vs Sapporo, the Slant community recommends Miyajima Island for most people. In the question“What are the best cities to visit in Japan besides Tokyo and Kyoto?” Miyajima Island is ranked 4th while Sapporo is ranked 12th. The most important reason people chose Miyajima Island is:
MIyajima is famous for freshly made maple leaf-shaped cake.
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Pros
Pro Maple leaf cakes
MIyajima is famous for freshly made maple leaf-shaped cake.
Pro Wild deer
There are several locations in Japan populated by wild deer. Although Nara is most famous for them, Miyajima is a lesser-known deer city.
Pro Only floating shrine in all of Japan
Seeing the waves splash against the shrine is considered one of the Three Views of Japan. The location is also considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Pro Capital of nothern-style, miso-based ramen
There are two main styles of ramen in Japan, Hakata and Sapporo. For ramen-lovers, a visit to Sapporo for the northern-style ramen would go hand-in-hand with a visit to Hakata.
Pro Annual Snow Festival
The annual festival in February showcases hundreds of ice/snow sculptures. Some as small as a life-size pikachu, others are full-size illuminated light-show castles. Along with all the sculptures are music, food, and game events.
Cons
Con Crowded during the daytime
Miyajima is a popular day-trip location from tourists in Hiroshima, so there's quite a few people walking around town during the day. However, the last boat back to Hiroshima leaves prior to sunset, so watching the famous tori gate during the sunset will be far less crowded.
Con Requires a boat ride to get to
Since Miyajima is an island, you have to take a boat from Hiroshima to get to it.
Con Can be very cold
Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido, which is known for its snowy season. There are months where the sidewalks are on-and-off covered with snow.