When comparing Hakata vs Miyajima Island, 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 Hakata is ranked 10th. 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 Capital of southern-style, pork-bone broth ramen
Home of tonkotsu ramen, famous chains such as Ippudo and Ichiran originated from this city. Getting off the train, you can immediately smell the thick fragrance of pork broth all around the city.
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.
Cons
Con Not a lot of cultural attractions besides food
There are a lot of famous foods in Hakata: motsu nabe, tonkotsu ramen, mentaiko. While there's also a few shrines and gardens, Hakata is a fairly modern city and thus doesn't have a lot of traditional cultural attractions.
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.