Miyazki
Miyazaki Prefecture is renowned for its beautiful scenery and mild climate. Its natural beauty and pleasant weather once made it a popular honeymoon destination, and it remains a favored location today, particularly as a spring training camp for professional baseball teams. The region also attracts numerous visitors with its distinctive and delicious local cuisine.
Nichinan Seashore
The coastal road stretching south from Miyazaki City to Toi Cape is a popular route for driving enthusiasts. With its southern atmosphere, unique flowers, and beautiful sea views, it is dotted with sightseeing spots such as scenic viewpoints and Shinto shrines. It is considered one of the most pleasurable driving routes in Kyushu.
Palm Trees Street
Palm trees, largely introduced to the region, thrive primarily in southern Kyushu. In Miyazaki, roads lined with palm trees on both sides are common. Driving through these scenic routes vividly evokes the ambiance of Japan’s warm southern regions.
Oni-no-sentakuita, Demon’s Washing Board
Washing boards were used before the advent of electric washing machines. The board features a serrated surface with narrow, grooved ridges; clothes were rubbed against it to clean them.
While driving along the Nichinan coast, you can see serrated rock formations along the shore that resemble a washing board. As they are much larger than an actual washing board, they are given the exaggerated name “Oni-no-Sentaku-ita”—the “Ogre’s Washing Board,” after the mythical Japanese ogre.
Udo Shrine
Udo Shrine is located on a rocky cliff along the Nichinan Coast. Its main hall is situated inside a cave. To reach it, visitors descend a slope from the parking lot, enjoying a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean along the way.
In the sea, several tens of meters below the cave enshrining the main hall, there is a large rock with a shallow, square-shaped hole on its flat top. This is known as the “Kameishi” (Turtle Stone). Visitors can throw small clay balls toward the hole as a ritual to test their luck.
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The Luck Trial at Udo Shrine
From the cliff near the main hall, visitors can throw five small clay balls toward the hole in the Kameishi (Turtle Stone). Men are to throw with their left hand, and women with their right hand. It is said that if at least one ball lands inside the hole, your wish will be granted.
Moai Statues in Sunmesse Nichinan
Sunmesse Nichinan is an oceanfront park along the Nichinan Coast in Miyazaki. It features replicas of the seven Moai statues of Ahu Akivi. The park was granted permission to recreate these famous statues by Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in recognition of Japanese teams that helped restore the original moai, which had fallen to the ground.
