Introduction
During the honeymoon boom that began in the 1960s, it was said that one-third of newlywed couples headed to Miyazaki. What else was there besides the endless blue sea and sky? For a newlywed couple, sightseeing spots have no meaning, and the only thing that matters is that there is a feeling of openness and nothing else. However, in hindsight, for people of a certain age or overseas travelers who are used to seeing magnificent scenery, just the openness of a tropical country is no longer an incentive to go on a trip. On the other side, due to the rapidly depreciating Yen, going to Miyazaki as a domestic trip that gives you the feeling of going to places like Hawaii is a modern-day joke.
I would like to explore once again how the special topography created by ancient tectonic activity gave rise to myths, and how the complex nature gave rise to the rich delicacies of mountains and seas.
Detail
1st day (myths day)
Can young people and foreigners understand “Demon Washboard”?
If you’re going to Miyazaki, you would normally enter from Miyazaki Airport, but for ease of access and a stop at Miyakonojo, this time I headed to Miyazaki from Kagoshima Airport. It takes about an hour and a half to go directly from the airport to Aoshima on the expressway. There is a free parking lot besides the large lawn square south next to Botanical Garden Aoshima.
It takes a longer time than expected to get from Aoshima to Miyazaki City. We chose a hotel along the Oyodo River for the night without meals, and in the evening we had a chicken meal at the downtown area of Nishitachi. The imposing prefectural office building, which often appeared in the media when a comedian became prefectural governor, is located near the downtown area, but I was surprised to find that it looked smaller than expected.
Who decided to throw the luck ball with the left hand?
30 minutes by car from Aoshima. When you enter through the shrine’s torii gate, you will somehow be directed to a parking lot above by a signboard, and from there you will have to walk across the mountain to reach the shrine. Therefore, if you head to the parking lot below by chance, you can drive to reach at the shrine’s main hall. It takes 50 minutes from here back to Miyazaki city.
2nd day (small Kyoto, west coast and wild horses)
The stonework in Obi is too manic
45 minutes from Miyazaki city using the free inland expressway. The parking lot at Obi Castle Ruins is free and spacious, making it convenient for walking around the city. Discount tickets for city sightseeing facilities are also sold here. Although the castle town is compact, two hours is not enough time to take in the quiet streets and the stone walls of the castle ruins. Furthermore, if you buy a discounted ticket, you won’t be able to resist the feeling that it would be a waste if you don’t go around eating and visiting museums by using the ticket, and it may take a long time more. You can hold a replica of a Japanese sword in your hand at the history museum inside the castle ruins, so you can experience its weight.
Is this the west coast? No, it’s the Nichinan coast
It takes two hours to complete the Nichinan coast from north to south. Aburatsu fishing port in Nichinan city is just at the halfway point. If you stay overnight in Miyazaki and Nichinan cities, you can split your trip into days 1 and 2. The route from Michi-no-Eki(road station) Nango continues to weave along the top of the cliff, so safe driving is especially important.
The wild horses of Cape Toi are always eating or scratching their necks
At the entrance to Cape Toi, there is a gate where you can pay a fee to help maintain the environment for wild horses. This is also a gate to prevent wild horses from escaping from the cape. From here on, you’ll need to drive slowly as there are wild horses wandering around on the road. Even more than going slowly, you need to be patient until the horse moves from the middle of the road. The place to meet the guide is the office of PAKARAPAKA, which is a wild horse conservation organization, near the lighthouse of the cape.
3rd day (skipjack tuna and cherry blossoms)
Kochi is not home to the largest catch of skipjack tuna in Japan by pole-and-line fishing
Meitsu Fishing Port, famous as a base for skipjack pole-and-line fishing boats, is located near Aburatsu Fishing Port. Only 15 minutes from the center of Nichinan City.
Miyakonojo is completely flat
You can reach Miyakonojo in one hour by using the expressway from the Nichinan City. During the cherry blossom season, the cherry blossom tree-lined road in front of Mochioka Shrine is closed to traffic. You can climb directly to the shrine on the hill from the side and view the rows of cherry blossom trees from there. It takes less than an hour to get to Kagoshima Airport from here. On the way, as you emerge from the foothills of the Kirishima mountain range on the highway, Sakurajima floating in the sea appears in front of you.
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