Miyazaki's Tropical Magic Resembles Hawaii

We took off from Haneda on a Tuesday morning in June bound for Kyushu, one of the four large islands that comprise Japan. Kyushu is southwest of Tokyo, and roughly 190 km away from the shores of South Korea.

When we make our biannual trip to Japan, we normally plan a trip inside Japan. Kyushu, more specifically Miyazaki, was our planned destination on this trip. Toyoko, my better half, had been there many years ago in her youth, so she wanted to revisit Miyazaki and rekindle some memories. I'd never been to this area of Kyushu, so I was on board without any arm twisting.

We landed at Kagoshima airport a couple of hours or so later, greeted by a steady rain. Oh well, sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate with our travel plans. Such is life. Nonetheless, there is something special about Japan in the rain. It seems natural somehow.

Our tour bus was waiting, along with our tour guide. I didn't catch her name, so let's call her Jane. Jane was a very knowledgeable person with a tone of speaking that I believe is known as captivator cadence, where the speaker uses high starter-tones to grab a crowd's attention, lowers their pitch to deliver the factual information, and hooks upward again to deliver another point and maintain it while at the same time keeping folks' attention. That high pitch of hers perked my ears up even if I could not catch what she was saying.  As we boarded the bus and headed to our first destination, Jane regurgitated some interesting facts about each area we visited, only some of which I could discern with my feeble Japanese skills. 

Obino Plateau

On this rainy day our first stop was the Obino Plateau, a 1,200-meter-high volcanic basin situated in Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park. Obino Plateau straddles the border between Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures. It is well known for its crystal-clear lakes, fumaroles that emit steam, and scenic hiking trails. You can see the Shinmoedake, an active volcano, jutting into the sky in the distance. Not active that day, fortunately!

With umbrellas in hand, we proceeded to do a little mini-hike on a path that was pretty much parallel with Route 1. There we encountered fields of azalea and other bushes that went on endlessly into the distance. The pink of the azaleas contrasted nicely with the rainy fog that hovered over us. We did not go too far on this hike because of the rain, and we had a tour schedule to deal with too, so off we went back to the bus. 

Miyazaki City 1st Night

It was getting towards mid-afternoon so we were off to Miyazaki City, and to a dinner spot on the edge of the harbor. The ride from Obino took over an hour, but we had a lot of nice scenery to look at during the ride.

Our sushi dinner was uninspiring, but was a welcome rest stop. After dinner the bus took us to our hotel. It was getting dark already, and still raining, so we checked in and took the evening off to rest up for the big day tomorrow.

Takachiho Gorge

Our bus route the following morning was north on the main highway E10 until we reached Nobeoka, at which point we veered west towards Takachiho. It was quite a drive, but we got there for an early lunch at the Kagurayado, a complex of restaurant, gift shop, and dance show venue. The Yoidono Mansion restaurant is housed in a farmhouse over 260 years old. Traditional dance shows are held at the yodoyashiki thatched roof building next door.

This lunch was the best meal of the trip perhaps, with an assortment of dishes that was sure to include something that even the pickiest eater would like. With full tummies, we made our way towards the path leading to Takachiho Gorge.

The weather had cleared up nicely from the previous day, and frankly it became a bit warm and humid, especially while hiking. Not too bad, but if you are not used to it, it's best to consume extra water to stay hydrated.

The path to the gorge followed the snaking Gokase River through the valley created a millennia ago. We were not the only tour group there of course, but I did not think it was too crowded to be annoying. 

The gorge itself features Manai Falls, a picturesque waterfall spilling into the turquoise blue Gokase River. At the time I told my wife that this is one of the top five most beautiful places I have visited in Japan, and I stand by that. This tour was turning into a memorable experience in real time.

Note, this was the extent of our exposure to Takachiho. What I found out later was that Takachiho is known as the "Village of Myths," and most famously the myth of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu. I'm not going to go into detail about it here, so ask your favorite AI about it and I'm sure you'll get the full story.

Tougenkyo Garden

We next proceeded east, back towards Nobeoka, and then south towards the coast to Tougenkyo Garden. The garden is at the top of a coastline plateau, and offers beautiful panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. The garden's main feature is its abundance of hydrangea plants. This was blooming season, so the fields and hillsides of hydrangeas of different colors were really stunning. 

This place is worth the visit if you like elevated coastal views, and in spring, the hydrangea blooms. But it is out of the way, so your best bet might be a tour bus like ours. 

Miyazaki City 2nd Night

The bus took us back to the hotel, and we had the evening free. The tour only included lunch, so we were on our own for dinner. At first I thought we might try some more local cuisine that Miyazaki is known for, such as Chicken Nanban, which is fried chicken with a gooey tartar sauce on top. We had that yesterday at lunch anyway, and I was not a fan. So, we went to an Italian restaurant! Tegge Taverna is a modern Italian restaurant in the restaurant quarter as I call it for want of a better name. The salad and pasta were good, and we even had the famous Miyazaki Beef, a wagyu variety that is very popular. 

If you visit this cozy little city I suggest you explore those backstreets in the area of Chuo-dori and Ichibangai Street. At night the area is nicely lit up, with each restaurant more enticing than the last.

Nichinan Jacaranda Forest

The next morning we were off to another coastal destination - Nichinan - which is south of Miyazaki. As our tour guide Jane was talking about it, she would say Jacaranda, which to me sounded like jack-o-lantern! It wasn't until we parked the bus at Jacaranda Forest and got out that it occurred to me that she was talking about the trees with purple blooms. The Jacaranda trees were planted from seeds in 1964, an import from Brazil. Today they line the roads and dot the hillside facing the bay. Quite a pretty sight when they are blooming their soft purple flowers.

But honestly the real attraction to me was the view of the surrounding coastline. It reminded us of Hawaii, or even Thailand. So tropical, you'd think you were on a remote island in the Pacific.

The bus dropped us off at the top of the hillside, with the idea that it would meet us down below at the visitor center. When we got to the bottom we found a shop that sold various souvenirs, including the local mango variety. Wow, one taste and we were hooked into buying a couple of the delicious red mangos for 2300 yen. Yes, a steep price, but you should see what they were charging at the airport!

Aoshima Island

Our last stop was also in Nichinan, backtracking north, closer to Miyazaki. Aoshima offers a fascinating look at what tides can do to the seabed. Especially if the tide is low, you'll see rock formations that resemble a super-sized washboard, hence its nickname, Oni no Sentakuita, or Devil's Washboard. When I first saw it I thought for sure that it was man made, as it looked like rows and rows of raised rocks. Each row looked flat, like a path to walk on. I was summarily corrected by the tuk-tuk driver that drove us back from visiting the shrine. Geologically it’s referred to as a wave-cut platform or shore platform.

The main focal point on the island is Aoshima Shrine, a Shinto Jinja that specializes in answering prayers for the lovelorn. There is a place to write up your "wholesome" romantic desires and hang them at the mini-jungle path next to the main building. Who knows, maybe the gods will grant your wishes!

Miyazaki Airport

Our last destination was the airport at Miyazaki for our trip back to Haneda. We saw a lot in just a few days, ranging from tropical forests, waterfalls, and gorgeous coastlines to the vibe of downtown Miyazaki. If you decide to go on a trip like this, I'd highly recommend doing it in the spring as we did. And don't forget the mangoes!

If you are interested in learning more about the tour we took, just write a comment below and I'll post more info about it.