This tour focuses on the southern Kyushu prefectures of Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto. In Kagoshima, you’ll visit Sakurajima, an active volcano, the Chiran Peace Museum, Mt. Kaimon, also known as the “Mt. Fuji of Satsuma,” and relax at an Ibusuki hot spring known for its natural hot sand baths. In the 1960s, Miyazaki was an incredibly famous destination for honeymooning Japanese couples, and in Nichinan Kaigan Quasi-national Park in the south of the prefecture, you’ll find famous scenic spots such as Cape Toi, which is home to wild horses, Udo Shrine, Aoshima, and the Devil’s Washboard. Miyazaki is dotted with many shochu distilleries, and visitors can enjoy distilling and tasting events at these unique locations. In the north, sheer cliffs rising 80 to 100 meters high run the nearly 7-kilometer-long Takachiho Gorge. At the Kagura Hall in Takachiho Shrine, which is known for luck in matchmaking, an hour-long kagura dance is held every night, year-round at 8:00 p.m. You can also visit Kusasenrigahama and the Nakadake Crater in Aso, Kumamoto.
Natural hot sand baths © K．P．V．B
This beach is home to some of the most unique natural hot sand bathing spots in the world, where you can cover up in sand at the water’s edge during low tide, and relax under a roof at full tide and during poor weather. The comforting weight of the sand and sound of the waves are soothing for both body and mind. Hot sand baths have been a tradition here since long ago, and a document written in 1843 by the Satsuma Domain, who ruled this land, mentions the health benefits of this practice.
The gorgeous Nichinan Coast, which is practically a symbol of Miyazaki, stretches for nearly 100 kilometers from the southern end of Miyazaki City to Cape Toi in the southern edge of the prefecture, encompassing the three cities of Miyazaki, Nichinan, and Kushima. It is packed with incredibly charming, picturesque spots such as the Horikiri Pass, the subtropical flora of Aoshima, and the mystical, vermillion-painted main building of Udo Shrine built in a cave. The Nichinan Coast is also famous for the wild horses of Cape Toi at its southern tip, and the monkeys of Kojima Island.
Cape Toi ©Miyazaki Prefecture Tourism Association
Takachiho Gorge ©Miyazaki Prefecture Tourism Association
Thanks to its abundant, quality natural water and a variety of crops cultivated across the large tracts of land stretching north to south, Miyazaki is known for its rich shochu culture. Honkaku (single distilled) shochu is made from many different ingredients, bringing out the true flavor of potatoes, barley, buckwheat, and more. One of the best things about this tour is visiting the shochu distilleries where you can try part of the distilling process yourself and sample the goods. Later, you’ll head to Takachiho to visit Takachiho Gorge and view a kagura Shinto musical service at Takachiho Shrine.
Kunimigaoka was awarded with one star in the world-famous Michelin Green Guide Japan. It is known as the legendary spot where Takeiwatatsu no Mikoto, grandson of Emperor Jimmu, viewed the country he ruled. This tour takes you from the legendary land of the gods in Japanese mythology, Miyazaki, to Kumamoto, also known as the land of fire. There, you’ll visit Kusasenrigahama, inside a world-class caldera, and Nakadake Crater for a truly amazing day.
Kunimigaoka ©Miyazaki Prefecture Tourism Association
This tour focuses on the southern Kyushu prefectures of Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto. In Kagoshima, you’ll visit Sakurajima, an active volcano, the Chiran Peace Museum, Mt. Kaimon, also known as the “Mt. Fuji of Satsuma,” and relax at an Ibusuki hot spring known for its natural hot sand baths. In the 1960s, Miyazaki was an incredibly famous destination for honeymooning Japanese couples, and in Nichinan Kaigan Quasi-national Park in the south of the prefecture, you’ll find famous scenic spots such as Cape Toi, which is home to wild horses, Udo Shrine, Aoshima, and the Devil’s Washboard. Miyazaki is dotted with many shochu distilleries, and visitors can enjoy distilling and tasting events at these unique locations. In the north, sheer cliffs rising 80 to 100 meters high run the nearly 7-kilometer-long Takachiho Gorge. At the Kagura Hall in Takachiho Shrine, which is known for luck in matchmaking, an hour-long kagura dance is held every night, year-round at 8:00 p.m. You can also visit Kusasenrigahama and the Nakadake Crater in Aso, Kumamoto.