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miyazaki

Castles Japan Kyushu Miyazaki

Walking Tour of Obi Castle Town

February 7, 2015

After  Naked Man Festival, we decided to drive the hour south to see Obi Castle Town (飫肥城下町), the “Little Kyoto” of Kyushu. The town was built on the remains of Obi Castle, ruled by the Ito Family for 14 generations.

The original castle was governed by the Shimazu Clan of Kagoshima, until it was offerred to the Ito Clan in 1587 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi for their aid during the Kyushu campaign. In the 1970s, work began to rebuild the neglected castle and surrounding town, which now reflects an authentic castle town of the Edo period. It was the first castle town to be registered as a Preservation Area in Kyushu.

Through the main gate, Otemon, you follow the wide, stone steps up to the Obi Clan Historical Museum. Here, you can choose from several different walking tour packages. For just ¥610, we got a ticket to see 7 of the town’s buildings.

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Japan Kyushu Miyazaki

Christmas Lights in Miyazaki

December 15, 2014

For a country that doesn’t really celebrate Christmas, Japan sure knows how to do Christmas lights. They are the romantic backdrop for Christmas Eve – a night celebrated like Valentines Day, where couples take strolls to see the lights and then enjoy dinner at a fancy restaurant.

The lights are called ‘illuminations’ (イルミネーション) and go up in December. They stay put well into January, sometimes even until February. But seeing Christmas lights after December isn’t as fun, I don’t think, and after this week, I’ll be away until after New Year. So, on Saturday, I went with Mark to see Miyazaki’s best offering at Florante botanical park.

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Festivals Japan Kyushu Miyazaki

Nyutabaru Air Festival

December 8, 2014

I’ve barely left my apartment these past two weekends: a last effort in tightening the purse strings before my big trip to New York later this month (12 days and counting!). But to be honest, in this weather, I didn’t need much of an excuse.

On Sunday, though, I decided to brave the cold and go check out the Nyutabaru Air Festival in Shintomi Town with my friend, Mark. At least we could suffer together: like me, he hails from the southern hemisphere. It’s also his first winter in Japan – poor thing.

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Japan Kyushu Miyazaki

Aya Town

November 25, 2014

On the fourth day of Matthew’s visit – and the last day we would have time to do sightseeing together – we decided to visit Aya. An hour or so west of Takanabe, the town is part of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages In Japan and is best known for its castle and a suspension bridge that towers 142 m (466 ft) above a lucidophyllous forest.

The forest is home to oak and beech and is one of the largest evergreens in Japan. In 1984, the Teruha Suspension Bridge was built over it so that people could better connect with its nature. The bridge is 1.2 m (3.9 ft) wide and extends for 250 m (820.2 ft). It offers panoramic views of the forest and the Ayaminami River below.

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Japan Kyushu Miyazaki Temples and Shrines

Nichinan Coast Part 2: Monkey Island and the Red Shrine

November 19, 2014

In early November, my former roommate and longtime bro, Matthew, came to Miyazaki for a visit. This is Part 2 of our road trip down the Nichinan Coast. Part 1 is here.

I chased his voice to the side of the hotel, and we fought our way through the overgrowth of what was once the garden. In a small clearing stood five or six horses, peacefully grazing for a lunchtime snack. If there was ever a reason to jump security rope, this was it.

We stood watching the horses for a while. Every now and then, I found myself looking up to the windows of the hotel. I kept imagining I would suddenly see someone staring down at me. For an abandoned place, it doesn’t feel very empty.

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Japan Kyushu Miyazaki

Nichinan Coast Part 1: Wild Horses and an Abandoned Hotel

November 17, 2014

In early November, my former roommate and longtime bro, Matthew, came to Miyazaki for a visit. This is Part 1 of our road trip down the Nichinan Coast. Part 2 is here.

The third of November was a perfect autumn day. The sun was a warm blanket in the car and the crisp, sea air was cool enough to prickle the skin. It’s like having a superpower, I thought as we winded around bend after bend, being able to feel cold and heat independently at the same time.

It was the third day of Matthew’s visit and we were headed down the Nichinan Coast to see the wild horses of Cape Toi. On the way back, we would stop at Kojima Island and Udo Shrine.

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Flowers and Gardens Japan Kyushu Miyazaki

Garden of Statues in Heiwadai Park

November 14, 2014

One of the history teachers who used to work at my school (he was transferred to Miyakonojo) sent me on a little treasure hunt one typhoon day. The students weren’t at school and I was sitting at my desk wondering why the teachers bother to come in. I guess he figured I was bored, so he gave me a clue and sent me off looking for a haniwa, or burial statue,  hiding somewhere on the grounds.

I never did find it, granted I wasn’t much into looking for it in the rain, and so he ended up pointing it out to me. It was almost identical to a statue I had seen sitting under my neighbour’s carport. He explained that they were burial statues and that there was a whole garden of them in Miyazaki City, which he urged me to visit.

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Festivals Flowers and Gardens Japan Kyushu Miyazaki

Cosmos, Fire, Dance and Drums: Saitobaru Kofun Festival

November 10, 2014

My former roommate and longtime bro, Matthew, decided to come to Miyazaki for a week during a month-long visit to Japan. Since Culture Day fell on Monday the 3rd, and I had a day of daikyu on the 4th, we were able to spend 4 days exploring together.

On the Saturday, I took him off to Saito to experience his first Japanese festival. Two fellow JETs were participating in the Saitobaru Kofun Matsuri – an annual fire festival that includes a torch parade from the Tsuma Shrine through the Saitobaru Burial Mounds, and a big bonfire.

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Festivals Japan Kyushu Miyazaki

Takanabe Lantern Festival

October 20, 2014

On any given weekend in Japan, there is at least one festival on somewhere to be enjoyed. Of all the ones I have been to, Takanabe‘s Lantern Festival is one of my favourites.

The festival is held in Maizuru Park, where Takanabe Castle once stood. The thousands of lanterns that decorate the castle ruins represent the teachings of Takanabe’s great warrior, Tanesife Akisuki, who founded the school Meirin-do. The festival is the pride of the town, and it is said that people come from all over the prefecture for the special event.

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Festivals Flowers and Gardens Japan Kyushu Miyazaki

Cosmos in Kobayashi

October 17, 2014

It was supposed to be a jam-packed weekend: John was coming down for a visit, Monday was a holiday and there were three festivals to enjoy. Instead, Typhoon Vongfong came barrelling straight towards Miyazaki, wrecking all of our plans.

So when Saturday morning woke us up with a slither of sun, it was all the motivation we needed to jump in the car and head to Kobayashi.

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