5 Photogenic Buildings and Townscapes of Miyazaki

When it comes to Miyazaki, it's blue skies and the southern-country sun. Within that blessed light are dotted historic buildings and distinctive townscapes that make you want to point your camera at them. This time, the "Tabitabi JAPAN" editorial team introduces 5 especially "photogenic" buildings and townscapes carefully selected in Miyazaki! Please make good use of them in planning your trip.

01 | Obi Castle Ruins and the Old Townscape of Obi (Nichinan City)

Called the "Little Kyoto of Kyushu," Obi is a picture-book town with stone-paved roads, samurai residences, and moss-covered stone walls continuing on. Especially in front of the main gate of Obi Castle, the contrast of green and stone shines beautifully in the seasons of fresh greenery and autumn foliage. The golden time is the hour when the soft morning light streams onto the stone pavement. Shooting from a low angle looking up at the main gate completes a powerful composition of sky and gate.

Access: About a 10-minute walk from JR Obi Station

02 | Miyazaki Prefectural Government Main Building (Miyazaki City)

The white Spanish-style architecture built in 1932 is a perfect match with Miyazaki's blue sky. The color scheme of white walls, terracotta-colored roof, and the southern-country blue sky is just like a European palace. In the spring cherry-blossom season, cherry blossoms bloom in front of the main entrance, and the contrast of pink and white is exquisite. A portrait shot standing slightly diagonally from the front, with arched windows in the background, is also great.

Access: About a 15-minute walk from JR Miyazaki Station, or by bus

03 | Aoshima Shrine and the Scenery of Aoshima (Miyazaki City)

The vermilion-lacquered shrine building standing on Aoshima, the island of myth, and the strange rock formations of the "Devil's Washboard" surrounding it create an otherworldly atmosphere found nowhere else. During the magic hour of evening, the sky is dyed orange and overlaps with the vermilion torii gate for a breathtaking beauty. Shooting the approach in vertical composition through the torii gate creates depth and finishes as a mysterious shot.

Access: About a 5-minute walk from JR Aoshima Station

04 | Miyazaki Civic Plaza (Miyazaki City)

A modern building distinctive for its large glass windows and red-brick-style outer walls. A composition with the fountain plaza in the foreground is popular, and at night it transforms into a romantic atmosphere when illuminated. From dusk to night is the golden time for photogenic shots. A "reflection shot" in which the building is mirrored on the surface of the fountain water has a big response on social media too. Using a tripod and a slow shutter to softly express the movement of the water is recommended.

Access: About a 10-minute walk from JR Miyazaki Station

05 | Horikiri Pass and the Scenery Along the Nichinan Coast (Miyazaki City to Nichinan City)

Strictly speaking it isn't architecture, but the combination of phoenix palms and cliffs dotted along the Nichinan Coast is a "photogenic landscape" unique to Miyazaki. From the observation deck at Horikiri Pass, the blue Pacific Ocean and southern-country plants spread out, and on a clear summer morning the emerald-green sea sparkles. Using the leaves of a phoenix palm as a foreground blur and placing a person against the sea in the background makes for a photo full of resort feeling.

Access: About 30 minutes by bus from JR Miyazaki Station

The architecture and townscapes of Miyazaki, where rich natural light and southern-country colors overlap, are all places that make a picture wherever you frame them. Be sure to set out to find your favorite shot!

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Best season and time of day: For the Obi castle town, mornings during the fresh-green and autumn-foliage seasons. At Aoshima Shrine the light is at its most beautiful in the morning just after the gates open. Along the Nichinan Coast the color of the sea is most vivid on clear mornings.
• Opening hours / closing days: The historic facilities of the Obi castle town are open 9:30-17:00 (last admission 16:30) and closed from December 29 to 31. Aoshima Shrine is open from 6:00 until sunset, and the amulet office is generally open 8:00-17:00 (worship is not possible in the evening after sunset). Miyazaki Shimin Plaza is open 9:00-22:00 and closed every Monday (the following day when Monday is a public holiday) and from December 29 to January 3. The main building of the Miyazaki Prefectural Government is a working office building, and free tours of the prefectural government guided by volunteers are offered.
• Fees: The combined ticket for the historic facilities of the Obi castle town is 800 yen for adults (excluding students), 600 yen for university and high school students, and 350 yen for elementary and junior high school students. For groups of 20 or more it is 600 yen for adults, 400 yen for university and high school students, and 150 yen for elementary and junior high school students. Worship at Aoshima Shrine, viewing the exterior of the main building of the Miyazaki Prefectural Government, and Horikiri Pass are all free of charge.
• Access: Obi is about a 15-minute walk from Obi Station on the JR Nichinan Line. The main building of the Miyazaki Prefectural Government is about a 20-minute walk from JR Miyazaki Station, or immediately after getting off the Miyazaki Kotsu bus at "Kencho-mae." Aoshima Shrine is about a 10-minute walk from JR Aoshima Station. Miyazaki Shimin Plaza is about a 15-minute walk from JR Miyazaki Station. For Horikiri Pass, take a Miyazaki Kotsu local bus from Miyazaki Station (bound for the Nichinan area).
• Parking: Parking in the Obi castle town is free for small cars, and 1,000 yen per day for large and medium-sized vehicles. Aoshima Shrine has no parking lot for worshippers, so please use the paid parking lots nearby. Around Horikiri Pass, please use parking lots such as that of Roadside Station Phoenix, about 1 km to the south.
• Photography rules: At Aoshima Shrine, please refrain from taking photographs inside the shrine buildings or during prayer ceremonies. As the Miyazaki Prefectural Government is a working public office, follow the staff's instructions regarding whether photography is allowed inside the building. If you wish to use a tripod at Miyazaki Shimin Plaza, check with the facility in advance. The samurai residences in Obi are places where people live, so do not enter private property.
• Safety notes: Horikiri Pass lies along the old route of National Route 220, where the sidewalk is narrow and cars pass by. Parking on the road or stepping onto the roadway to take photographs is extremely dangerous, so always use the designated parking lots. Aoshima can be windy on some days, and the rocky areas on the island become slippery in the rain.

* Fees, opening hours and worship hours are subject to change. Please always check the official websites for the latest information before your visit.

(Sources: Nichinan City Tourism Association "Kanko Nichinan no Tabi" Obi castle town, official Miyazaki Prefecture website (main prefectural government building and prefectural government tours), official Miyazaki City website "Miyazaki Shimin Plaza", Aoshima Shrine official website)