5 Photogenic Buildings and Townscapes of Miyazaki | Instagrammable Retro Architecture and Recommended Castles

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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

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