5 Photogenic Gourmet Treats and Souvenirs of Miyazaki

Miyazaki Prefecture, where the southern sun shines, is a treasure trove of colorful gourmet and distinctive sweets! It would be a waste to just eat them — we've carefully selected "photogenic" dishes that make you want to point your camera at them.

01 | Mango Sweets / Take Your Breath Away at the Glow of Fully Ripened Mangoes

Sweets made with fully ripened mangoes, represented by Miyazaki's pride the "Egg of the Sun," make for the best subjects with their vivid orange color. The mango parfaits you can savor at fruit parlors and roadside stations within Miyazaki City layer golden flesh inside a glass cup, giving off a glow just like a jewel.

Shooting Tip: Apply natural light from the side at a window to beautifully express the translucency of the flesh. Shooting from a low angle, looking up, boosts the sense of volume!

Best Season: May to August, the mango season, is recommended.

Access: Fruit specialty shops, roadside stations, etc. throughout Miyazaki City

02 | Miyazaki Chicken Nanban / Glossy Sauce Makes One Appetizing Shot

Chicken nanban, Miyazaki's soul food, is actually a heavyweight as photogenic gourmet too! The contrast of the white tartar sauce and the gold of the fried batter stimulates both appetite and the urge to shoot at once. From the long-established places originating in Nobeoka to particular shops within Miyazaki City, find your favorite plate.

Shooting Tip: Shoot a flat lay from directly above, including the whole wooden lunch tray, to heighten the Instagrammable feel. The shooting moment is right after pouring on plenty of sauce for a glossy shine!

Best Time: During the bright hours of lunchtime.

Access: Chicken nanban specialty shops within Miyazaki City and Nobeoka City

03 | Hyuganatsu Sweets / Pale Yellow Sets Off a Spring-Colored Shot

Tarts, jellies, and soft serve made with Miyazaki-produced citrus "hyuganatsu" have a pale, refreshing lemon-yellow perfect for spring-to-summer travel photos. They're available at cake shops and souvenir stores within Miyazaki City too, and are ideal for street snacking.

Shooting Tip: Line them up with other sweets like pastel macarons for a flat lay. Using a white stone pavement or marble-look table as a background instantly raises the stylishness!

Best Season: The hyuganatsu season of March to June.

Access: Cake shops within Miyazaki City, shops inside Miyazaki Airport, etc.

04 | Charcoal-Grilled Miyazaki Jidori / Wild Seared Visuals Are the Strongest

Charcoal-grilled "Miyazaki Jitokko," a Miyazaki-produced free-range chicken, is photogenic with its jet-black grill marks and savory rising steam! The bold visuals heighten the "gourmet trip" feel. At shops where you grill it yourself on a shichirin clay grill, you can dramatically capture the flames and smoke together too.

Shooting Tip: Make the moment when the freshly grilled steam rises your shutter chance. Composing slightly into the backlight wraps the smoke in light for a fantastical shot.

Best Time: The evening-to-nighttime hours when the flames stand out.

Access: Jidori cuisine specialty shops in Miyazaki City, Tsuno Town, etc.

05 | Miyazaki Souvenir Sweets / "Cheese Manju" Is a Must-Buy for the Packaging!

The standard Miyazaki souvenir "cheese manju" is simply cute, with its pure-white, round, plump form. You can enjoy varied photogenic shots — lining up the individually wrapped packages, or taking a close-up of a cross-section cut in half. The fact that you can easily buy it at Miyazaki Airport and souvenir shops in the city is a plus too.

Shooting Tip: Just cutting the cross-section and lining them up makes for a "cross-section-photogenic" shot. Placing them on a natural wooden tray or washi paper brings out the souvenir feel.

Best Time: Right after purchase, snap the freshly made whiteness as is!

Access: Miyazaki Airport, souvenir specialty shops within Miyazaki City

Miyazaki's food makes travelers happy with all its might, in both looks and taste. With this article in hand, do find your very own "Miyazaki photogenic gourmet."

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Opening hours / closing days: Fruit parlors, chicken nanban restaurants, charcoal-grilled jidori chicken restaurants and souvenir shops are all individually run, so opening hours and closing days differ from place to place. Popular establishments may have queues or sell out, so check each one's official website or social media for its current status before heading there.
• Guide to budget and prices: Miyazaki fully ripened mangoes, and especially the top brand "Taiyo no Tamago," are luxury items available only in limited quantities, and sweets made with them vary widely in price. Always check prices on the in-store display or the official website.
• Access: Hyuganatsu citrus sweets and cheese manju can be bought at the shops inside Miyazaki Airport terminal and at specialty souvenir shops in Miyazaki City. Chicken nanban can be enjoyed throughout the prefecture, including in Nobeoka City and Miyazaki City, and charcoal-grilled jidori chicken at specialty restaurants across the prefecture, starting with those in Miyazaki City.
• Parking: Whether parking is available, and how many spaces there are, differs from shop to shop. Restaurants in the city center may not have their own parking, so check in advance or use public transport.
• Photography rules: Before taking photographs inside a restaurant, first ask the staff for permission. Take care not to capture other customers or employees in your shots, and refrain from long photo sessions when the place is busy. At restaurants using charcoal or shichirin grills, it may be difficult to use a flash or a tripod.
• Points to note: "Taiyo no Tamago" is a brand name used only for fruit that meets the prefecture-wide standards set by JA Miyazaki Keizairen (quality grade "Seishu" or above, size class "2L" or above, and a sugar content of 15 degrees or more), and it is mainly on the market around June and July. Outside that period you cannot taste fresh, fully ripened mangoes. Charcoal-grilled jidori chicken produces a lot of smoke and spattering oil, so do not bring your camera and lens too close.

* Seasonal items are available only for a limited period. Please check each shop's official website for the latest information before your visit.

(Sources: the prefecture-wide standards for Miyazaki fully ripened mango "Taiyo no Tamago" set by JA Miyazaki Keizairen / shipping information for mangoes produced in Miyazaki Prefecture)