Takachiho Gorge
Volcanic basalt-walled river canyon with a 17 m waterfall (Manai-no-taki) you can row a boat right up to. Mythologically the home of Amaterasu's hiding cave.
Open in Maps ↗Prefecture profile · 都道府県
Miyazaki 宮崎県
The mythological birthplace of Japan according to the Kojiki, home of Takachiho Gorge, Aoshima's washboard rock formations, the sub-tropical Nichinan coastline — and Miyazaki-gyū beef, which has won the All-Japan Wagyū Olympics multiple times.
Capital
Miyazaki City
Population
1.06 million
Area
7,735 km²
Region
Kyūshū
History
Miyazaki is the setting of Japan's foundational myths in the 8th-century Kojiki: Takachiho Gorge is where the sun goddess Amaterasu hid in a cave plunging the world into darkness, and the imperial-line ancestor Ninigi-no-Mikoto is said to have descended from heaven onto Mt. Takachiho. The imperial family's official Shintō practice still references these landscapes.
Miyazaki's coast was a popular pre-war honeymoon destination — sub-tropical climate, palm-lined boulevards, and the unusual Aoshima 'Devil's Washboard' rock formation. Postwar, Phoenix Seagaia opened (1994) as Japan's then-largest resort complex; it remains a major destination for pro-sports training camps each winter.
Asahi Kasei, one of Japan's largest chemical companies, was founded in Nobeoka, Miyazaki, in 1922 by Noguchi Shitagau — originally for ammonium-sulfate fertilizer using the abundant hydroelectric power of the Hyūga mountains. Nobeoka remains an Asahi Kasei company town today.
Economy & business
Miyazaki's prefectural GDP is around ¥3.7 trillion (US$26 billion). Agriculture-and-livestock dominates: Miyazaki-gyū wagyū, broiler chickens (Japan's #1), Mango (Taiyō no Tamago premium brand), Hyūga-natsu citrus, sweet potatoes. Asahi Kasei (Nobeoka) is the largest chemical employer; pro-sports winter training camps draw the Yomiuri Giants and the Hiroshima Carp.
Key industries
Livestock & poultry
Miyazaki-gyū has won Japan's All-Japan Wagyū Olympics multiple times (most recently 2022); Miyazaki is also Japan's #1 broiler-chicken producer and #1 in shōchū-distilled regional spirit by volume.
Specialty agriculture
Taiyō no Tamago premium mango (~¥30,000 per pair at peak season auction); Hyūga-natsu citrus; sweet potatoes (the base of Kyūshū shōchū).
Chemicals (Nobeoka)
Asahi Kasei — founded Nobeoka 1922 — is one of Japan's largest chemical conglomerates (synthetic fibres, Bemberg rayon, lithium-ion battery separators).
Surfing & resort tourism
Aoshima and Hyūga are among the highest-quality surfing reefs in Japan; Phoenix Seagaia hosts pro golf tournaments and pro-baseball winter training camps.
Forestry
Obi-sugi cedar from southern Miyazaki has been used in shipbuilding since the Edo period; the prefecture's forest-coverage ratio (~76%) is among Japan's highest.
Notable companies
Asahi Kasei (Nobeoka HQ origins)Miyazaki BankHonma GroupKyrosc PharmaMiyazaki Beef Co-opPhoenix Seagaia ResortKuroki Honten (shōchū)
Trade partners
ChinaSouth KoreaUnited StatesTaiwanHong Kong
Tourism highlights
Aoshima Shrine & Devil's Washboard
Tiny pine-fringed shrine island ringed by unusual wave-cut sedimentary 'washboard' rock platforms exposed at low tide.
Open in Maps ↗Udo Jingū
Shrine built into a sea-cliff cave on the Nichinan coast — visitors throw clay 'undama' balls into a turtle-shaped rock for luck.
Open in Maps ↗Cape Toi wild horses
Free-roaming Misaki-uma horses, a Japanese native breed, graze on the southernmost cape of Miyazaki.
Open in Maps ↗Kirishima-Kinkōwan National Park (Miyazaki side)
Active volcanic range straddling Miyazaki-Kagoshima — Shinmoedake's 2018 eruption made global news.
Open in Maps ↗Takachiho Yokagura (night dances)
Year-round nightly performances of selected scenes from the 33-episode Iwato myth cycle at Takachiho Shrine.
Open in Maps ↗Did you know
Miyazaki is identified in the Kojiki as the place the imperial line literally descended from heaven — Takachiho Gorge is the canonical site of Amaterasu's cave myth.
Miyazaki-gyū has been crowned All-Japan Wagyū Olympics champion three consecutive times (2007, 2012, 2017) — an unprecedented streak in Japan's most prestigious beef competition.
Miyazaki's 'Taiyō no Tamago' premium mango is sold individually wrapped in netting; pairs of top-grade mangoes have auctioned for over ¥500,000 (US$3,500) at the season's first market.
About Miyazaki — Frequently asked
What is the capital of Miyazaki?
The capital of Miyazaki is Miyazaki City.
What region of Japan is Miyazaki in?
Miyazaki is part of the Kyūshū region of Japan.
What are Miyazaki's main industries?
Miyazaki's key industries include Livestock & poultry, Specialty agriculture, Chemicals (Nobeoka), Surfing & resort tourism.
What are the top tourist attractions in Miyazaki?
Top attractions in Miyazaki include Takachiho Gorge, Aoshima Shrine & Devil's Washboard, Udo Jingū, Cape Toi wild horses.
What major companies are based in Miyazaki?
Notable companies headquartered in Miyazaki include Asahi Kasei (Nobeoka HQ origins), Miyazaki Bank, Honma Group, Kyrosc Pharma, Miyazaki Beef Co-op.
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