Tokyo Weekender - October 2017

DAY 1
[ PROMOTION ]
Trip 2:
FOR FANTASY FANS & NATURE ENTHUSIASTS
Miyazaki Prefecture
TAKACHIHO GORGE, AOSHIMA BEACH & UDO SHRINE
Miyazaki’s nature and spiritual spots bowled us over. To recreate our pilgrimage, make your
first destination Takachiho, home to shrines related to sun goddess Amaterasu, and Takachiho
Gorge, a chasm created by the flow of a river through volcanic rock. Either walk a trail
that runs alongside the gorge or rent a boat and row down it. Next, take a bus to Aoshima.
No, this isn’t the Aoshima full of cats – that’s the one in Ehime – but this Aoshima features
a beach, botanic gardens, and a shrine set under a jungle canopy. Swing by Aoshima Beach
Park (open spring through summer), a hip pop-up eatery collective, but don’t forget the
mom-and-pop food stands (try the nikumakionigiri, rice balls wrapped in meat). Finally, take
a bus to Udo Shrine. A 20-minute walk from the closest bus stop, Udo is inside a cave that faces
the ocean, and will make you feel like you’ve reached the shrine at the end of the world.
HOW TO GET THERE
Takachiho is located between
Oita, Miyazaki and Kumamoto,
and can be reached via bus
from each city. Aoshima and
Udo lie just south of Miyazaki;
both can be reached on the
same bus line, which runs
about once per hour.
WHERE TO STAY To visit
all three, make your base
Miyazaki. If beach-going is
your main goal, there are
several hotel and guesthouse
options right in Aoshima.
GETTING
TO AND
AROUND
KYUSHU
The third
biggest island
of Japan,
Kyushu
has seven
prefectures.
Domestic flights from Tokyo’s Narita or
Haneda airports take about two hours
to any of Kyushu’s airports, but it’s also
possible to travel by Shinkansen. Within
Kyushu, car rental is best if you’re planning
to explore more remote areas, but
for the four trips we’ve planned here,
you’ll be able to get around mainly on
the Kyushu Shinkansen and local trains.
In fact, traveling on JR Kyushu
trains is one of the highlights of visiting
the island as the company has invested
heavily in designing unique and luxurious
trains, making the journey between
prefectures a real pleasure. Aside from
hopping on the Shinkansen, you might
also want to take a look at some of
the resort trains on offer, such as the
Yufuin no Mori, which boasts a lounge
with wooden interior, and the A-TRAIN,
which features wood and stained glass
décor. For more information about the
JR Kyushu Rail Pass, and the different
trains, visit www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/.
DAY 2
KIRISHIMA
The Kirishima mountain range is an
important spot in Japanese folklore
and great for hiking. The range
includes active volcanoes and is
said to be where Ninigi-no-Mikoto,
grandson of goddess Amaterasu,
descended to earth (though Miyazaki’s
Takachiho makes the same claim).
Regardless, Kirishima Shrine, devoted
to Ninigi-no-Mikoto, is an impressive
complex (be sure to try the hoko mochi
cinnamon sweets). From the shrine,
make your way to the Takachiho-gawara
Visitor's Center, from where you
can embark on one of several hikes.
Kirishima is famous for its crater
lakes, but volcanic activity means the
trails are often off-limits, so check in
with the Visitor's Center first. One of
the safest bets is the hike to Mount
Takachiho-no-mine, said to be the spot
where Ninigi-no-Mikoto descended.
HOW
TO GET
THERE
Kirishima
is roughly
equidistant
from Kagoshima and Miyazaki.
From either city, jump on the dark
grey JR Kyushu's Limited Express
Kirishima train that looks like it
was designed by Darth Vader and
enjoy some incredible scenery.
WHERE TO STAY Shinyu
Onsen Ryokan (tel: 099-578-2255)
for its milky-white, sulfur baths,
or Kirishima Hotel (www.kirishima-hotel.jp)
for a Western-style
facility.
TOKYO WEEKENDER | OCTOBER 2017 | 19