Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Nichinan Kaigan Quasi-National Park (Japan). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Udo-jingū, Aoshima Shrine, and Aoshima Subtropical Botanical Garden. Also, be sure to include Kōjima in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Nichinan Kaigan Quasi-National Park (Miyazaki).
Table of Contents
Udo-jingū
Also known as: 鵜戸神宮
Shinto shrine in Nichinan, Japan. Udo-jingū is a Shinto shrine in Nichinan, Miyazaki prefecture, Japan, south of Aoshima. It is the mythical birthplace of Emperor Jimmu's father Ugayafukiaezu. According to shrine legends, it is the place where the sea goddess Toyotamahime, the mother of said Ugayafukiaezu, built a birth-hut from the feathers of a cormorant. Other gods venerated here are Yamasachihiko, Amaterasu, Amenooshihomimi, Ninigi-no-Mikoto, and Emperor Jimmu. While the original myth includes a tragic divorce of Ugayafukiaezu's parents, the shrine is popular with young couples hoping for easy childbirth and a happy marriage.[1]
Aoshima Shrine
Also known as: 青島神社
Shinto shrine on a small tranquil island. Aoshima-jinja is a Shinto shrine located on Aoshima Island, Miyazaki prefecture, Japan. It is dedicated to Hikohohodemi, Toyotama-hime and Shiozuchi-no-ōkami[2]
Address: 2-13-1 Aoshima, Nichinan Kaigan Quasi-National Park
Aoshima Subtropical Botanical Garden
The Aoshima Subtropical Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in the Aoshima neighborhood of the city of Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, near the island of Aoshima.
The garden contains 400 species of subtropical plants.[3]
Address: 2-12-1 Aoshima, 889-2162 Miyazaki
Kōjima
Kōjima is a small island in the Sea of Hyūga off the shore of the city of Kushima in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The island is approximately 13 km ESE and 20 km by road from the central built-up area of Kushima. It is approximately 300 m offshore and 30 hectares in area, and mainly forested.
Kōjima is best known as housing a field study site of the Japanese Primate Research Institute, where Japanese macaques are held in wild conditions for primatological study. The buildings of the field station are on the mainland so as to minimise disturbance of the monkeys' behaviour. Study of the monkeys began in 1947, and since 1952 all individuals have been marked so that the demographics of the population can be studied. Many investigations have been carried out, including studies of the changes that occur in social dominance over time. Kōjima is the site of one of the best-known studies in animal culture, in which it was reported that one monkey acquired various skills such as washing sweet potatoes in water, and that these skills then spread through the monkey troops by imitation.[4]
Sanmesse ri nan
Relax in park, Park