Miyazaki Prefecture, Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan
Miyazaki Prefecture is an administrative division in southeastern Kyushu that runs along the Pacific coast and covers several natural parks. Sandy beaches alternate with cliffs, while the interior is shaped by mountains and dense forests.
The prefecture was formed in 1883 during the Meiji reforms from the former Hyūga Province and separated from Kagoshima. In the following years, it developed into an agricultural area with growing infrastructure.
The region takes its name from Miyazaki-jingū, a shrine tied to the mythical founding of Japan, which still draws pilgrims from across the country. In Takachiho, village communities perform nightly Kagura dances, where masked performers tell stories of gods from the Kojiki.
Miyazaki Airport connects the region with larger Japanese cities and allows onward travel within Kyushu. JR trains and local buses run between main towns, though the interior is often easier to reach by car.
On the small island of Aoshima, two untouched forests of Livistona chinensis palm grow, a species rarely found elsewhere in Japan. The region is also the only known habitat of the fungus Chorioactis geaster, which otherwise occurs only in Texas.
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