Miyazaki, Regional capital in southeast Kyushu, Japan
Miyazaki is the capital of the prefecture of the same name on the east coast of Kyushu, where low-rise buildings spread between coastal strips and forested hills. The city follows the course of the Oyodo River, which flows into the sea and divides the center into northeastern and southwestern districts.
The settlement began as Jogasaki, a merchant market town founded in 1551 near Akae port and connecting trade routes along the Seto Inland Sea. In 1873 it became the seat of the newly created prefecture and received its current name from the old Hyuga Province.
The name comes from the historical Hyuga Province, which once covered all of eastern Kyushu and had its administrative center here. Today the wide coastal stretches serve mainly as surfing destinations, while the palm-lined avenues in the city center recall tropical resorts.
The airport sits south of the center and offers connections to larger Japanese cities, including regular flights to Tokyo and Osaka. Most beaches and coastal areas are easily reached from the city core by local buses or rental cars.
The section at Aoshima Island shows wave-cut platforms that form parallel lines in the rock through erosion and are locally known as the Devil's Washboard. These formations become visible at low tide and surround the entire small island with a wide ring of grooved rocks.
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