Plenty of festivals with a long history can be enjoyed in Miyazaki every year. They embody Miyazaki’s rich heritage and the strong desire of the people of Miyazaki to have passed on their traditions from generation to generation for hundreds and even thousands of years.

There are also new festivals that brought a new breath of life to the region and those that celebrates the hard work of particular groups of the community.

Here are some of the events that you can look forward to in the upcoming Reiwa era in 2019 and 2020.

April

1. Aoshima Beach Park

Now in its fifth edition, the Aoshima Beach Park brings in interesting eateries from Miyazaki and other parts of Japan during the warmer months of the year.

From hip burger joints to tacos and other finger food, you can look forward to enjoying a lovely meal as you feel the breeze and take in the sights of Aoshima Beach.

There will also be fireworks and DJ events happening throughout the operational period of Aoshima Beach Park. The first event will be taking place on 5th May.

Check out their website or facebook page for more details on other events that will take place in the coming months.

When: 22 April to 29 September;
             11am-6pm on weekdays,  11am to 7pm on weekends,
             Closed on Wednesdays.
Where: Aoshima Beach

Take a look at last year’s edition to get a gist of what Aoshima Beach Park looks like!

 

 

 

May

1. Night Market @ Phoenix Seagaia Resort

You will be able to find various food items that are prepared using local ingredients, handmade crafts and porcelain wares etc while enjoying the live performances at the 7th Miyazaki Night Market. 

With over 40 stalls to explore, you can look forward to a fantastic night at this night market.

When: 3-5 May 5pm to 9pm
Where: Walk Mall, Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort South Wing
〒880-8545 宮崎県宮崎市山崎町浜山
Hamayama, Yamasaki-cho, Miyazaki City 〒880-8545
(The front desk staff should be able to point you to the right direction)

2. Jacaranda Festival

The Jacaranda Forest in Nichinan City is the only forest in Japan where 1,000 Jacaranda trees have naturally clustered at.

There are free shuttle buses on weekends that run at regular intervals from Michi-no-Eki Nango to the Jacaranda Forest during the Jacaranda Festival period. 

When: Late May to mid June
Where: Michi-no-Eki Nango 〒889-3211 宮崎県日南市南郷町贄波３２２０−２４
Nienami 3220-24, Nango-cho, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture 〒889-3211

July

1. Miyakonojo Rokkadou / Okage Festival

Miyakonojo’s version of the famous Nebuta of Aomori, intricately painted lanterns known as Rokkado or June’s Lanterns are paraded around the city during the Okage Festival.

Even though the Okage Festival only began in 1993, the Rokkado lanterns have a much longer history that can be traced back to the Edo era where the ruling Shimazu clan is said to have paraded such lanterns across the town during the summer festival at the time. 

When:
Pre-festival on 8 July: 7.45pm to 9.30pm
Where: Nishi-Miyakonojo Station & Yasaka Shrine
The procession will parade the main street and make a loop at Nishi Miyakonojo Station before returning to Yasaka Shrine where traditional rituals will be performed.

Main Festival on 9 July: 6.45pm to 8.30pm
Where: Miyakonojo Station & Kanbashiraguu Shrine
The procession will parade the main street and make a loop at Miyakonojo Station before returning to Kanbashiraguu Shrine at about 8pm to perform traditional rituals.

2. Hososhima Port Festival

The Hososhima Port Festival is held as part of the Hososhima Yasaka Shrine’s summer festival in late July every year in which two teams, “East” and “West”, would spar against each other while carrying a taiko drum rack. 

This tradition first began in the Kansai region of Japan and the festival was held for the first time in Hososhima in 1889 to commemorate Hososhima’s attainment of its status as a town.

One of the 3 largest festivals of Hyuga City, it is largely participated by “men of the seas” who pray for safety in the oceans and an abundant catch at sea.

On the 2nd and 3rd day of the festival, rituals are performed at a shrine from as early as 8am in the morning and there are various stage performances to keep you entertained throughout the day before the actual clash of the titans take place in the evening.

There will also be lots of festival food stalls where you can fill your tummies. 

To get to the festival venue, take a bus bound for AEON Town Hyuga from Hyuga Station and alight at the Sone 4-chome (曽根4丁目). Hososhima Port is a 15-minute walk from Sone 4-chome bus stop.

When: 19 July 6pm to 9pm; 20 July 8am to 10pm; 21 July 8am to 10pm
Where: Hososhima Port (you can use Umi-no-Eki Hososhima as a direction marker)

3. Sadowara Summer Festival

Taiko drum racks are known as Danjiri in the Sadowara region and “Danjiri Fighting” is the greatest highlight of Sadowara Town’s summer festival that is held on the 3rd weekend of July every year.

Like the Hososhima Port Festival, the “clash of the titans” segment does not take place for the sake of fun and entertainment. Participants are required to carry the portable shrine that is placed inside the drum rack to Atago Shrine and attend a ritual first before they set off to the main streets of Sadowara.

However, unlike the Hososhima Port Festival where teams are split into “East” and “West”, the Sadowara Danjiri Fighting teams are split into red and blue teams. 30 to 40 persons would carry the danjiri that weighs approximately a tonne to the center of the town. Kids will also carry a mini danjiri and spar against each other in the kids version of danjiri fighting.

Apart from the spectacular danjiri fighting segment, town folks will gather together to perform a traditional dance known as Iroha Kudoki Odori and there will also be various performances during the course of the 2-day festival.

When: 20 July 6pm to 10pm
　　　　　(The practice match will take place from 9pm at the main street area)
　　　　　21 July 5.30pm to 10pm
　　　　　(The danjiri fighting match will take place at the open plaza found at the former
　　　　　Nishi Sadowara Station at 5.30pm)
Where: 20 July Hommachi Street (near Sadowara Elementary School)
　　　　　21 July Former Nishi-Sadowara Station and Hommachi Street

August

1. Takanabe Cabbage Field Sunflower Festival

The Takanabe Cabbage Field Sunflower Festival will be celebrating its 10th edition this year which boasts the largest sunflower field in Japan with 1.1 million stalks of sunflower that is grown on 80 hectares of land.

Farmers started to grow sunflowers on their fields 10 years ago when a wide-spread foot-and-mouth disease hit the beef cattle across Miyazaki in 2008 which resulted in a massive culling of cows and caused a shortage of cow dung that farmers require to fertilise their cabbage fields. 

Everyone in the town was generally feeling downcast as many of the livestock farmers had to cull all of their cows. As such, farmers who started to plant sunflowers to fertilise their land decided to organise a festival at their fields when all their sunflowers have bloomed to cheer the community up.

At the Takanabe Cabbage Field Sunflower Festival, you will be able to walk through a sunflower maze and try your hand at driving a tractor. Visitors are also allowed to cut and bring home a few sunflower stalks if they bring their own scissors to the festival.

Shuttle buses are usually available from Takanabe Station on the day of the festival. Alternatively, the festival venue is only a 10 to 15-minute taxi ride from Takanabe Station.

After the festival, farmers will excavate all of the sunflowers and begin sowing cabbage seeds on their fields. By October, what was once an expanse sunflower field turns into delicious looking cabbage that are ready for harvest. 

An increasing number of people has been attracted to visit this festival every year but the organisers are calling this year’s event as the finale event so we highly recommend visiting this year as it is unclear whether the farmers will plant sunflowers on such a large scale from next year onward.

When: 1st or 2nd weekend of August
Where: 〒884-0005 宮崎県児湯郡高鍋町染ケ岡
　　　　Somegaoka, Takanabe Town, Koyugun, Miyazaki Prefecture 〒884-0005

2. Hyuga Hyottoko Summer Festival

You will probably spot one of these Hyottoko face mask if you go to a summer festival anywhere in Japan but did you know that the Hyottoko dance was first created here in Hyuga City?

Over 2,000 people from Hokkaido and other parts of Japan would come to Hyuga every year during the Hyuga Hyottoko Summer Festival to participate in the Hyottoko dance, which is performed to pray for a bountiful harvest and prosperous business. Participants would either wear a Hyottoko man, round-faced woman or fox mask, a red kimono tied with a white sash and cover their heads with a polka-dot handkerchief. 

There will also be taiko drum performances and heaps of festival stalls at the festival

When: First Saturday of August (3 August 2019) 12pm to 9.20pm
Where: West gate of JR Hyuga Station and Himuka-no-Mori (open plaza in front of Hyuga
               Station)

3. Fireworks Festivals

To be updated at a later date

4. Toi Fire Festival

This festival emulates an old legend which tells of a monk who defeated the giant serpent that was terrorizing the local population by throwing a torch into its mouth.

During the festival, a 30-metre pine tree is erected to represent the serpent’s mouth, and participants take turns throw flaming torches onto the top of the tree until it is set alight. Once the tree is ablaze, it sets off a fireworks display and comes crashing to the ground.

What makes the festival exciting is when the throwers miss their target and the fireball comes falling down onto the nearby spectators who must dodge the “bullet”.

We recommend getting to Cape Toi earlier so you can take a walk around this gorgeous place and say hello to the wild Misaki horses that can literally be spotted anywhere from the sidewalks of roads to the hilly areas and the coast.

When: 4th Friday and Saturday of August 5.30pm to 8pm
Where: Former Toimisaki Kanko Hotel

5. Shimozuru Usudaiko Dance

Usudaiko dance has long been performed by the people of Miyazaki Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture to worship the spirits of their ancestors. Its name “Usudaiko” originated from the wooden mortar “Usu” in which people had turned the wooden mortar to its sides and tied it onto their chest where it used it as a drum (taiko).

The Shimozuru district’s Usudaiko dance in particular, has a tempo that is much more fast-paced and movements that are more energetic than Usudaiko dance of other regions.

This festival came about in the late 1500s whereby a warrior called Kiyomasa Kato had made his troop tie 3 spears onto their backs and carry a mortar drum on their chest as they dance and inch closer to their enemy so that their enemy would let their guards down. When they arrived at their enemy’s camp, the soldiers pulled out a small knife that was hidden inside their drum and killed their enemies, thereby achieving a sweeping victory of the war.

When: 1st August on the old lunar calendar (In 2019, it will be held on 30 August)
Time and Place: Nanpo Shrine 8am
Shimozuru Riverbank 10am to 10.30am
Shimozuru Community Centre 5pm to 5.30pm

September

1. ISA World Surfing Games

Close to 200 surfers from 42 nations will be pitting their skills against each other at the ISA World Surfing Games which will be held at Kisakihama beach in Miyazaki City from 7 to 15 September 2019.

You will be able to witness the slickest moves by top surfers from the world.

This may be your chance to view an event that is on an Olympics scale at a close distance as spectators are allowed to watch from the beach. You will be able to feel the joy of the athletes who made a podium finish during their match and root for the athletes that you support during their match.

When: 7 to 15 September 2019 8am to 4pm
(Opening ceremony on the first day will take place at 10am and venue may differ)
Where: Kisakihama Beach 〒889-2151 宮崎県宮崎市熊野２２０６−１
Kumano 2206-1, Miyazaki City 〒889-2151

2. Aoshima Port & Uchiumi Port Lobster Festival

Many people would wake up early on the day of the lobster festival which marks the start of the lobster season to buy freshly caught lobsters and join the queue for a free bowl of lobster miso soup.

The free lobster soup is hands down the highlight of the annual lobster festival where the first 500 persons will be handed a coupon that can be exchanged for a bowl of soup when it is time for the soup distribution. 

Each bowl comes with a generous portion of half a lobster and even if you fail to be amongst the first 500 people, you can get the same soup for just 500 yen. There will also be other food stalls selling unique seafood products such as pike conger burgers and more.

Uchiumi Port Lobster Festival
When: 1st Sunday of September 8.15am to 1.30pm
Where: Uchiumi Port Fisheries Cooperative Union 〒889-2301 宮崎市大字内海1064番地
               Uchiumi 1064 Banchi, Miyazaki City 〒889-2301

Aoshima Port Lobster Festival
When: 4th Saturday of September 8.15am to 1.30pm
Where: Aoshima Port Fisheries Cooperative Union
〒889-2162 宮崎県宮崎市青島３丁目５−１
              Aoshima 3-chome 5-1, Miyazaki City 〒889-2162

October

1. Hyuga Juugoya Festival

The Hyuga Juugoya (fifteenth night) Festival is one of the three largest festivals of Northern Miyazaki that has a history as long as 800 years.

It is held to pray for a bountiful harvest and express the people’s appreciation towards the harvested crops for growing healthily that made the harvest possible. 

Winning craftworks will be displayed at the shopping arcade and Dashi festival floats and Nebuta floats will make an appearance at the festival

Lanterns will also be displayed around the festival area which makes it a fantastic instagrammable spot for photos.

When: 1st or 2nd weekend of October 1pm to 8.30pm (both days)
Where: Central Hyuga district (around Hyuga Station)

2. Takanabe Castle Lantern Festival

Typically held on the first weekend of October, approximately 10,000 lanterns will be displayed at the former Takanabe Castle grounds and Maizuru Park turns into a dreamy location that makes a perfect date night.

After you have finished viewing the lanterns, head over to the festival stalls area to pick up some delicious festival food and try your hand at some of the festival games that never fail to delight both adults and kids alike.

When: 5th October 3pm to 9pm, 6th October 11am to 9pm
Where: Maizuru Park 〒884-0006 宮崎県児湯郡高鍋町上江１３４５
              Uwae 1345, Takanabe Town, Koyu-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture 〒884-0006

3. Miyakonojo Yakiniku Carnival

Miyakonojo City prides itself for producing the best beef, pork and chicken meat in Japan and holds a barbecue carnival in autumn every year to celebrate the excellent meat that the people of Miyakonojo are blessed with. 

Thousands of people from both Miyakonojo and other parts of Miyazaki as well as Kagoshima Prefecture would gather their friends and family to enjoy a jolly time over heavenly tasting grilled meats and icy cold beers and shochus.

When: 19 October 11am to 8pm
Where: Kannon-Ike Park 〒885-1205 宮崎県都城市高城町石山4195番地
               Ishiyama 4195 Banchi, Takajo-cho, Miyakonojo City,
               Miyazaki Prefecture 〒885-1205

4. Obi Castle Town Festival

Besides traditional folk dance performances, there will also be a horse racing competition, wooden log contest where participants compete to see who can throw the log the furthest as well as a singing contest during the course of the Obi Castle Festival.

When: 2nd or 3rd weekend of October, Sat 11.30am to 9pm; Sun 12pm to 4pm
Where: Obi Castle and around Obi town

5. Miyazaki Shrine Grand Parade

On the day of the Miyazaki Grand Shrine Parade, you will feel as though you have been transported back to a few hundred or even a thousand year ago as people wearing costumes of court officials in the olden days parade down the main street of Miyazaki City.

The parade celebrates the glorious achievements of Japan’s first emperor, Jimmu and depicts his expedition from Miyazaki to central Japan.

Several residents are also selected to dress up as one of the Japanese god or goddess to celebrate Miyazaki’s close links to the gods and goddesses of Japanese legends.

Do keep a look out for the Shan-Shan Uma which depicts the pilgrimage that newly wed couples made to Udo Shrine in the olden days.

Even though the procession typically only arrives at downtown Miyazaki at 1.50pm, we recommend getting there before 1pm as the locals will typically start to secure a spot before lunch so you will need to get there early if you want to get a nice spot to take photos.

When: Last weekend of October
             25 Oct (Fri) Shrine rituals @ Miyazaki Shrine 10am
             26 Oct (Sat) Parade 1pm to 4pm
                                  (The procession will typically arrive at Tachibana-dori  at 1.50pm)
                                  Performances and Festival Market @ Takachiho-dori 5.45pm to 9pm
                                  (Street extending from departmental stores to Miyazaki Station)
            27 Oct (Sun) Parade @ Takachibana-dori Street 1pm to 4pm 

 

November

1. Aya Horse Racing Festival

Just like the Melbourne and Canberra Cup, you can look forward to a day of exciting races at the annual Aya Horse Racing Festival minus the flair. This horse racing event in Aya Town is the largest of its kind in Kyushu. 

8 thorough-bred races and 3 pony races are held during the event which attracts over 20,000 spectators from Miyazaki Prefecture and beyond.

When: 1st Sunday of November (3 Nov 2019) 9.30am to 3pm
Where: Aya Horse Park 〒880-1302 宮崎県東諸県郡綾町大字北俣２６８７
              Kitamata 2687, Aya Town, Higashimorokata-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture 〒880-1302

2. Sunflowers in Kiyotake

Even the sunflowers in Japan’s slowest blooming region, Hokkaido, wilt by October but late-blooming sunflowers can be seen at the Kiyotake region of Miyazaki City from late October to early November every year.

Thanks to the residents of Kiyotake and students from Miyazaki University who come together in August to sow sunflower seeds in the fields, approximately 540,000 stalks of sunflowers transform the plain looking field into a gorgeous sight when the sunflowers have fully bloomed

When: Last week of October to early November
Where: Kiyotake Sunflower Field 〒889-1601 清武町木原 宮崎市 宮崎県
Kihara, Kiyotake Town, Miyazaki City 〒889-1601

3. Saito Ancient Tomb Festival

The Saito Ancient Tomb Festival celebrates the tale between the god Ninigi-no-mikoto and goddess Konohana-sakuya.

One of the highlights of the festival is the “Taimatsu Procession” which anyone can participate in as long as they register by the deadline and they are able to walk 4km from Tsuma Shrine to the festival venue.

Participants dress up in ancient costume and carry a fire torch to create a flaming torch procession.

The love story of Ninigi-no-mikoto and Konohana-sakuya is reenacted during the Fire Festival in accordance to the music that is produced using ancient instruments such as taiko drums, zither and ocarina.

A traditional folk dance known as Kagura will also be performed at the festival and plenty of festival foods will be offered.

When: 1st Saturday of November 10am to 10pm
             Mochi pounding and mochi distribution 11am
             Ancient rice porridge distribution 12pm
             Kagura Performance 12.30pm to 4.15pm
             Taimatsu Parade 6pm to 7.40pm
             Fire Festival 7pm to 10pm
Where: Open plaza in front of entrance to Imperial Mausoleum
               〒881-0005 宮崎県西都市三宅４９４１−１
               Miyake 4941-1, Saito City, Miyazaki Prefecture 〒881-0005

4. Shimazu Founder’s Festival

During the Heian period from 794 to 1185, Miyakonojo City was found in the heart of the largest manor in Japan that was known as the Shimazu Manor that straddled 3 countries in Japan and occupied an area greater than 8,000 towns at its peak.

The Shimazu Founder’s Festival was first established to celebrate Miyakonojo’s rich heritage and educate the young about Miyakonojo’s ties with the main Shimazu clan in Kagoshima Prefecture.

During the festival, 300 persons would dress up as knights and family members of the Shimazu clan in Miyakonojo to showcase the history of the Miyakonojo Shimazu clan from the middle ages to the modern period in the form of a parade.

Apart from the parade and a display of one-on-one matches between warriors in the past, there will also be a traditional drinking game contest called Nanko which is unique to Miyakonojo and Kagoshima and several experiential corners where you can learn the Shimazu clan’s Kendo sword technique called Shigen-ryu or take a trishaw ride. 

Toddlers below primary school can even rent an armour and dress up as a samurai at the festival.

When: 23 November (Japan’s Labour Day)
Where: Parade (from Miyakonojo Shimazu Reisidence to Kanbashira Shrine) 11.30am
　　　　Main event venue @ Kanbashira Park 11am to 5pm

January

1. Aoshima Naked Man Festival

Every year on Japan’s Coming of Age Day, 500 brave souls from Miyazaki and across the country gather at Aoshima to take part in the Aoshima Naked Man Festival which is rumoured to bring the participant 10 times the blessings of praying at a shrine.

After doing a few warm-up exercises, participants would charge towards the chilly waters of January and soak themselves in the sea up to their chest level while they make their prayers.

This is most likely the only Naked Man Festival that allows women to join in Japan. Instead of the loincloth that is worn by men, women would dress in a short yukata to cover their modesty.

If you look closely, you will also spot some men who are wearing a red headband instead of white. The red headband signifies that the participant is above 60 years old.

After the dip, participants head back to Aoshima Shrine to pray and receive blessings from the priests before they set off to the main street of Aoshima where a bucket of cold water awaits them. The ritual is complete once they pour the bucket of water on themselves and participants will proceed to dry themselves and pound mochi.

Check out the video uploaded by Only in Japan below to learn more about the Aoshima Naked Man Festival.

 

When: Coming of Age Day (13 Jan 2020) and day before Coming of Age Day (12 Jan 2020)
Where: 12 Jan Pre-event Kagura Performance @ Aoshima Shrine 7pm
               13 Jan Naked Man Festival – In front of Aoshima Shrine 11am
                           Bucket challenge – Main Street of Aoshima 11.50am

2. Ishinoda Usudaiko Dance

If you didn’t manage to make the Shimozuru Usudaiko Dance in August or September and you are visiting Miyazaki in January, we recommend heading down to the Ishinoda Jizo Buddha Temple to watch the Ishonoda Usudaiko Dance which is performed to pray for protection against fire and crop pests.

Students from the nearby schools will also perform various Taiko dance rituals during the event and there will be festival food stalls at the event.

When: The Sunday nearest to 24 January (26 Jan 2020) 11am to 1pm
Where: Ishinoda Hiyoke Jizo Temple
              Nearest bus stop: Ishinoda (石野田) from Saito Bus Centre

February/March

1. Hiraiwa Jizo Buddha Festival

The Hiraiwa Jizo Buddha Festival is held on 24th January of the old lunar calendar every year to worship the Shogun Jizo Buddha that was sculptured by a monk called Saint Mokujiki while he was visiting Miyazaki in 1788.

It is the only day in the year where the temple is open to the public and worshippers get together to pound mochi in a wooden tower after the ritual is completed. Nihon Buyo will alaso be performed at the festival.  

When: 24 January of the old lunar calendar (17 Feb 2020)
Where: Hiraiwa Jizo Temple (7-minute walk from Minami Hyuga Station)

March/April

1. Spring Pony Race

Aya Town started to organise a spring pony race at a time when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom 3 years ago where primary 3 to middle school kids from all over Japan would fight it out for the crown on the day of the race.

When: Last Sunday of March or 1st Sunday of April
Where: Aya Horse Park 〒880-1302 宮崎県東諸県郡綾町大字北俣２６８７
              Kitamata 2687, Aya Town, Higashimorokata-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture 〒880-1302

2. Yabusame

Yabusame is an event that takes place as part of Emperor Jimmu’s Memorial Day on 3rd April every year which is the day that the emperor is said to have passed away. 

This traditional rite has been performed at Miyazaki Shrine for hundreds of years to pray for a bountiful harvest but it was discontinued in Japan’s modern age and it was not only till 1940 that it was revived once again. 

Thirteen archers dressed in the robes of a Kamakura period warrior would race their horses along the 235-metre long race course and shoot an arrrow at each of the 3 60-cm target boards that are set up along the race course.

When: 3 April
Where: Miyazaki Shrine
               Shinto rites @ Miyazaki Shrine 10am
               Yabusame @ horse track (near Miyazaki Yasukuni Shrine) from 1.50pm

3. Nakagawa District Tulip Festival in Hinokage

The Nakagawa District Tulip Festival came about in 2003 when local residents in the Nakagawa district began to plant tulips in their fields after they have finished harvesting their rice crops.

At that time, the tulip field only had a scale of about 10,000 tulips but more farmers started to come on board the initiative over the years. 35,000 tulips of 4 different varieties can now be enjoyed in early April every year.

When: 1 April to 10 April
Where: Nakagawa Tulip-no-Sato 〒882-0401 宮崎県西臼杵郡日之影町七折４６８８
Nanaori 4688, Hinokage Town, Nishiusuki-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture 〒882-0401

4. Cherry Blossom Festivals

To be updated at a later date.