Miyazaki Travel Guide

Miyazaki City, capital of Miyazaki Prefecture, is located on the south eastern coast of Kyushu. With one of the warmest climates on the main islands of Japan combined with attractions such as resorts, beaches and sports facilities, Miyazaki was the top honeymoon spot and a popular destination with domestic travelers until the 1980s.

The city has since seen falling visitor numbers, but is now making a comeback due to the efforts of a former comedian, Higashikokubaru Hideo, the current governor of Miyazaki Prefecture. His celebrity and constant efforts to keep Miyazaki in the public eye, have begun to revive the Miyazaki brand.

Miyazaki City is also near attractions such as Takachiho to the north and Kirishima to the southwest, which are both important sites of Japanese mythology and beautiful places to enjoy nature.

Sake no jin

Sake no jin is an annual sake fair, attended by about one hundred sake producers from across Niigata Prefecture, a prefecture well known for its high quality rice and rice wine. Sake no jin is held on a weekend in mid March at the Toki Messe convention center in Niigata City.

Everybody over the age of twenty is welcome to attend the fair and taste from a large variety of Niigata sake. Admission to the fair is free. However, if you wish to do some tasting, you need to pay 2000 yen in exchange for a sake cup to be used to taste from hundreds of types of sake and sake related products on display.

In addition to the sake brewers' stands, Sake no jin features a number of stage events including a tasting challenge and dance and song performances. There is also a food corner with Niigata specialties.