RV Park Takachiho

Dog run and restaurant available
Excellent accessibility for sightseeing

A space for overnight stay in a car in the "Auto Camping Site in Takachiho. There is a dog run on the premises, making it comfortable for pets. There is also a charcoal-grilled chicken restaurant where you can enjoy Miyazaki's specialties. Surrounded by mountains rich in nature, the area was registered as a UNESCO Eco-Park in 2017, and the campground boasts a location with easy access to the center of Takachiho in about 5 minutes by car and to Ama-no-Iwato Shrine, Takachiho Shrine, and Takachiho Gorge in about 15 minutes or less by car. Convenience stores and supermarkets are within a 5-minute drive, so there is no need to worry about procuring food.

Map of RV Park Takachiho

RV Park Takachiho and surroundings

Aratate Shrine

Prayer by tapping on the wooden board and turning around Power spot for marriage and arts

The shrine was named "Aratachimiya" after Sarutahiko no Mikoto who married Ame-no-Uzume no Mikoto and built a Niwaka-zukuri palace out of newly cut rough wood. Sarutahiko-mikoto is the god of traffic safety and education, and Amazenemikoto is the god of song, dance, and the performing arts. It is said that entertainers visit the shrine in honor of Amade-no-Mikoto. The temple grounds are decorated with wooden planks, and it is said to bring good luck if one hits the designated number of planks on each plank. The "Seven Fortune and Longevity Planks" say, "If you strike the plank seven times with all your heart and strength, your wish will come true," the "Future Plank" says, "If you strike seven times, you will be happy," and the "Artistic Prosperity Plank" says, "If you strike seven times, you will be blessed in your artistic activities. The Roku-ne Seiyo Itagi, newly established in 2028, is for "striking six times to purify body and soul and pray for peace in 2022. In addition, zodiac sign boards are scattered in the forest behind the shrine, and visitors can take a walk while searching for their own zodiac sign. Strike the zodiac sign board seven times and pray for a happy life.

Takachiho Amaterasu Railway

Running over abandoned railway lines, the train is a heart-pounding train in terms of both story and scenery.

The Takachiho Line was planned as a trans-Kyushu railroad connecting Miyazaki and Kumamoto prefectures during the Japanese National Railways era. Although the Nobeoka-Hinokage line opened in 1939, the line finally opened to Takachiho in 1972 due to the unstable postwar economy. After that, construction of the Takachiho - Takamori line was started, but the line was not completed due to a water outflow in the tunnel and the line was subject to deficit.
When the line was transferred from Japan National Railways (JNR) to JR, it was in danger of being closed down. However, local residents' wishes led to its operation as a third-sector Takachiho Railway in 1989, and the sightseeing train "Torokko Kagura-go" became very popular. However, in September 2005, the line was severely damaged by Typhoon No. 14, forcing its closure. Visitors can enjoy a 5-km, 30-minute round-trip trip from Takachiho Station, which remains as it was when the line was closed. The highlight is the Takachiho Railroad Bridge, the tallest railroad bridge in Japan. The bridge, which stops temporarily at a height of 105 meters, offers a beautiful view of the Grand Canyon.

Takachiho Shrine

Takachiho's 88 shrines are all in one place. Immerse yourself in the world of mythology with night kagura.

It was founded about 1,900 years ago during the reign of Emperor Taruhito, and is the headquarters of 88 shrines in Takachiho. The main deities are Takachihosumegami and Jushadaimyojin. Takachiho no Mikami is the collective name for three generations of the Hyuga mythology, including Ninigi no Mikoto, and their three female deities. Jusha-daimyojin enshrines 10 pillars of the deity, including Mikoeirino no Mikoto, and is widely worshipped as the god of agriculture, purification of bad luck, and matchmaking. The shrine's main hall and a pair of iron guardian dogs are designated as National Important Cultural Properties, as are four statues of deities transferred from Aratatsu Shrine.
Takachiho Shrine also holds "Takachiho no Yoru Kagura" (night kagura), a nationally important intangible folk cultural property, for public viewing outside of the night kagura season. The four representative kagura numbers from the 33 kagura numbers, "Tenrikio no mai," "mother-of-pearl dance," "Todori-no mai," and "Mikintai no mai," are performed at the kagura hall in the shrine grounds for one hour every night from 8:00 p.m. The dance is performed by dancers from each village in turn. You can enjoy authentic dances dedicated in turns by kagura dancers from each village. For reservations, please visit the dedicated website.

Takachiho Gorge (Ichinoseki-shi, Iwate-ken)

V-shaped canyon with columnar joints showing the magnificent history of the land

Takachiho Gorge is famous as a symbolic spot in Takachiho. Takachiho Gorge is a V-shaped gorge formed by the Gokase River, which further eroded the columnar joints that were formed when pyroclastic flows from the eruption of Mt. The cliffs, which average 80 meters in height, stretch approximately 7 kilometers from east to west. The Gokase River Gorge is designated as a national scenic beauty and natural monument and part of the Grandmother Inclined National Park.
The Manai Falls, with a drop of approximately 17 meters, has been selected as one of the "100 Best Waterfalls in Japan. It is said that the source of the water comes from the "Ama-no-Mannai" well to which Ame-no-Murakumo no Mikoto transferred water seeds when he descended from the heavenly grandson. A 1-kilometer promenade has been developed, and the waterfall can be viewed from the Takimitodai. The "Three Bridges of Takachiho" are three different arch bridges spanning a single gorge, and are unique in Japan. There are also many spots associated with myths and legends, such as the Onihachi no Chikaraishi, which is said to have been thrown by Onihachi in the Takachiho legend.

Kunimigaoka Observation Hill

Sea of clouds appearing early in the morning in late autumn Immersed in the world of Japanese mythology

Kunimigaoka Observatory is located 513 meters above sea level and is famous for its sea of clouds. It is said that Ninigi no Mikoto descended from the sky, and the view of Aso to the west, the Grandmother Mountain range to the north, and the Takachiho Basin to the east can be seen from the observatory. In 2011, it was awarded one star in the Michelin Green Guide Japon, a world-renowned guidebook. On weekends during the sea of clouds season, many tourists come to see the sea of clouds from early in the morning.

Ama-no-Iwato Shrine

Ama-no-Iwato, where Amaterasu hid, and Tekirio-no-mikoto lifting up the Iwato

Amaterasu no Mikami, the sun god, became angry at his younger brother Susanoo-no-Mikoto's violent behavior and hid behind Ama-no-Iwato, causing the world to be shrouded in darkness. Everyone must have heard such a myth at least once. The Ama-no-Iwato Shrine is the site of the legend of Ama-no-Iwato, and there are two shrines, the Nishi Honmiya and Higashi-Honmiya, across the Iwato River. Both shrines are dedicated to Amaterasu, and the West Main Shrine does not have a main shrine, but rather uses the cave where Amaterasu hides as its sacred body. At the entrance to the West Main Shrine stands a powerful statue of Tajikarao-no-mikoto, the deity who lifted up Ama-no-Iwato. To visit Ama-no-Iwato, Shinto priests give regular tours of the shrine every 30 minutes from 9:00 a.m. until 4:40 p.m. Photography and other activities are prohibited. The current shrine building was constructed in 1986, and the old shrine building constructed in the Meiji period has been moved and preserved as a Kaguraden (Shinto music and dance hall).

Ama-no-Yasukawara

Amaterasu hides in Ama-no-Iwato.

It is said that the eight hundred million deities gathered in a large cave on the riverbank to contemplate how to make Amaterasu come out of Iwato. The cave is also known as "Gyobogaiwaya. The deities worshipped here are Omokane-no-kami, who pulled the hand of Amaterasu out of the crevice of Iwato, and the eight hundred million deities. The shrine used to be a shrine only, but after the war, worshippers began piling stones on the riverbank. Nowadays, it is said that piling up stones makes one's wishes come true.

Tunnel Station

Shochu stored in barrels awaits maturation in the phantom Takachiho Line tunnel.

This is the tourist product sales office of Kagura Shuzo, a local shochu (distilled spirit) maker. The shop offers a wide variety of Takachiho's specialties and traditional handicrafts, and tourists buy souvenirs. This was once the planned site of the Takachiho line of the Trans-Kyushu Railway connecting Kumamoto and Miyazaki, but the railroad project was cancelled due to a water outflow in the Takamori Tunnel in Kumamoto Prefecture. The tunnel, which had already been completed, was reused for shochu storage. The tunnel is 1,115 m long, with an average temperature of 17°C and humidity of 70%. It can store up to approximately 1,300 bottles of shochu distilled from casks. The tunnel is open to visitors free of charge, and they are surrounded by a maturing aroma called "angel's share" that evaporates from the surface of the barrels. Shochu stored in the tunnel can be tasted free of charge in the store. On the railway bridge at the site, an SL train (locomotive) of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress that went to the Nagasaki National Athletic Meet in 1969 is on display.

Pet hospitals in the area

Kohrogi Veterinary Clinic

Gokase Veterinary Hospital