Aoshima Shrine

Aoshima Shrine is a shrine located in Aoshima, Miyazaki Prefecture, a region famous as a tropical resort area in Japan. The shrine’s founding is not documented clearly, but it is said to have already existed around 1,200 years ago in the early Heian period during Emperor Saga’s era. In the past, Aoshima was considered a sacred place and ordinary people were not allowed to enter, but from 1737 onward, access became open to everyone. Today, it is also known as a shrine where the professional baseball team Yomiuri Giants visits each year during their Miyazaki training camp to pray for championship success. Some hotels offer rental bicycles, making cycling sightseeing around Aoshima possible. Access: by public transportation, JR Nichinan Line “Aoshima Station” is nearby, or it’s about a 6-minute walk (500 m) from “Kodomo-no-Kuni Station.” Buses run from the Miyakoh City Bus Center in front of JR Miyazaki Station; taking the “Aoshima / Nichinan” route via Miyazaki Airport takes about 25 minutes. By car, it’s about 10 minutes from Miyazaki Expressway “Miyazaki IC” via Route 220, and about 10 minutes from Miyazaki Airport. The JR Kyushu sightseeing limited express “Umisachi Yamasachi” also stops at JR Aoshima Station on weekends.