Amanoiwato Shrine

Amano-Iwato Shrine is a major “power spot” in Miyazaki and Kyushu, tied to the “Amano-Iwato” myth recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. The shrine has both a West Main Shrine and an East Main Shrine, and both enshrine Amaterasu Omikami. The sacred object, “Amano-Iwato,” is enshrined at the West Main Shrine and can be viewed, but a reservation is required. Visiting Amano-Iwato Shrine is an essential part of sightseeing around Takachiho Gorge, and it is said to grant blessings for the fulfillment of wishes and protection from misfortune. Access: by public transportation, from JR Hakata Station take the “Gokaze-go” highway bus (reservation required), 4 services/day, about 3.5 hours; from JR Kumamoto Station take special express buses “Aso-go / Takachiho-go” (reservation required), 2 services/day, about 3 hours; from JR Nobeoka Station take a local bus, about 1.5 hours. By air, it’s about 1.5 hours by car from Aso Kumamoto Airport and about 2 hours 15 minutes from Miyazaki Bougainvillea Airport. By car, it takes about 2 hours from Kyushu Expressway “Kumamoto IC” or from “Mashiki Kumamoto Airport IC,” “Matsubase IC,” or “Mifune IC.”