Takachiho Town

Takachiho ( above ), where less than 12,000 people live, is a small town surrounded by mountains in the northwest of Miyazaki Prefecture. However Takachiho is a town of Japanese mythology. There are numbers of sites related to legends in the town. Also tourists could enjoy watching Kagura ( Shinto Ritual Dance ) showing some of Japanese myths concerned with the Formation of Japan.

Takachiho Gorge is one of the sightseers' highlights in Takachiho Town. Visitors, walking the paths along the gorge, would enjoy viewing chasm, cliffs, columnar joints and Manai waterfall ( above ).

120,000 years ago and 90,000 years ago, eruptions of Mount Aso made pyroclastic flows come down to this area, where the Gokase River eroded the rocks, so Takachiho Gorge was formed.

At the south end of Takachiho Gorge, there are boats for hire, which are so popular among tourists. Boats would help tourists get closer to cliffs, rocks and the waterfall ( above ).

Takachiho-jinja Shrine ( above ) is located near the center of Takachiho Town. It is said that the shrine was founded about 1,900 years ago. The main hall of the shrine was rebuilt in A.D.1778 and is one of the designated National Important Cultural Properties of Japan.

Many tourists visit the site of the shrine after dark and enter a hall called Kagura-den where Kagura ( Shinto Ritual Dance ) is performed during 08:00pm - 09:00pm every night and shows some of Japanese myths. ( Reception 07:00pm - 08:00pm, Capacity 100 people, Admission Fee 1,000 yen per person, No reservation accepted )

For further details ==> Takachiho Kagura ( English )

Also Akitakata City in Hiroshima Prefecture, Chugoku Region could be recommended if interested in Kagura.

On Saturday evenings through mid-November to mid-February, 33 Kagura episodes are performed somewhere in Takachiho Town every week. Out of the 33, four episodes are performed every night all year round in Kagura-den hall in the site of Takachiho-jinja Shrine. One of the four episodes features Ame-no-Uzume ( above ).

An ancient myth says that Susano'o behaved too violently so his sister Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, hid herself in a cave called Ama-no-Iwato then the world lost light. Other gods gathered in Ama-no-Yasukawara where they discussed how to make the Goddess come out of the cave.

It was Ame-no-Uzume, the goddess of mirth and arts, who performed ribald dance in front of the cave so that other gods roared with loud laughter. It made Amaterasu interested in what was happening and looked out of the cave.

There is Ama-no-Iwato-jinja Shrine in Takachiho Town. As its name shows, the west main hall ( above ) of the shrine was founded to enshrine the cave, Ama-no-Iwato where Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, hid herself, while its east main hall was founded to enshrine Amaterasu.

Though it is not allowed to get closer to the cave, visitors could join a guided tour to step onto the deck behind the west main hall and to catch a glimpse of the cave. The shrine office could help visitors to join their guided tours. However it is not allowed to take photos of the cave.

Tourists are recommended to walk down 15 minutes from the west main hall of Ama-no-Iwato-jinja Shrine to visit another huge cave, Ama-no-Yasukawara ( above ) where gods discussed how to get the Sun Goddess out of the cave.

Another of four Kagura episodes, performed in Kagura-den of Takachiho-jinja Shrine, is titled "Totori" featuring Tajikarao. When the dance performance of Ame-no-Uzume produced loud laughter and Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess looked out of the cave, Tajikarao ( above ) removed a big rock, which was the door of the cave. Then the Sun Goddess came out and the world resumed light. The title of the episode "Totori" means "Removal of the door".

One of the four Kagura episodes, performed in Kagura-den of Takachiho-jinja Shrine, is titled "Goshintai" featuring a couple, Izanagi and Izanami. The episode shows they appreciate the harvest, with which they brew sake ( above ).

Japanese mythology says that Izanagi and Izanami created Japanese archpelago and that Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, was one of their children.

Japanese Myths say that Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, sent Ninigi, one of her grandsons, from Heaven to Takachiho and made him rule the land. It is said that Ninigi descended onto one of the mountains surrounding Takachiho. Kushifuru-jinja Shrine ( above ) is located on the side of the mountain and enshrines Ninigi.

It is said that Ninigi is the great-grandfather of Jimmu, the first Emperor of Japan. Jimmu was born near Kushifuru-jinja Shrine in Takachiho Town and moved from Kyushu Region to Kinki Region where he established his dynasty in Yamato ( now Nara Prefecture ). So Izanagi, Izanami, Amaterasu, Ninigi and Jimmu are ancestors of the Imperial Family of Japan.

After established the dynasty in Yamato, Jimmu made Tateiwatatsu, one of his grandsons, rule Kyushu Region. Tateiwatatsu overlooked Takachiho from Kunimi-ga-oka ( 513m above sea level ), which is popular among tourists and famous for the landscape overlooking Takachiho ( above ). Especially through autumn - winter, lucky visitors could see the sea of the clouds covering Takachiho.

A myth says that there lived Kihachi, a fearsome devil in Takachiho. However Mikeiri-no-Mikoto, an elder brother of Jimmu exterminated Kihachi, who was cut into three pieces and buried. There remain his tombstones ( above left ) in Takachiho.

On the other hand, Mikeiri-no-Mikoto is one of the gods enshrined in Takachiho-jinja Shrine, where tourists would see a carving showing Mikeiri-no-Mikoto exterminating Kihachi ( above right ). Mikeiri-no-Mikoto could be an ancient Devil Slayer. In Takachiho there remain some more related to Kihachi and Mikeiri-no-Mikoto.

Takachiho Beef, one of the most famous local specialities, was awarded the Prime Minister's Prize at Wagyu Olympic in A.D.2007 and is one of the highest-quality Wagyu brands. The above photo shows a sirloin steak of Takachiho Beef, served in Restaurant Nagomi, which is operated by a local organisation of JA ( Japanese Agricultural Cooperatives ).

Also it could be recommended to eat Chicken Nanban ( above ) not only in Takachiho Town but also anywhere in Miyazaki Prefecture, where Chicken Nanban was born and Chicken Nanban is a comfort food of people living there.

Chicken Nanban is a kind of Karaage ( Japanese deep-fried chcken ) in sweet and sour sauce, often with tartar sauce. In the prefecture there are so many restaurants serving Chicken Nanban.