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Miyazaki · City

Nichinan

日南市にちなんしNichinan-shi

Samurai lanes, a shrine in a sea cave and the southern coast

Nichinan is a coastal city in southern Miyazaki Prefecture that includes the preserved castle town of Obi, seat of the Itō lords for almost three centuries, and Udo Jingū, a shrine built inside a sea cave on the rocky Nichinan coast. Its ports and forests have lived from skipjack fishing and the resinous obi-sugi cedar.

Overview

Nichinan occupies the southern part of the Nichinan coast, where forested hills drop to a rocky shoreline of headlands, coves and wave-cut sandstone platforms. The city combines three distinct places: the port town of Aburatsu at the mouth of the Hiroto River, the inland castle town of Obi, and the fishing and farming districts of Nangō and Kitagō merged in 2009.

Obi is one of the best-preserved castle towns in Kyushu. The Itō clan ruled here from 1588 until the abolition of the domains, and stone walls, samurai residences, the domain school and the rebuilt main gate of the castle line quiet lanes with water channels. The town was the birthplace of the diplomat Komura Jutarō and a centre of scholarship through the Confucian teacher Yasui Sokken.

On the coast north of the centre, Udo Jingū stands in a large sea cave on a cliff above the Pacific, one of the most unusual shrine settings in Japan. The coast also holds a park with replicas of the moai of Easter Island, a reminder of a Japanese contribution to the restoration of the original statues.

Landmarks

  • Obi Castle

    飫肥城Obi-jō

    Castle site with massive stone walls, a rebuilt main gate of 1978, a mossy cedar grove and a museum of Itō family treasures.

  • Obi castle town

    飫肥城下町Obi jōkamachi

    Grid of samurai lanes with stone walls, hedges and water channels, a nationally protected historic townscape.

  • Yoshōkan

    豫章館Yoshōkan

    Residence of the Itō family after the Meiji Restoration, with a dry garden borrowing the view of the castle hill.

  • Udo Jingū

    鵜戸神宮Udo Jingū

    Vermilion shrine inside a sea cave on Cape Udo, dedicated to the father of Emperor Jimmu; visitors throw clay luck balls at a turtle-shaped rock below.

  • Hori canal

    堀川運河Horikawa unga

    Stone-lined canal of 1686 in Aburatsu, built to float cedar logs to the harbour.

  • Sun Messe Nichinan

    サンメッセ日南San Messe Nichinan

    Hillside park with full-size moai replicas made with the permission of Easter Island's authorities.

Districts

  • Obi

    飫肥Obi

    The historic castle town in the inland valley of the Sakatani River.

  • Aburatsu

    油津Aburatsu

    Port and commercial centre on the coast, with the Hori canal and old stone warehouses.

  • Nangō

    南郷Nangō

    Fishing district in the south, a base of the skipjack pole-and-line fleet.

  • Kitagō

    北郷Kitagō

    Forested district inland with obi-sugi plantations and a hot spring.

History

For much of the 16th century Obi was fought over by the Itō of Hyūga and the Shimazu of Satsuma. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Kyushu campaign, Itō Suketaka received Obi and his descendants ruled the domain of about 51,000 koku until 1871. The domain planted cedar on a large scale; the light, oily obi-sugi wood was prized for shipbuilding, and in 1686 the Hori canal was completed to float logs to the port of Aburatsu.

The domain school Shintokudō, where Yasui Sokken taught, produced scholars and officials, among them Komura Jutarō, foreign minister in the Meiji era. Nichinan City was formed in 1950 from Aburatsu, Obi and neighbouring villages, and Obi was designated one of Japan's first Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1977.

  1. 16th century

    The Itō and Shimazu clans contest Obi Castle for decades.

  2. 1588

    Itō Suketaka takes possession of Obi; the Itō rule the domain until 1871.

  3. 1686

    The Hori canal is completed to carry obi-sugi timber to Aburatsu port.

  4. 1831

    The domain school Shintokudō is founded.

  5. 1855

    Komura Jutarō is born in Obi.

  6. 1950

    Nichinan City is formed by the merger of Aburatsu, Obi and neighbouring communities.

  7. 1977

    Obi designated a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

  8. 1978

    The Ōtemon main gate of Obi Castle is rebuilt in obi-sugi.

  9. 2009

    Kitagō and Nangō merge into Nichinan.

Culture

Nichinan's culture reflects its samurai town and its fishing ports. Obi preserves the manners of a small domain, from the Taihei-odori dance performed in samurai costume to a pride in scholarship symbolised by Yasui Sokken and Komura Jutarō. On the coast, fishing communities keep shrine festivals tied to the sea, and Udo Jingū's myths of the sea god's daughter link the city to the founding legends of Hyūga.

Festivals

  • Obi castle town festival

    飫肥城下まつりObi jōka matsuri

    Autumn festival with a costumed procession of the Itō lords and retainers through the samurai lanes.

  • Taihei-odori

    泰平踊Taihei-odori

    Stately dance of Obi performed in samurai and townspeople's costume, handed down since the Edo period and shown at the castle town festival.

Food

  • Obi-ten

    飫肥天obi-ten

    Sweet fried fish cake made with fish paste, tofu and brown sugar.

  • Atsuyaki tamago

    厚焼き卵atsuyaki tamago

    Thick, custard-like baked omelette sweetened with sugar, a traditional Obi speciality.

  • Katsuo

    カツオkatsuo

    Skipjack tuna landed by the pole-and-line boats of Nangō and Aburatsu, eaten as seared tataki or sashimi.

Getting around

  • The JR Nichinan Line runs along the coast from Miyazaki via Aoshima to Aburatsu and Obi, and on to Shibushi in Kagoshima.
  • Buses along the coast road connect Miyazaki, Aoshima and Udo Jingū with Nichinan.
  • Obi's historic centre is best explored on foot; Udo Jingū and the coast are easiest by car or bus.

Day trips

  • Miyazaki and Aoshima

    The prefectural capital and the shrine island ringed by the devil's washboard, to the north along the coast.

  • Cape Toi

    都井岬Toi-misaki

    Grassland headland in Kushima to the south, grazed by the semi-wild Misaki horses.

  • Kōjima

    幸島Kōjima

    Islet off Kushima where the wild macaques became known worldwide to primatologists for washing sweet potatoes in the sea.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalMiyazakiMiyazaki-shiPalm avenues and the shrine of the first emperorTownTakachihoTakachiho-chōWhere the gods came down to earth

Frequently asked questions

What is special about Obi?

Obi is a small, well-preserved castle town with stone walls, samurai houses and a rebuilt castle gate, protected as a historic townscape. It was the seat of the Itō lords from 1588 to 1871.

What are the undama at Udo Jingū?

They are small clay balls that visitors throw from the cave terrace towards a hollow on the turtle-shaped rock below. Landing a ball in the hollow is believed to make a wish come true.

Why are there moai in Nichinan?

A Japanese team helped re-erect the fallen moai of Ahu Tongariki on Easter Island in the 1990s, and in recognition the island's authorities permitted full-size replicas to be made for a park in Nichinan.

How do I get to Nichinan from Miyazaki?

By JR Nichinan Line trains along the coast, or by buses that also stop at Aoshima and Udo Jingū. The drive along the coast road takes about an hour.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.令和2年国勢調査 調査の結果 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
  2. 2.統計情報 (opens in a new tab) — 日南市 (Nichinan City)
  3. 3.日南市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 日南市 (Nichinan City)
  4. 4.Miyazaki (opens in a new tab) — Japan National Tourism Organization

Editorial team · Published: