Ai Nishimura
Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.
First day
- From the airport to Nobeoka. The birthplace of Miyazaki soul food, "Original Chicken Nanban Naochan"
- Gyokuro Shrine: A green shrine with a solemn atmosphere
- Tour the brewery of Miyazaki Hideji Beer, a challenging company that makes beer using local ingredients
- Miyazaki/Nobeoka gourmet food galore at "Hideji Brewery Japanese Kitchen"
Second day
- "Underground Chayama Observatory" - Spectacular views of tea fields and the blue sea
- Roadside Station Kitaura/Restaurant Kaisenkan's "Sea Treasure Box Meal"
- A relaxing ocean view cafe "SHIMOASO CAFE"
- If you like sweet bean paste, you can't miss this! The famous "Yaremanju" sweet "Kaze no Kashi Torahiko"
12:00 From the airport to Nobeoka. The birthplace of Miyazaki soul food, "Original Chicken Nanban Naochan"
It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes by express train from Miyazaki Bougainvillea Airport to Nobeoka Station. It is a rare airport that is served by JR lines, making it easy to access other areas within the prefecture.
We headed straight from the airport to Nobeoka. Our first destination was "Naochan, the Original Chicken Nanban."
Chicken Nanban is a well-known and representative Miyazaki dish. Naochan is the birthplace of this nationally famous dish.
Naochan's Chicken Nanban is made with thick breast meat covered in batter and coated with a sweet and sour sauce. The batter is particularly distinctive. It is beautiful and looks like a blooming flower, and you can imagine that it was probably crispy when it was freshly fried. The batter is fluffy and airy, and although it looks like tempura batter, it is not greasy and you can eat as much as you want.
There are three other dishes on the menu. The "Hyuga Chicken Tataki Style Set Meal" served with garlicky sauce and cabbage, and the "Momoyaki Set Meal" featuring a whole grilled thigh on the bone are also popular.
It's a popular restaurant that has a constant line even after lunchtime, but you should definitely try the "original flavor" at least once.
From Miyazaki Bougainvillea Airport, head to Nobeoka Station.
There are also direct trains from the airport station to Miyazaki Station, Hyuga, Nobeoka, Oita, and Hataga.
We went to "Original Chicken Nanban Naochan," the restaurant where Chicken Nanban originated.
The restaurant was full. The "Chicken Nanban Set Meal" is characterized by its fluffy batter. It does not come with tartar sauce.
The sauce is light and elegant with a sweet and sour taste. It is made with chicken breast, so it is light, moist and tender.
The "Grilled thigh set meal" is a whole piece of meat on the bone. The seasoned meat is slowly grilled so that it falls off the bone easily.
"Hyuga Chicken Tataki Style Set Meal" - A fragrant grilled chicken served with crispy cabbage for a refreshing taste.
Original Chicken Nanban Naochan
| address | ： | 9-3 Sakaemachi, Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 0982-32-2052 |
| business hours | ： | Lunch: 11:00-13:45 17:00-19:45 (ends when stock runs out) |
| Closed Day | ： | Monday night, Tuesday |
13:30 Gyokuro Shrine: A solemn, green shrine
After filling our stomachs with lunch, we head to the Mukabaki area.
Gyoshu is a lower-body coat that samurai once wore while riding horses or hunting. It was so named because Mt. Gyoshu, located in this area, resembles this shape. Mt. Gyoshu, which consists of two peaks, Higashidake and Nishidake, can be seen from afar when heading to the shrine. In the middle of the two mountains is a large waterfall, which goes by various names, such as "Gyoshu Falls" and "Yahazunoka Falls."
Gyokuro Shrine is located at the foot of this mountain, and is a shrine that worships Mt. Gyokuro as its sacred object. There are many unique sights scattered within the grounds, including a pair of 300-year-old cedar trees and a mysterious-looking lion-dog statue.
This shrine is a spot overflowing with the power of nature, where you can quietly pray in a solemn atmosphere.
Next to the shrine is the trailhead for Mt. Gyokuroyama, from which you can hike to Gyokuro Falls. The path is a mountain path, so you'll need sturdy shoes. There are some rough sections, but the fresh air will make you forget your fatigue, and the beautiful scenery will soothe your soul.
We headed to the Mukabaki area, about 30 minutes from Nobeoka Station.
Gyokuro Shrine has a long history, having been separated from Kishu Kumano Taisha Shrine in 718 AD.
This shrine was revered by successive feudal lords of Hyuga.
A pair of 300-year-old cedar trees that are treasured as sacred trees.
The object of worship is Mount Gyokudō. It can be seen clearly from in front of the worship hall.
A guardian lion in front of the main shrine. It has a unique and humorous expression. There is a carving that says it was made by stonemason Mansaku in 1900.
From the shrine you can hike up Mount Gyokushi, which leads all the way to Gyokushi Falls, one of the 100 best waterfalls in Japan.
The mountain path is lined with tree roots and large rocks, so you'll need proper equipment to get to the waterfall.
Along the way, you will see a beautiful spot where clear water flows from a waterfall. It can be slippery on rainy days, so be careful where you step.
Breathing in the forest air and relaxing. Being surrounded by the sounds of nature left me feeling refreshed.
Gyokuro Shrine
| address | ： | Miyazaki Prefecture, Nobeoka City, Yukiganemachi 748-ro |
|---|---|---|
| web | ： | https://www.facebook.com/mukabakijinjya/ |
14:30 Tour the brewery of Miyazaki Hideji Beer, a company that makes beer using local ingredients
Miyazaki Hideji Beer has a brewery located just a five-minute walk from Gyokuro Shrine.
They chose this location, which has an abundance of groundwater, to open the brewery 25 years ago, and have been brewing a variety of beers using local ingredients ever since.
The current challenge is to produce 100% Miyazaki beer using all locally produced ingredients, including barley, hops, and yeast. When the company was founded, it launched the "Miyazaki Agricultural Support Project," an internal project aimed at revitalizing the prefecture's primary industries. Since then, it has taken on the challenge of cultivating barley, the main ingredient of beer, developing processing techniques for malt, and, as the final step, cultivating hops. In order to realize continuous hop cultivation in the warm climate of Kyushu, it established the Hop Owner System last year. The resulting 100% Miyazaki beer is sold preferentially to hop owners, making it an extremely rare beer. Beer made only from locally produced ingredients is rare nationwide, and the company plans to work with various parties to increase production in the future.
At Hideji Beer, lager beers such as "Taiyo no Lager" and "Kurikuro" are also popular.
Lager beer is characterized by its refreshing taste and lingering bitterness. It is well-balanced and easy to drink.
"Kurikuro" is a stout beer made with Japanese chestnuts from Miyazaki Prefecture. It won the world's highest award, "World's Best Stout & Porter," at the WBA World Beer Awards 2017. The label, which has a Noh mask motif, is inspired by the Noh masks of the Naito family of the former Nobeoka domain, which are used in Nobeoka's "Tenkaichi Takigi Noh." This is a beer packed with the power of Miyazaki.
The brewery is an "open brewery" that regularly holds events. Hideji Beer is loved by the local community and brews beer with honesty and care.
It was a company that made me want to support new attempts and challenges.
Miyazaki Hideji Beer is a beer company based in Nobeoka with its brewery at the foot of Mount Yukitsuji.
Haniwa objects and motifs are lined up, as if to symbolize Miyazaki Prefecture, where many ancient tombs and haniwa figures have been excavated.
From the Hideji Beer shop, you can see the inside of the factory through glass, and you can also purchase all the beers that are on sale at the time.
There are many pipes and tanks lined up inside the factory.
There was an old wort tank. This copper-colored tank can be seen from the shop.
Precious domestic hops. The yellow lupulin contained in hops gives the beer a bitter taste and aroma, and also improves the foaming.
Hideji Beer is unusual among breweries in that it cultivates its own yeast.
"Kurikuro" is a stout beer made with local Japanese chestnuts, and "Taiyo no Lager" is a lager beer with a refreshing taste.
Only at a brewery can you purchase limited edition beers. There are many unique beers on offer.
Miyazaki Hideji Beer
| address | ： | 747-58 Mukabakicho, Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 0982-39-0090 |
| business hours | ： | 10:00-17:00 (group consultation available) *General factory tours are not available. |
| Closed Day | ： | Saturday Sunday |
| web | ： | https://hideji-beer.jp/ |
17:30 Miyazaki/Nobeoka gourmet food galore at "Hideji Brewery Japanese Kitchen"
For dinner, we went to "Biagura Hideji Japanese Kitchen" where you can enjoy Miyazaki gourmet food and Hideji beer. All seats are private, so it's perfect for when you want to relax and eat or have a leisurely conversation. Also, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it's nice to have private rooms available.
This is a Miyazaki Hideji Beer store. You can enjoy fresh draft beer brewed in the brewery you visited, and also enjoy Miyazaki gourmet food.
First up is lager beer. It has a clean mouthfeel and a refreshing bitterness that quickly disappears. It's well-balanced and easy to drink. There is a wide variety of beers, including beers made with local citrus fruits such as Hyuga Natsu beer, and IPAs that are popular among craft beer lovers.
We ordered charcoal-grilled Miyazaki chicken and chicken nanban. We also had fried mexicali, a dish commonly eaten in Nobeoka. Mexicali is a deep-sea fish caught off the coast of Hyuga, and when fried, it can be eaten with its soft bones.
This is a stylish izakaya with a Nobeoka feel. As it is directly managed by a beer company, it also offers all-you-can-drink craft beer.
This Hideji Beer store in Nobeoka City is a classy, high-quality izakaya.
There is also an all-you-can-drink course with 5 to 6 types of Hideji beer, all of which are unique but easy to drink.
Deep-fried Nobeoka specialty, Mexicali. You can eat the whole fish, even the bones, tenderly, and enjoy the light flavor of the white meat.
The local specialty, charcoal-grilled local chicken, arrives piping hot on the hot plate.
"Chicken Nanban" is made with chunky chicken and plenty of tartar sauce.
All rooms are private and have a relaxed atmosphere.
Hideji Brewery Japanese Kitchen
| address | ： | 1-4-10 Nakamachi, Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 0982-35-2222 |
| business hours | ： | 17:00-23:00 (last orders 22:00) |
| Closed Day | ： | Sunday (irregular holidays) |
| web | ： | https://hideji-beer.jp/retail/ |
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
