In Miyazaki, waiting for waves is part of the daily routine. You wake up and head straight for the sea. At Kisakihama, Miyazaki’s signature surf spot, we take a look at the lifestyle of people who live by the rhythms of nature.
Words Pyo Youngso
Photos Ahn Soohyang
In collaboration with Miyazaki Prefectural Tourist Association
Kisakihama
木崎浜
Facing the Pacific Ocean head-on, Kisakihama takes the full force of the wind and waves rolling in from the open sea. The beach runs straight for about 3 kilometers, so the scenery and terrain are simple, but the size, speed, and breaking point of the waves differ from section to section. In other words, it is a beach that welcomes everyone, from longboarders riding soft, wide waves to shortboarders tackling fast, powerful ones. Thanks to this, large domestic and international surfing events such as the All Japan Surfing Championships are held here often. Even outside competition season, surfers come from all over Japan year-round, yet it rarely feels crowded. The beach stretches on endlessly, and waves form in many places at once, rolling in from here and there.
Kisakihama is considered the most accessible beach to the city center in Miyazaki Prefecture. It takes just over 10 minutes by car from Miyazaki Airport, and because it belongs to the southern residential area of Miyazaki City, it is also the neighborhood sea that locals visit all the time. Beyond the embankment that runs alongside the beach, bicycles fitted with board racks and pickup trucks and vans converted for surfing come and go all day. Most people arrive at the beach already in their wetsuits from home, and head back home in the same outfit after surfing. Whether the waves are good or not so good, the locals enjoy them at their own pace, and they greet visitors from elsewhere without reserve. It is as if they want travelers to blend naturally into their daily lives and experience Miyazaki’s own surf culture.
To See
Aoshima 青島
Floating off the southern end of Aoshima Beach, Aoshima is an island that doesn’t quite feel like one. A pedestrian bridge connects it to the mainland about 100 meters away, so you can walk there, and the lush tropical vegetation makes it look like a small forest from a distance. Two things draw visitors to this compact island, with a circumference of 1.5 kilometers: the rock formation known as the ‘Devil’s Washboard’ (鬼の洗濯板) and Aoshima Shrine (青島神社). Designated a National Natural Monument of Japan, the Devil’s Washboard is a distinctive rock formation spreading around the island. Sedimentary rock that was uplifted from the seabed millions of years ago was carved by the waves into its present form, with ridges and grooves repeating at regular intervals. Pass through the red torii gate guarding the island’s entrance and walk inward, and an exotic-looking shrine surrounded by palm trees comes into view. It enshrines a married divine couple from Japanese mythology and is a sacred place for those praying for love, marriage, and household peace. In the past, the whole island was regarded as sacred ground and closed to the public. Today it is one of Miyazaki’s leading attractions, but the mystical atmosphere remains.
Horikiri Pass 堀切峠
Drive about 2.5 kilometers along the coastline from Aoshima Beach toward Nichinan to the south, and you reach a mountain pass 60 meters above sea level. This is Horikiri Pass, one of Miyazaki’s best-known viewpoints. Against the deep blue sea, Miyazaki’s emblematic Canary Island date palms complete the southern-country image, and the viewpoint is crowded with tourists gathering in small groups for souvenir photos. Look down below, and you will see waves that have traveled in from far away meeting the Devil’s Washboard (鬼の洗濯板) and turning into white foam, again and again. A boardwalk leading down to the beach has been built beside the observation deck. The roadside rest stop building, erected in 1965, houses Michi-no-Eki Phoenix (道の駅フェニックス), a public roadside station selling local specialties. Its soft-serve ice cream, made with Miyazaki specialties such as mango, shrimp, and hebesu (へべす, a citrus fruit), is especially popular for its unusual flavors.
To Eat
The Good Days
As surfing, which began in California in the 1950s and ’60s, spread around the world, the region’s food culture spread with it. That is why, at surf beaches in any country, you can easily find restaurants selling burgers and hot dogs, California’s signature beach food. The fact that they are high-calorie foods, good for recovering and refueling after surfing, probably helped too. The Good Days, a five-minute drive from the Kisakihama surf point, serves American-style food such as burgers, loco moco, curry, pancakes, and hot dogs. There is also a wide range of drinks, including coffee and shakes. A neon drive-in sign and a cactus standing at the entrance give the place a strongly exotic feel, and the view from the window is charming too, with a cute one-car train passing regularly on the tracks in front of the restaurant.
Price: Avocado cheeseburger ¥1,410, hamburg steak curry ¥1,454
Hours: Mon–Thu 11:00am–5:00pm, Sat & Sun 11:00am–6:00pm
Yakitori Kenzo 焼き鶏 けんぞう
Many regions in Japan are famous for chicken, not just Miyazaki. In Nagoya, people love tebasaki (手羽先), salty fried chicken wings, and Oita Prefecture is the birthplace of toriten (とり天), a fried chicken dish. Yakitori, grilled chicken skewers, can be found all over Japan, but Fukuoka is regarded as the capital of yakitori culture. What sets Miyazaki apart is the way it eats chicken. Yakitori Kenzo, near Aoshima Station, is a place where you can see this for yourself. Centered on skewers, it offers a variety of chicken dishes. Every part is served on a skewer, from thigh meat to liver, heart, and gizzard, and you can also try torisashi (鶏刺し), made only with very fresh chicken, and tori tataki (鶏たたき), chicken seared only on the surface. The cooking is Miyazaki-style, but the restaurant’s own secret is that it doesn’t insist on jidori (地頭鶏), Miyazaki’s firm-fleshed native chicken, and uses regular chicken instead to bring out a tender texture.
Price: Assorted skewers (5 pieces) ¥1,540, torisashi from ¥660, tori tataki from ¥660
Hours: 3:00pm–9:30pm
Tsukada Nojo Miyazaki Main Branch 塚田農場 宮崎本店
The flagship of an izakaya chain with locations across Japan. Its specialty is regional cuisine made with jitokko (free-range local chicken) raised with care on the company’s own farms, along with vegetables grown in Miyazaki Prefecture. Its all-you-can-drink course menus make it a great place to enjoy local dishes, such as charcoal-grilled jitokko, chicken nanban (fried chicken with a sweet-and-sour sauce and tartar sauce), and jitokko and wagyu shabu-shabu, together with drinks.
Price: Charcoal-grilled jitokko from ¥1,280
Hours: 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
To Shop
Murasaki Sports Miyazaki Aoshima Store MURASAKI SPORTS 宮崎青島店
Travelers to Miyazaki will find it hard to resist this place, like sparrows drawn to a mill. It is the Aoshima branch of one of Japan’s leading board-sports brands, and it opened in summer 2024 on the grounds of a hotel near Aoshima Beach. The store carries a wide range of goods, from surfboards and wetsuits to skateboards, fishing gear, beachwear, and casual wear, and it has a café inside, so it is worth a visit even if you don’t surf. Its subscription service lets you ride as many of the store’s surfboards as you like for a set period, with no limit on the number of rides or brands, and it is the talk of the surfing community. During the subscription, you can use the same service at the Shonan and Chiba branches as well.
Hours: 9:30 am–6:00 pm
murasakisports_miyazakiaoshima
To Stay
Finecamp Guesthouse Finecamp Guesthouse
Easy beach access, outdoor showers, a place to store your gear, and local wave reports: Finecamp Guesthouse has everything a surf-trip base camp needs. With the free bicycles the guesthouse provides, you can reach the surf spots at Kisakihama and Aoshima within 10 minutes. Hot and cold showers are set up at the entrance, and there is a spacious board storage room and a yard where you can dry your wetsuits. It is run by Kim Seokcheol, a Korean who moved to Miyazaki seven years ago, won over by its surf culture, and his Japanese wife, who relocated from Kyoto for surfing as well, so you can count on them for local surf information. Surf lessons are offered to guests, which makes it especially appealing for beginners. The second floor of the sea-blue building holds three dormitory rooms and a shared kitchen and common area. The guesthouse also runs a stand-alone rental house near Kisakihama that sleeps up to 10.
Route Inn Grantia Aoshima Taiyokaku Route Inn Grantia Aoshima Taiyokaku
For travelers who want to have it both ways in Miyazaki, surfing and hot springs, Route Inn Grantia Aoshima Taiyokaku is a satisfying choice. Perched on a hill three minutes by car from Aoshima Beach, it boasts open views in every direction. Its greatest draw is its bathing facilities: an open-air bath fed by natural hot spring water, an indoor communal bath, a sauna, bedrock baths, and massage services. The coin laundry room, open 24 hours, is especially handy for those on long surf trips. On the first floor are a spacious lounge stocked with about 10,000 manga and picture books and a small convenience shop.
