Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Shopping & Souvenirs Speciality Center Gokase Located along National Route 218 on the border between Miyazaki Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture, Speciality Center Gokase Local specialties from Gokasecho and fresh vegetables grown by nearby farmers are displayed here. In the diner you can enjoy Gokase udon or soba topped with a whole simmered yamame trout in sweet soy glaze, and Tokuhoru-don, which won the grand prize at the Miyazaki B-grade Gourmet Contest. Hours of operation Shop: 9:00–18:00 Diner: 11:00–16:00 Closed days Shop: Open year-round Diner: During the New Year holidays Contact Phone: 0982-82-1400 Fax: 0982-82-1252

[Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Mountaineering and Trekking] Karasudake Karasudake sits at the northern tip of the Kuwanouchi district The summit offers a full 360-degree view where you can take in sweeping scenery Each May, the azalea festival is held

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Hiking and Trekking: Kabakidake Rising at the heart of the Kuwanouchi district, the mountain is known locally as Shiroyama, or Castle Mountain, because an ancient mountain fortress called Kabakidake Castle once stood there. It is cherished by the local community. With Mt. Masugata to the east as its backdrop, the mountain offers wide views to the west, south and north. Its shape—easy to defend but hard to attack—has made it famous as the representative mountain of Kuwanouchi.

[Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Mountaineering and Trekking] Mt. Masugata Mt. Masugata in the Kuwanochi area The summit offers a full 360-degree panorama, with views of the Aso mountain range, Kuju mountain range, Mt. Sobo, Mt. Unzen Fugen, and the gorge of the Gokase River all visible at a glance. You can also see a sky full of stars at night, but be aware that the trail to the summit is rugged and there are no streetlights.

[Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Mountaineering and Trekking] Gionyama This mountain is said to be the birthplace of Kyushu, first emerging from the sea as the current Kyushu rose from tectonic movement, and fossils dating back 430 million years have been excavated here. During the mountain opening season, you can enjoy flowers such as the fully blooming akebono azaleas. Some sections require using ropes to advance.

Traditional Performing Arts of Gokasecho, Miyazaki Prefecture — Usu-daiko Dance The Usu-daiko dance performed at the autumn grand festival of Gion Shrine was once offered on the lunar calendar date of September 9, so it is also called the "kunchi dance," and it has been passed down for more than 400 years. It is said to have begun when members of the defeated Taira clan, driven from Kyoto and wandering in exile, reached the mountain hamlet of Shiiba on their way to safety and, while remembering the glittering capital, danced in the village of Kuraoka. The dance shows a poised, dignified movement within its grace, evoking the hearts of people from the capital, and it is offered each year at Gion Shrine’s autumn festival. <Legendary Events>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the first year of Bunji (1185), near the end of the Genpei conflicts, remnants of the Taira clan who were defeated at the Battle of Dan-no-ura fled into the interior to evade the Genji pursuit. They reached the village of Kuraoka and, on their way to Mt. Shiiba, left the weak, women, and children in the mountains near Kuraoka Hakki because of the steep, treacherous roads. In Genkyu 2, the Kamakura shogunate did not ease its pursuit of the Taira remnants and ordered Nasu Daihachiro Munenaga to hunt down the clan that had fled into the Kyushu Mountains. Receiving the order, Nasu Daihachiro's party entered Kuraoka intending to head for Shiiba, and finding the Taira fugitives in Kuraoka lacking the will to fight, they staged a dance of shared company to comfort them after the long journey, setting aside the victors' arrogance to show compassion for the defeated. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The dance described above became the foundation of the Kuraoka Usu-daiko dance, which, after cycles of prosperity and decline and several relocations over the ages, is said to have survived in its present form. Dancing to the beat of drums and bells, performers display dignified movements within an overall elegance. In recent years, the Gion Shrine Usu-daiko Dance Preservation Society, with the cooperation of children from Gokase Nature School and local parishioners, has carried on the dance. Schedule for the Usu-daiko dance: every year on October 9.

Traditional Performing Arts of Gokasecho, Miyazaki Prefecture: Kuraoka Staff Technique The Kuraoka staff tradition follows the Ōkuruma school, said to be a martial art founded by Marume Kurando (one of the four greats of the Shinkage tradition) from the Higo Sagara domain. Also called Shinkage Ōkuruma Musō-ryū, documents show the earliest mention of Kuraoka in the early Edo period. After that, the art passed through Mamimahara and Omae in Shiiba Village before returning to practitioners in Kuraoka at the local end of the line. Kuraoka staff techniques use two kinds of staff: the long staff, 6 shaku 2 sun (about 188 cm), and the short staff, 3 shaku (about 91 cm). The forms are basically defensive. There are over thirty paired forms, including long staff versus short staff and staff versus sword. Forms that employ the sword are commonly called shiraha (white-blade). The Kuraoka Staff Preservation Society offers a shiraha dedication at the summer grand festival of Gion Shrine and provides instruction to students at Kuraoka Junior High School.

Traditional Performing Arts of Gokasecho, Miyazaki Prefecture: Murono Yoi Kagura The Murono Yoi Kagura at Mikasho Shrine is said to have been handed down during the Meiji era from the Iwato Kagura lineage, specifically the Kuwanouchi Shrine Kagura and the Furudono Shrine Kagura. The sake-straining dance has become a merry performance portraying a farming couple. In the mid-Meiji period, Minosuke Kai, the first head of the Murono district, brought kagura from Furudono to the Konpira-yama festival, central to the Murono and Akatani districts, and passed it down to the present day. The tradition once died out, but it was reformed when kagura was requested for the Tsuhana Tunnel breakthrough ceremony in 1972 (Showa 47). Murono Yoi Kagura schedule: the second Saturday in December

[Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Traditional Performing Arts] Kuraoka Gion Kagura Kuraoka Gion Kagura is a kagura preserved at Kuraoka’s Gion Shrine. Its origins are said to trace back to dances performed in the broad courtyard of the ancient Kogamure Shrine recorded in the Engishiki. In Genryaku 2 / Juei 4 (1185), after the Heike clan’s defeat at the Battle of Dan-no-ura, members of the Heike fled through the Kyushu mountains and reached Kuraoka, then pressed further into the remote mountains toward Shiiba. At that time, court entertainments and sacred music from Kyoto—gigaku, gagaku—and Ise-style kagura that the Heike brought with them blended into the existing local kagura, and over time this fusion developed into a distinctive form. The kagura’s sound is said to have been shaped by a drum made from the trunk of a walnut tree grown in the hidden recesses of Mt. Shiraiwa, stretched with deerhide taken from the remote mountains and bound at both ends with hemp twine; a flute made from bamboo with holes bored in it; and graceful, capital-style rhythms and hand clapping. These elements combined into the unique musical pulse of the Kuraoka kagura. In July 2023, the Kuraoka Gion Kagura Preservation Society revived this ancient kagura drum. Kuraoka Gion Kagura schedule: mid-July (Gion Shrine), early October (Gion Shrine), mid-November (Amanatsu Shrine)

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Traditional Performing Arts: Kuwanouchi Shrine Kagura Kuwanouchi Kagura is believed to have begun in the early Meiji era. A surviving costume is dated Meiji 3, and the shrine’s relocation to Habu in the same year suggests the kagura started around that time. The masks used are mainly the hannya mask, more frequently employed than in other kagura, and the performance is characterized by a faster tempo. The whole community works together to pass the tradition to future generations, putting great effort into training successors. In spring and autumn, the kagura is offered at the Kuwanouchi Shrine grand festival. In January, a night-long kagura dedication prays for a bountiful harvest and the well-being of residents. Kuwanouchi Shrine Night Kagura Schedule…Every year on the second Saturday of January

[Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Traditional Performing Arts] Furutono Shrine Kagura During the Muromachi period, local jinkagura and Iwato kagura were offered together here for rites, but through several revivals Ise kagura became blended in, producing a slower-tempo (roku-choshi) kagura that continues to the present day. The origin of this kagura is the “Amano-Iwato Opening,” and it was performed to pray for a bountiful harvest and household safety. From Taisho 6 (1917) it also included prayers to calm fires; today it additionally includes traffic safety prayers, and a night kagura festival is held every January. Furutono Shrine night kagura schedule…mid-January

Traditional Performing Art of Gokasecho, Miyazaki Prefecture: Ara-Odori (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage) The Ara-Odori of Gokase is a style of elegant festival dance that was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property on January 8, 1987 (prefectural designation: May 15, 1962). In February 2021, a group of 41 nationwide “furyu odori” (elegant festival dances), including Gokase’s Ara-Odori, was selected as a candidate for inscription on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. A nomination dossier was submitted to UNESCO in March of the same year, and the dances were officially inscribed on November 30, 2022. “Furyu odori” embodies the spirit of flamboyance and eye-catching elegance. Performers wear elaborate costumes and carry decorative props as they dance to songs and the sound of flutes, drums, and small gongs. Across Japan, 42 furyu odori entries (covering 25 prefectures and 43 municipalities) are designated National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties. In Miyazaki Prefecture, Gokase’s Ara-Odori is the only designated example. These dances carry prayers from local communities for protection from calamities, memorials for the dead, prosperous harvests, and rain. Villagers of all ages take part during festivals and annual events. Each locality’s history and natural environment are reflected in its performance, and the dances serve as a vital source of community energy. The Ara-Odori of Gokase is said to have begun in the Tensho era (1573–1592) when Sakamoto Iga no Kami Masayuki, lord of Sakamoto Castle (upstream of the Mikasho River), started the dance to raise his troops’ morale before going to war. Later, in the Keicho era (1596–1615), his grandson Sakamoto Yamashiro no Kami Nyudo Kyukaku established a ritual code for offering the dance to the guardian deity Futakami Daimyojin (now Mikasho Shrine). At that time, it is said that a successor from the temple called shinbochi oversaw funerary rites, and a monkey kept at the temple was also made to join the dance. One theory holds that the dance originated in Sakamoto, in Ōmi Province (modern Shiga Prefecture). However, the Nisshu Takachiho Kokon Jiran-ki (collected in Volume 4 of the Hyuga Local Historical Materials) records that descendants of Sasaki Rokkaku Takayori from Ōmi fled to Takachiho and served the Mitai clan; their descendants later took the names Saho, Sakamoto, and Masaki. The Sakamoto mentioned here is not the Sakamoto of Sakamoto Castle but the Sakamoto from Mukoyama to Kanegase, a separate lineage with its own origins distinct from the Minamoto, Oogami, or Fujiwara clans. Ara-Odori schedule: every year on the fourth Sunday of September

[Gokasecho, Miyazaki Prefecture Tourist Spot] Myoken Shrine Founded about 1,100 years ago in the 11th year of Jōgan (870) during the reign of Emperor Seiwa, it has been venerated as a water deity. The spring water emerging from a limestone cave layer on Mount Gion and flowing into a corner of Myoken Shrine is called “Four Hundred Million-Year Drop: Myoken Sacred Water.” It has long been known as the sacred nursing water and was selected as one of the 100 Famous Waters of the Heisei era. Autumn festival: early November

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Tourist Spot: The starry sky of Gokasecho According to the International Dark-Sky Association, Gokasecho has a Class 2 night sky. You can see many stars with the naked eye throughout the town. They are especially clear on clear winter nights. Some locations can be dangerous at night, so caution is necessary. Gokase Nature School holds occasional "Star Parties" where astronomy enthusiasts from inside and outside the town gather.

Gion’s Great Hinoki in Gokasecho, Miyazaki Prefecture This hinoki was hidden from public view for a long time but came to attention during Gokasecho’s “Search for Local Treasures” in 2000. Its large trunk splits into eight distinctive branches partway up, creating a striking shape. Located inside an old cemetery, it is believed to have been planted as a guardian tree.

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Sightseeing Spot: Gion Shrine Gion Shrine was founded around the 16th year of Emperor Kinmei’s reign (around 525 AD) when an epidemic swept the Chihogō area in central Kyushu. It was established in Kuraoka, at the heart of the region, as a protector deity prayed to for the removal of disease and misfortune. Locals affectionately call it “Gion-san.” On the shrine grounds stands a zelkova tree said to have been planted by Nasu Daihachiro and Munemasa when they visited in Genkyu 2 (1205). Designated a town natural monument, this giant tree is about 37 meters tall and has an estimated age of roughly 800 years. Deities enshrined: Sobo no Kami / Susanoo no Mikoto, Izanami no Mikoto, Oonamuchi no Mikoto, Kushinadahime no Mikoto, Itsuse no Mikoto, Somin Shorai, Kotan Shorai, Tenman Tenjin, Ashinazuchi no Kami, Tenazuchi no Kami, Inari Daimyojin

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Sightseeing Spot: Furuto-no Shrine The founding date is unknown. According to shrine tradition, when the loyal retainer Shibahara Matazaburo Nyudo Shotora of the Yoshino court moved from Shibahara in Osekata Village to Kuwanochi Yokodori, he is said to have brought the three deities of Kumano that had been worshipped in Shibahara to this site. Since ancient times the shrine has been revered as the Shrine of the Fire God. When a parishioner’s house faced fire, mysterious sounds would reportedly arise within the shrine to warn of it, and the parishioners would stay at the shrine to perform rituals to avert the fire. On the grounds stand three giant cedar trees about 580 years old and over 30 meters tall, designated as town natural monuments. A kaya tree likewise designated as a town natural monument is a giant estimated at about 600 years old and 34 meters tall. Spring Festival: Early April Grand Annual Festival: September 23 Night Kagura: Early January Deities enshrined: Izanagi no Mikoto, Izanami no Mikoto, Kagutsuchi no Mikoto, with Fujiwara no Michizane also enshrined.

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Tourist Spot: Uge Falls There is a legend about Uge Falls. “Long ago, when people hosted celebrations or received guests, they would ask the waterfall pool, ‘Please lend me a bowl,’ and by the next morning a bowl would be floating in the pool. Once, someone returned a bowl with a piece missing, and the gods became angry and stopped lending bowls.” To protect the water of Uge Falls, a water deity is enshrined at the foot of the falls. The site has been cherished by previous generations as an important water source for Ohara Iseki Park and the Mikasa Sakamoto district, and it continues to be carefully preserved.

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Tourist Spot: Akebono azalea On Mt. Futagami, which sits on the border between Gokasecho and Takachiho, you can see Akebono azalea from around mid-April each year. Mt. Futagami has two peaks, Otodake and Onnadake, and the Akebono azalea that is relatively easy to see grows on Onnadake.

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Tourist Spot: Shimonohara Terraced Rice Fields The Shimonohara terraced rice fields are among the largest in Gokase, and such an extensive set of rice terraces carved into a mountain valley is rare. The embankments form graceful curves that create a magnificent terraced landscape. In the Uchino-kuchi district of Shimonohara, a siphon—an important irrigation structure—exists in three places, and the first siphon was built in the Taisho era. Although only the bridge piers remain today, a siphon erected near the entrance commemorates the Shimonohara terraces and the great achievements of those who came before.

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Tourist Spot: Torinusu Rice Terrace Torinusu Rice Terrace features rice terraces that spread in two directions, offering a panoramic view over the village to the east and west that is well worth seeing. There is a bust of Togoro Goto, a pioneer who opened three irrigation channels at Josenji Temple, and information indicates that Torinusu Rice Terrace is located nearby. A branch irrigation channel from Torinusu Rice Terrace receives drainage from the mountainside, helping to protect farmland, roads (National Route 503) and other public facilities downstream. The terraces also collect water, contributing to flood prevention.

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Sightseeing Spot: Hikage Rice Terraces The water for the Hikage rice terraces comes from the spring water of Myoken Shrine in Kuraoka. The spring at Myoken Shrine is so popular that people come from other prefectures to collect it, and it is famous as a local tourist attraction. Behind the Hikage rice terraces stands Gion-yama, said to be the birthplace of Kyushu, creating a scenic harmony with the village and the mountain. The area also hosts events such as Gokase Highland Ski Resort activities, the Gion Shrine Festival, and the Myoken Shrine Grand Festival, and the community is working to revitalize the village by making the most of its landscape.

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Sightseeing Spot: Shirataki Shirataki is a 60-meter waterfall located at an elevation of 900 meters. As its name suggests, the waterfall’s striking beauty comes from a sheer cliff over which a white sheet of water seems to hang. The contrast with autumn foliage is particularly stunning, drawing many photographers and visitors.

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Tourist Spot: Sankasho Shrine Sankasho Shrine was established when a small shrine (hokora) from Mt. Futagami, said to be the site of the descent of the heavenly grandson, was brought down and built at the mountain’s foot. Founded around the late 900s CE, its nagare-zukuri-style structure is entirely made of cypress, and its architectural design and carvings are regarded as masterpieces of the early modern period. This main hall is designated as a tangible cultural property of Miyazaki Prefecture. The site also houses the stone-carved Gate Guardian Deity statues (two faces), which are designated as a prefectural tangible cultural property. At the autumn grand festival, Aradance, an ancient performance tradition from the Sakamoto district designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, is offered. On November 30, 2022, 41 fūryū-odori (stylish folk dances) across Japan, including Gokase’s Aradance, were inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On the shrine grounds and in the surrounding garden, you can find Tsukushi rhododendrons and western rhododendrons, along with weeping cherry trees and camellias. They typically reach peak bloom from mid-April through mid-May, offering flower viewing during that period. The Sankasho Shrine Spring Festival is held in April. Deities enshrined: Izanagi no Mikoto, Izanami no Mikoto, Sarutahiko no Mikoto, and Fujiwara no Michizane (enshrined together).

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Tourist Spot: Saeizan Josenji Sa eizan Josenji is a Jodo Shinshu Honganji temple founded about 400 years ago. Renowned as a cherry-blossom viewing site, its grounds feature a roughly 300-year-old weeping cherry tree, designated a prefectural natural monument, which bursts into spectacular bloom each spring. According to tradition, this weeping cherry was planted during the Edo period by the ninth head priest, who brought a sapling back from Gion in Kyoto on his return from a pilgrimage to Honganji. A variant of the Edo higan cherry sometimes called ito-zakura, it is designated a natural monument of Miyazaki Prefecture.

Shiraito Falls Camera / #canon EOS Kiss #X9i Lens / EF-S18-55mm F4-5.6 IS STM A waterfall that I found when I went touring with a friend and went to Jozankei There were no customers, and it was great to feel a little secluded because it was a little far from the Jozankei inn town.

【🌸Gokasecho Cherry Blossom Viewing 2024🌸】 Thank you for entering the Instagram campaign "Gokasecho Cherry Blossom Viewing 2024"! We will decide the winners by votes from our followers✨ Followers, please choose one work from the 12 entries and comment its number in the comments of this post✍ Voting is limited to one vote per account. [Voting period: until July 5] The posted images are screenshots of the applicants' photos, so the image quality is poor. We apologize for that. Please also view the entrants' original posts on Instagram before voting😃 1. @__torippy.__ 2. @yasuyochan.192 3. @yuichi_5101 4. @amiamibz 5. @niidome2110 6. @inoshima0124 7. @akihiko.shinchi 8. @sakai_0808 9. @mgm_1228 10. @aiaiaiaiaiaiai77 11. @gokase_pan 12. @goto0619 We will hold a lottery and give Gokasecho specialty products to 10 randomly selected voters🎁 We look forward to your votes✨

【Kanagawa Chuo Kotsu　 　Hadano Station ~ Meikogi / Renge ~ Some buses on the Yabitsu Pass system are suspended] Hadano Station ~ Yabitsu Pass Line will be affected by road damage for the time being. 　The section of Meikogi / Renge ~ Yabitsu Pass is suspended, 　Return service at "Renge Bus Stop" 　Please note that we are doing it. * Passenger cars and motorcycles are allowed to pass. When you go out, please visit the Kanagawa Central Transportation website 　Please check the latest information.

Outdoor Festival will be Held in in Nayoro City, Hokkaido! "Nayoro's Outdoor Festival" August 3 Sat at Furenbokodai Nature Park, Nayoro City's first outdoor festival has been held in! Outdoor guides living in Nayoro gathered, Activities such as still water canoeing, fishing, and exploring nature can be enjoyed in one day! In addition, gourmet food such as pizza making experience, Tentipi's super-large tent STRATUS72 will also appear! Outdoor writer Hobo Jun will also appear! Event details will be announced as they become available. For details, search for "Nayoro Sightseeing & Town Planning Association"! Those who want to keep memories of summer Vacation, those who want to start camping and the outdoors, and those who want to enjoy the outdoors more than now、、、 We look forward to seeing you there!

【2024 Reiwa 6 June 30 Sun Nagoshi Oharai】 Shinto ritual held in in June and December every year, Attendees pass through the "circle of thatch" to cleanse their minds and bodies of impurities and be free from illness and disaster. Prayer exorcisms are held at each shrine in Isehara City. *Oyama Afuri Shrine Lower Shrine Tel: 0463-95-2006 14:00 355 Daisen, Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture Isehara Station North Exit No. 4 "Daisen Cable Line" bus about 30 minutes Get off at the end of the bus and take the cable car for 6 minutes *Sannomiya Hibita Shrine TEL 0463-95-3237 from 14:00 1472 Sannomiya, Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture About 15 minutes by bus from Isehara Station North Exit No. 1 "To Kurihara via Sekidai" Get off at Hibita Shrine Isehara Station North Exit No. 4 bus "To Isehara Depot via Tono Village / Ishikurabashi" bus About 12 minutes, get off at "Sannomiya" and walk for about 5 minutes Isehara Station North Exit No. 1 bus "To Tsurumaki Hot Spring Station via Ojudai" about 12 minutes by bus Get off at "Kobe" and walk for about 12 minutes Isehara Station North Exit Platform 1 "To Isehara Garage via Shirane 246" Bus 12 minutes Get off at "Housing Complex North" and walk for about 12 minutes *Isehara Daijingu Shrine TEL 0463-96-1611 16:00 Kanagawa Prefecture Isehara City Isehara 3-8-1 A 10-minute walk along Chuo-dori from the north exit of Isehara Station Let's go through the circle of thatch and get rid of the defilement and get through this hot summer!