Getting around Miyazaki: trains, buses, car hire and tours

Miyazaki is a big, mountainous prefecture with a long coast, and its sights are spread out. Public transport works well for some trips and not at all for others. Here is how to get around, and when to hire a car or book a tour.

Trains

JR Kyushu runs two main lines from Miyazaki Station:

• The Nichinan Line: south along the coast to Aoshima (about 30 minutes) and Obi (about 1 hour), and on towards Kushima. Trains run roughly once an hour or less, so plan around the timetable.
• The Nippo Line: north to Hyuga and Nobeoka, with limited express trains continuing to Oita, and south-west towards Miyakonojo and Kagoshima.

JR Kyushu has run sightseeing trains on the Nichinan Line, such as the wooden-panelled Umisachi Yamasachi on weekends and holidays. Check the current schedule if you want to ride one, as sightseeing trains change. Miyazaki Airport has its own station, about 10 minutes from Miyazaki Station.

Buses

Miyazaki Kotsu buses cover the city and run to some sights on the coast, including Udo Jingu, but services outside the city are few. Highway buses link Miyazaki with Fukuoka, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, and Takachiho is served by highway buses from Fukuoka and Kumamoto and local buses from Nobeoka. IC cards such as SUGOCA and Suica work on JR trains in the city area and on many buses, but carry cash for rural routes.

Hiring a car

A car is by far the easiest way to see Miyazaki. It makes Takachiho, Udo Jingu, Cape Toi and the Kirishima mountains easy to reach, and lets you stop wherever you like on the coast. Rental offices are at the airport and around Miyazaki Station.

• Licence: bring an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, along with your national licence. Drivers from some countries need an official Japanese translation of their licence instead.
• Driving: Japan drives on the left. Speed limits are low, and mountain roads are narrow and winding.
• Tolls: the expressways charge tolls. Ask the rental company about an ETC card and the Kyushu Expressway Pass for visitors.
• Navigation: car navigation systems accept phone numbers and map codes, which are listed by many sights.

Getting to Takachiho

There is no railway to Takachiho. By car, allow 2–2½ hours from Miyazaki city. Without a car, take the train north to Nobeoka and the local bus up the valley, about 1½ hours, or come by highway bus from Kumamoto or Fukuoka. Read our guide to visiting Takachiho Gorge.

Rail passes

JR Kyushu sells rail passes for visitors, covering all of Kyushu or just the north or south. They cover JR trains in Miyazaki but not the buses to Takachiho or most of the coast sights, so add up the trains you actually plan to take before you buy one.

When to take a tour

If you do not want to drive, a tour is the most efficient way to see the far-flung sights. Private tours with a driver-guide cover the Nichinan coast or Takachiho in a day from Miyazaki city, and group day tours to Takachiho run from Kumamoto and Fukuoka. See our tours page.

Tips

• Taxis are easy to find in Miyazaki city but expensive for long trips.
• Book a car early for Golden Week, mid-August and February.
• For flights, trains and the ferry to Miyazaki, see getting there.