Miyazaki Shrine

photo by z tanuki · CC BY 3.0

photo by z tanuki · CC BY 3.0

Rite on 26 October, then the ‘Jinmu-sama’ procession: the biggest festival in the prefecture.

The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Jinmu, the legendary figure whom Shinto tradition holds to be the first ruler of Japan and who is said to have set out from this region (then Hyūga) towards the east. The main rite (例祭, reisai) falls every year on 26 October; the following weekend the 御神幸祭 (goshinkō-sai) is held, popularly known as ‘Jinmu-sama’, described by the shrine itself as the largest autumn festival in the prefecture: a procession with the sacred palanquin (鳳輦) preceded by a ritual lion and a procession of children in costume, and a second, popular procession with an ancient papier-mâché ship (‘okiyo-maru’, which recalls Jinmu's legendary fleet) and the shan-shan horses decked out for the festival.

The shrine stands in a large urban wood in the neighbourhood that bears its name, north of the centre of Miyazaki city. The current form of the festival dates from around Meiji 42 (1909). The rite of 26 October traditionally commemorates the day on which, according to the Shinto account, Jinmu left Hyūga Province on the eastern expedition that would lead him to found the imperial court.

ℹ️ The opening hours of the grounds change between winter and summer: check them on the official website before your visit. Over the weekend of the 御神幸祭, road closures and a procession through the streets of the centre are scheduled.

🚉 Miyazaki-Jingu · 11 min walk

Sources: miyazakijingu.or.jp · miyazakijingu.or.jp

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