Tuesday 18 November 2014

Miyazaki: The Place of Mithology

EMU JR Kyushu 817 series stands at Miyazaki Station on the Nippo Main Line
 
Miyazaki Prefecture is located in Kyushu Island, some 1,300 km southwest of Tokyo. Currently, it has a population of 1.17 million, which is the 36th out of 47 prefectures in Japan. Miyazaki is known as a sub-tropical prefecture, which has high annual hours of sunshine. Thanks to its climate, mango is a reputable product there.

Miyazaki has another face... the place of mythology. We can find many myths in this historical prefecture. For instance, Udo Shrine, which is located in the southern part of the prefecture, has a mythological history. According to the legend, this shrine was opened in the reign of emperor Sujin, who was estimated to run the country from the third to the fourth century, to enshrine the grandson of the sea-god. Today, we can see the beautiful main building in a marine cave on the coast of the Sea of Hyuga.

Although Miyazaki bursts with mythology and historical places, the railways in this prefecture are modernized. You can see many modern trains, if you go to Miyazaki Station on the JR Kyushu Nippo Main Line. For example, the EMU 817 series is a typical standard commuter train in the Miyazaki city area. The 817 series was launched in 2001 to replace the old models such as the 415 series. It is a 20,000 V - 60 Hz - AC train for a 1,067-mm gauge track. A total of 65 sets (2-car and 3-car trains), 139 units, have been manufactured so far by Hitachi.

To be continued...

 
Udo Shrine is located on the coast of the Sea of Hyuga in Miyazaki Prefecture