Stargazing in Miyazaki & Aoshima Shrine Tour w/ Dinner

Seated on the northern tip of the Nichinan Coast, Aoshima Shrine is one of the most sacred sites on Miyazaki’s eastern coastline, having been an object of worship since Japan’s age of mythology. In fact, until 1737, it was considered so hallowed that only priests were allowed to set foot on the island. Ironically, it is surrounded by intriguing rock formations known as the Devil’s Washboard — which only adds to its sense of mystique.

Ordinarily, everyone has to leave the shrine grounds by 5:30 pm. But this special experience, available only in October and November 2024, allows exclusive access to the shrine after dark. You’ll see scenes that daytime visitors could only dream of laying eyes on. Don’t miss the sight of the Motomiya central shrine and its two flanking lions in the twilight, and take the chance to offer up a prayer beneath the shadowed eaves of the Wadatsumi and Iso shrines. An added bonus: Aoshima is far enough from city lights to make it wonderful for stargazing. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience: looking up at the silvery expanse of the Milky Way glimmering overhead, standing in one of the most sacred sites in Shinto mythology.

Return to the mainland to find a meal waiting for you, prepared by two titans of Japan’s gourmet scene. The owner-chef of the former Michelin-starred Kasane in Akasaka, Chef Kashiwada Kojiro returns to his native Miyazaki to showcase his Tokyo-honed mastery of traditional Japanese technique. Applying it to the unparalleled freshness of Miyazaki produce, meat and seafood, the result is a gastronomic synthesis unlike any other. This is complemented by a cocktail made by the deft hands of Nagumo Shuzo, one of Japan’s leading mixologists, and the founder of Memento Mori, one of the World’s 50 Best Bars. Let him overturn all your conceptions of what a cocktail can be with a single drink that incorporates fresh Miyazaki fruit to wrap this once-in-a-lifetime experience.