From Miyazaki to Takachiho

We’d finally made it to Miyazaki, and it was time to head home. But first, we decided to take a scenic drive around the area before setting off.

The rain had been coming down hard since morning. The water-repellent treatment on the Cabriolet’s fabric roof was struggling to keep up with the downpour. We opened the door, hopped in as quickly as we could to stay dry, and started the engine.

Leaving Miyazaki City behind, we took Prefectural Route 355 and joined the Chubu Green Road. The rain was heavy, and visibility was poor. The 911’s instrument panel prompted me to select WET mode. I turned the mode switch on the steering wheel to the left and selected WET.

I’d already experienced the remarkable stability and reassurance of WET mode in a downpour at Fuji Speedway, so I knew just how effective it could be. But the tires had less tread than they did back then, so I stayed alert for aquaplaning as we drove through the rural scenery.

We passed through Saito City and headed north on Prefectural Route 40 and the Osuzu Sun Road. This stretch has plenty of well-spaced corners, making it a delight to drive. Before long, I’d even forgotten about the rain and was simply enjoying the drive.

After passing through Hyuga City, we continued north, steering the 911 toward the Takachiho area—a place I’d always wanted to visit. From Nobeoka City, we took Route 218 toward Takachiho. After the usual uninspiring stretch of two-lane expressway, we joined the Mythology Road. We’d hoped to have lunch at Seiun Bridge Roadside Station along the way, but once again, the restaurant was closed.

For some reason, we just couldn’t catch a break with roadside-station restaurants on this trip.

A Visit to Amanoiwato Shrine

We gave up on lunch and carried on, eventually arriving at Amanoiwato Shrine. By then, the rain had almost completely stopped, leaving just a light drizzle.

After getting out of the 911, we first visited the shrine’s East Sanctuary. A long flight of steps, surrounded by towering trees, led up to the solemn-looking shrine building. We were the only visitors there, so we took our time paying our respects before heading over to the West Sanctuary.

The West Sanctuary is home to Amanoiwato, the cave at the heart of the shrine’s legend. The sacred cave itself is behind the shrine building and can’t be seen from inside. On the day we visited, a shrine priest was leading a free tour behind the building every 30 minutes for visitors who wanted to see Amanoiwato, so we joined one.

As we listened to the priest’s explanation and walked around behind the shrine, we saw the enormous cave across the river. Photography is prohibited here, so I can’t share a picture, but the cave is blocked by a huge rock, far larger than I’d imagined. The atmosphere is deeply solemn, and the air feels almost charged.

Whether the myth is rooted in historical fact or not, there’s no doubt that this place has an unmistakably extraordinary atmosphere.

After taking in the awe-inspiring presence and power of Amanoiwato, we headed to Amanoyasukawara. This is another place famous in Japanese mythology, but what struck me most was the clarity of the stream flowing through the riverbed. Around the cave with its torii gate, there were piles of stones left by people hoping their wishes would come true.

After exploring the shrine grounds, we got back into the 911 and checked our route again. We still had time. We could have taken the expressway all the way to Shimonoseki, where we had a hotel booked, but that didn’t sound like much fun.

So, we decided to make the most of the local roads and return via Aso.

Back Toward Aso

We’d driven through the Aso area on the first day, and now we were heading back through it again. We took Route 218 west, then turned north onto Route 265. This stretch of Route 265 is a real joy, with plenty of room to open up the pace.

From Route 57, we continued onto Milk Road. The pavement was a little rough in places, but the sweeping grassland views are wonderful every time. We stopped here and there to photograph the 911 and took our time enjoying the road trip.

From Milk Road, we rejoined the Yamanami Highway and retraced the route we’d taken on our first day in Kyushu. For some reason, the road was unusually quiet that day, leaving us free to enjoy its superb winding sections. Before we knew it, we’d arrived in Yufuin.

Heading Home from Shimonoseki

We joined the expressway at Yufuin IC and settled into a relaxed cruise, as if giving ourselves a chance to recover from the journey. With adaptive cruise control doing most of the work, we enjoyed the scenery along the way.

At Mekari Parking Area, just before crossing to Honshu, we enjoyed an early dinner while looking out at the Kanmon Bridge. Then we crossed the Kanmon Strait at an easy pace and said goodbye to Kyushu. We spent the night at a hotel in Shimonoseki.

The next morning, we set off early and headed for home in Hyogo Prefecture via the Chugoku Expressway.

The Chugoku Expressway is one of my favorite highways. With its ups and downs and a succession of fast corners, it’s never boring for an expressway. I like it far better than the Sanyo Expressway, which runs parallel to it.

At one point, I spotted what looked like a police car far behind us. It was still a long way back, so I kept driving carefully. After cresting a long uphill stretch and beginning the descent, though, red lights suddenly appeared in my rearview mirror.

I seem to have a special talent for spotting those flashing red lights, because I changed lanes in a flash and was back in the cruising lane in an instant.

As the patrol car passed, an officer spoke over the loudspeaker: “Porsche driver, please slow down.” I raised my right hand through the window in acknowledgment, almost like a salute. Then the patrol car accelerated away at a furious pace.

That patrol car was definitely speeding. To close that distance so quickly, it must have been doing around 170–180 km/h.

There are some pretty lively patrol cars on the Chugoku Expressway around Yamaguchi Prefecture, so please take care and drive safely.

We continued along the Chugoku Expressway, driving safely, and arrived home shortly after noon. That brought our six-night, seven-day grand tour to an end.

We covered a total of 2,829 km on this trip. I accidentally reset the fuel-economy readout along the way, so I don’t have an exact figure, but I’d estimate around 10 km/L.

The Route Map

(Added to the route map from the previous installments)