From Miyazaki to Takachiho

Having finally reached Miyazaki on this tour, it was time to head home, but first, I decided to take a little sightseeing drive around the Miyazaki area.

However, it was pouring rain from the morning. The Cabriolet’s soft top was soaked beyond what its water-repellent treatment could handle. Opening the door quickly to avoid getting wet, I jumped in and started the engine.

Leaving Miyazaki city, I sped along K355 and then onto the Chubu Green Road. The heavy rain made visibility poor. The 911’s instrument panel prompted me to select WET mode. Turning the steering wheel mode switch to the left, I switched to WET mode.

Having previously experienced the overwhelming stability and peace of mind of WET mode during a heavy rain at Fuji Speedway, I knew how amazing this feature was. However, since the tire tread was more worn than back then, I stayed cautious of hydroplaning as I drove through the rural scenery.

Passing through Saito City, I headed north on K40 and then Osuzu Sun Road. This route had a nice number of corners and felt great. I had almost forgotten it was raining and was simply enjoying the drive.

Passing Hyuga City and continuing north, I drove the 911 toward the Takachiho region, a place I had always wanted to visit. From Nobeoka City, I took Route 218 aiming for Takachiho. After cruising the usual dull two-lane highway, I entered the Myth Road. I planned to have lunch at the Seiunbashi roadside station, but once again, the restaurant was closed.

For some reason, I seemed to have no luck with roadside station restaurants this trip.

Visiting Amanoiwato Shrine

Giving up on lunch, I pressed on and arrived at Amanoiwato Shrine. By this time, the rain had mostly stopped, only lightly drizzling now.

After getting out of the 911, I first visited the East Main Shrine of Amanoiwato. Climbing the long stairs surrounded by towering trees, a solemn shrine building appeared. Since there were no other visitors, I took my time to pray before heading to the West Main Shrine.

The West Main Shrine is where the famous Amanoiwato cave is located. The cave itself lies behind the shrine building and cannot be seen from it. On that day, there was a free tour every 30 minutes where the shrine priest guided visitors behind the shrine to see the cave, so I joined it.

Listening to the priest’s explanation, we went behind the shrine and across the river to the opposite bank, where the enormous Amanoiwato cave could be seen. Photography is prohibited here, so I can’t show you pictures, but the massive rock sealing the large cave was far more impressive than I imagined, creating a deeply solemn atmosphere with the air feeling taut and charged.

Whether the myth is historically accurate or not, there’s no doubt this place radiates an extraordinary aura.

After feeling the overwhelming dignity and power from Amanoiwato, I headed to Amanoyasugawara. This is another famous spot from the myths, and I was struck by the crystal-clear water flowing through the riverbed. Around the cave with the torii gate, many stones had been stacked by visitors hoping their wishes would come true.

After touring Amanoiwato Shrine, I got back into the 911 and checked the route again. There was still time. I could have taken the highway straight back to the hotel I had booked in Shimonoseki, but that wouldn’t be very interesting.

So, I decided to take mostly local roads and return via Aso.

Back toward Aso

Although I had passed through the Aso area on the first day, I was going to go through it again. Heading west on Route 218, then north on Route 265, this stretch of R265 was exhilarating and felt fantastic.

From there, I took Route 57 onto the Milk Road. The road was a bit rough in places, but the endless grasslands made for a stunning view, no matter how many times I visited. I stopped the 911 here and there to take photos, enjoying a leisurely tour.

Then, from the Milk Road, I returned to the Yamanami Highway, retracing the route I had taken on the day I arrived in Kyushu. For some reason, the Yamanami Highway was surprisingly empty that day, allowing me to enjoy the fantastic winding roads to my heart’s content. Before I knew it, I had arrived in Yufuin.

Heading home from Shimonoseki

From Yufuin IC, I got on the highway and cruised slowly as if to soothe the fatigue of the trip. Mostly relying on ACC, I enjoyed the scenery as I drove.

At Mekari PA just before crossing to Honshu, I had an early dinner while gazing at the Kanmon Bridge. Then, I slowly crossed the Kanmon Strait, bidding farewell to Kyushu. That night, I stayed at a hotel in Shimonoseki.

The next morning, I left early and took the Chugoku Expressway aiming for my home in Hyogo Prefecture.

I really like the Chugoku Expressway among Japan’s highways. With its ups and downs and a series of high-speed corners, it’s far from boring for a highway. Compared to the parallel Sanyo Expressway, I definitely prefer the Chugoku Expressway.

Along the way, I spotted what looked like a police car quite far behind. Although there was still plenty of distance, I drove cautiously. After climbing a long uphill, just as I started descending, the red flashing lights suddenly appeared in my rearview mirror.

Thanks to my special ability to react instantly to red lights, I changed lanes at lightning speed and returned to the driving lane in a flash.

The police car passed by and over the mic said, “Porsche driver, please slow down.” I raised my right hand out the window in salute to acknowledge this, and then the police car sped off with a furious acceleration.

However, that police car was definitely speeding too much. Judging by how quickly it closed the gap, it was probably going around 170-180 km/h.

There are some pretty aggressive police cars on the Chugoku Expressway around Yamaguchi Prefecture, so please drive safely and stay alert.

After that, I continued to enjoy a safe and smooth drive on the Chugoku Expressway. I arrived home by early afternoon, concluding the 6-night, 7-day grand tour.

The total distance traveled this time was 2,829 km. I accidentally reset the fuel consumption data midway, so the exact figure is unknown, but it’s probably around 10 km/L.

Route Map for This Trip

(Added to the route map from previous posts)