Udo-jingu Shrine 鵜戸神宮

Perched atop a steep cliff face overlooking the wide, blue ocean and jagged rocks below, Udo-jingu should be on your schedule if you're in the Miyazaki area.

The easiest way to get here is by car.

By car, it's about 40 kilometers south of the city center of Miyazaki, or roughly 45 minutes.

Whether you're coming north from Nichinan or south from Miyazaki , the road you take to get to Udo-jingu is a spectacular drive along the coast.

The shrine's main entrance is just a few meters from incredible ocean views, and there is a cave below.

There are some small red shrine gates on the left that are great for photos.

When you get to the bottom of the steps, take a left and explore the cave shrine. It's considered a special place with fertility powers, so you'll see lots of women there praying for the best.

Once you've seen the cave shrine, you'll exit nearby a little row of stalls where little boxes of pebbles are for sale. Buy some, make a wish, and then try to throw the little pebbles over the cliff into the hole below.

There's a catch: men must use their left hand and women must use their right hand, or your wishes won't come true.

Whether you're coming south from Aoshima , or north from Nichinan or even Kagoshima , Udo-jingu should be at the top of your list. It's very close to Sunmesse , so doing both in one trip is possible.