Miyazaki Shrine
Miyazaki Shrine is the main Shinto sanctuary in Miyazaki Prefecture. It enshrines Jimmu, the mythical first emperor of Japan, who in the legend ruled over the surrounding area before journeying east, defeating rival tribes, and establishing a government in what is now Nara Prefecture. Emperor Jimmu is said to have been deified after death and enshrined on the site of present-day Miyazaki Shrine, whose early history is unclear. The shrine first appears in records from the Kamakura period (1185–1333), but rose to prominence only after the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The new government of Emperor Meiji (1852–1912) encouraged the worship and maintenance of sites associated with native mythology and legends concerning the origins of the imperial line. The present shrine buildings were constructed in 1907. The design of the roofs, with their protruding decorations, is borrowed from the ancient shinmei-zukuri style of shrine architecture. Built with Japanese cedar, rather than the more usual cypress, the structures were designed by the architect Ito Chuta (1867–1954), whose work also includes Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. In addition to the main sanctuary, the 25-hectare grounds include several other Shinto shrines, a garden, and the Miyazaki Prefectural Museum of Nature and History.