Selecting the perfect location for a major convention or training camp requires a delicate balance. The need to provide high-quality infrastructure and ensure the safety and comfort of participants must be supported by interesting cultural sights and activities. And having good weather certainly helps.
You can find all of this and more in sunny Miyazaki Prefecture, located on the southeastern side of Kyushu. Blessed with a subtropical climate, Miyazaki has both stunning beaches and dramatic mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Although under two hours by plane from Tokyo, the waving palm trees, relaxed atmosphere and warm breezes makes guests feel like they have arrived at an island resort.
The Phoenix Seagaia Resort, a short 20-minute drive from the prefecture’s main hub, Miyazaki Station, provides all the services needed for a successful conference, with the bonus of inspiring, uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean. Adjacent to the Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort, the newly renovated Seagaia Convention Center can cater to the needs of professional gatherings of all sizes, from company brainstorming sessions of under 100 people to international conferences with over 3,000 attendees. Seagaia hosted the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting for the 2000 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit, and with the reopening of Japan’s borders from the COVID-19 pandemic is looking forward to welcoming guests from around the world.
In their downtime, guests can take advantage of two world-class golfing opportunities directly onsite: the Phoenix Country Club (one of Japan’s top three courses) along with the more casual Tom Watson course designed by the PGA star himself. Horseback riding, tennis, surfing, diving and peaceful walking trails through the black pine forests are also popular options to stay active and enjoy the warm days. Miyazaki is well-known in Japan for having excellent weather conditions, constantly ranking among the top three for yearly hours of sunshine and number of clear days. Teams from a variety of sports train in Miyazaki Prefecture, as the conditions are ideal for training and sports events. To support the sporting community’s needs, the newest addition will be the Amino Vital Training Center opening just next to Seagaia in April. The 6.5-hectare site includes a grass soccer field, a rugby pitch and a large multipurpose athletic field with a 400-meter track, along with a clubhouse and top-of-the-line indoor training facilities.
Besides the Phoenix Seagaia Resort, Miyazaki has an additional 29 conference centers across the prefecture, from smaller 100-person events to facilities that can welcome over 1,000. With 48 hotels ready to accommodate guests and experienced staff on hand to help, events held in this sunny prefecture will go off without a hitch. Looking for a truly unique reception venue? Why not book Miyazaki Shrine for an immersive experience combining local history and culture.
But there is much more to Miyazaki than resorts and sports facilities. The grandeur of its landscape has inspired legends of the very creation of Japan itself! During a sojourn in the “land of myths,” visitors should absolutely make a trip to the magical Takachiho area, said to be where the gods Izanagi and Izanami came to Earth and created the islands of Japan. Visit the cave where Amaterasu, the sun goddess, is said to have hidden herself away after a fight with her brother, or marvel at the mystical Takachiho Gorge, where her nephew Ninigi descended from the heavens to bring peace on Earth and plant rice. From ancient shrines hidden in the forest to caves leading to the charming former samurai town of Obi, the depth and breadth of Japan’s legends and history feel very close in Miyazaki.
And don’t forget one of the greatest joys of travel: experiencing local foods. Drenched in sunshine and blessed with rich, fertile soil, Miyazaki is the fourth-largest agricultural production area in Japan, and runs a number of innovative initiatives (including a model farming village) to further improve the knowledge and lives of those in agriculture-based communities. The agriculture significance of Miyazaki is clear, as it hosted the G7 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting from April 22 to 23, and is ready to welcome experts from around the world to discuss global issues.
But you don’t have to be an agriculture specialist to tuck into dinners featuring juicy, umami-rich Miyazaki wagyu beef or prized jidori (locally raised) chicken, rounded out by a few glasses of shochu (a distilled beverage similar to vodka). Those with a sweet tooth will fall in love with the fragrant local mangoes, and during the summer trying a bowl of hiyajiru, a savory chilled soup that is poured over a bowl of rice, tofu and cucumbers, is a must. Post-conference, true foodies will be spoiled for choice, with a number of sake breweries, shochu distilleries and wineries within easy reach by train or car.
Offering planning and financial support, the Miyazaki Prefecture Tourism Association’s dedicated MICE team will assist from the earliest inspections to organizing sightseeing and cultural experiences for guests, ensuring a memorable, seamless and affordable event. Generous subsidies are available to help cover venue rentals, post-MICE sightseeing activities and more, providing great value for the money.
A natural place to discuss food
by SHUNJI KOUNO
CHAIRMAN, G7 AGRICULTURE MINISTERS’ MEETING IN MIYAZAKI COOPERATION PROMOTION COUNCIL
It is a great honor for the prefecture of Miyazaki to host the upcoming G7 agriculture ministers’ meeting. We sincerely welcome all who visit.
Agriculture is a key industry of Miyazaki, which is one of the foremost food-producing bases of Japan. Miyazaki’s agricultural output was ranked fourth-largest in 2021.
Population growth, climate change and volatile political situations have significantly affected food and farming. At this juncture, I feel it is very meaningful that global food security and sustainable farming will be discussed in Miyazaki.
While Miyazaki has attracted many corporate training programs, academic meetings and international conventions, it is the first time in 23 years for it to host a summit-related ministerial meeting. The previous time was the meeting of foreign ministers held as part of the then-Group of Eight Kyushu-Okinawa Summit in 2000.
It is my hope that this meeting will make Miyazaki’s superior MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) environment known widely to the world and give a fresh boost to its effort to attract such events.
I hope those of you who visit our prefecture will fully enjoy its great features, including its rich, beautiful nature, Miyazaki wagyu — which won first place in last year’s beef competition — the high-quality vegetables, meat products and seafood that are the pride of Miyazaki, and its rich cultural traditions, such as the kagura, an ancient ceremonial dance. I further hope you will eventually become fans of Miyazaki and visit the prefecture again.
I also hope this meeting will successfully conclude and become the first step toward an era in which all people of the world are filled with the joy of eating.
More about how Miyazaki Prefecture can fulfill your MICE tourism needs can be found at: https://www.kanko-miyazaki.jp/convention/index.html (Japanese only).
This page is sponsored by G7 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting in Miyazaki Cooperation Promotion Council.
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