Udo Jingu Shrine’s honden stands inside a cave on Point Udozaki, which juts out into the Pacific Ocean. This cave is said to have been the birthplace of this shrine’s main deity, who is worshiped as a god of marriage, safe childbirth, and childcare.

Nichinan Kaigan Quasi-National Park faces the beautiful Sea of Hyuga, and the gorgeous ocean is one highlight here. Unusually shaped rocks and mysterious reefs stretch around the point, and you can enjoy natural scenery such as the white waves breaking on the rocks.

If you are visiting this shrine, then we recommend trying your luck. It is said that if you make a wish and successfully throw (men with their left hand and women with their right) a lucky ball called an undama into a square shape on a rock, known as the kameishi or “turtle rock,” your wish will be granted.

The Shan Shan Uma Dochu-uta National Competition, representative of Miyazaki, is held each year in March. Up until the beginning of the 1900s, it was customary for people in Miyazaki to visit Udo Jingu Shrine when they married. This tradition is known as shan shan uma (shan shan horses), taken from the sound of the bells attached to the horses.