Kyushu-Okinawa Summit 2000
Outline of Kyushu-Okinawa Summit Meeting

Miyazaki is the setting of a myth regarding the founding of Japan as a state, and it is said to be the spiritual home of Japanese culture.
Miyazaki is also called the 'land of the gods,' and true to this name, there are many folk arts born out of religious customs like the Yokagura, a sacred song and dance. There are also numerous festivals that were born out of the earnest lives of the people of Miyazaki.

Today's Miyazaki cuisine is a modern-day form of what was originally a modest, commoner's cuisine. Famous dishes include those using Shiitake mushroom and wild boar. Hiyajiru is a type of cold, soybean paste soup with ground fish, sesame and other ingredients, which is poured over cooked rice.
Jidori, or organic chicken bred with utmost care, and Miyazaki beef, known throughout Japan for its high quality, are also some of Miyazaki's culinary delights.
Miyazaki is also known for its production of many varieties of Shochu, a distilled spirit made from such ingredients as potatoes and buckwheat. The Prefecture has the highest per capita consumption of such Shochu spirits.