The next day was the distance day of the trip. I'd originally intended to go straight down the interior, but was dissuaded by everyone I asked, who told me the roads were very steep up-and-down without much good scenery to compensate (and no inns anywhere around). So I decided to leave that route for a trip on which I had camping gear, and pedaled downhill to the coast to Miyazaki. This photo was taken along the way. En route I was passed by several camouflage-green buses bearing the logo of Aum Shinrikyo, the cult that released sarin gas on the Tokyo subway a few years ago. Apparently they still have a huge compound down here (and apparently they're still in existence). As much as possible, I tried to avoid breathing the exhaust fumes...

Takachiho puts on shows nightly depicting Japan's creation myth. These are highly recommended, particularly for anyone who thinks that the Japanese are "inscrutable" - go there expecting a boring, reverential religious story and I can guarantee that you'll be in for quite a shock. According to this version at least, the gods have too much to drink one night and... well, you can guess the rest. The performance is uproarious, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. A highlight is shown at left, when the each of the gods in turn shows a bit of wandering eye and attempts to drag a member of the audience on stage for some additional creative endeavors.