Heiwadai Park

Heiwadai Park is located in the north of Miyazaki at an elevation of 60 meters (197 feet). It was built in 1940 to commemorate the 2600th birthday of Emperor Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan. 

The most impressive building in the park is the 37-meter-high (121 feet) Hakko Ichiu Monument, also called Peace Monument. Besides, you can mount the observation deck and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the park and city. Another spot that’s worth a visit is Haniwa Park with clay soldiers in it. More importantly, you can see the Olympic cauldron of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games since Heiwadai Park is the starting point for the second leg of the Olympic Torch Relay.

Visitors can learn more about Japan’s history from the spots above; at the same time, Heiwadai Park is an ideal place to relax. There are broad grasslands where you can have a picnic or take a nap. Besides, you can take a walk around the lake and enjoy the blooming of various flowers, including cherry blossom and walking through the bushy green vegetation will be a pleasure. And if you come here with children, there is a playground with some recreation facilities. 

A Brook in Heiwadai Park

People Taking Pictures Under the Blossom Trees

Top Spots to See in Heiwadai Park

Hakko Ichiu Monument (Peace Monument)

Hakko Ichiu Monument (Peace Monument) was built with stones collected from all over the world. It is the most eye-catching architecture in the park and also one of the landmarks of Miyazaki. 

At the foot of the Peace Monument, there are four statues standing towards four directions, respectively are God of War, God of Agriculture, God of Fishery, and God of Business. There is a bronze door attached to the monument. But it is always locked with iron chains and visitors are not allowed to go inside. 

Coming here, you should not miss an interesting phenomenon. If you face the monument by standing in the center of the grassland and clap your hands, you will hear an even louder sound of clapping reflected by the monument.
 

Haniwa Park

Appeared in Tumulus period (250-552 CE), Haniwa is a kind of terracotta clay figure made for rituals and buried around the ancient tombs as funerary objects. Clay figures in Haniwa Park were excavated from the tombs of nearby Saitobaru Kofungun, a graveyard.

In the forests north to the Peace Monument, there are about 400 pieces of Haniwa in Haniwa Park. The figures look like real people, but with a smaller size and simpler appearance. They have oval faces with various expressions. As for their gestures, some of them are standing there with their mouths wide open, which can easily remind you of The Scream by Edvard Munch. Some other clay soldiers are riding a horse, and some are just smiling. It’s wonderful to take photos of these cute and special clay figures.
 

The Forest and Lake in Heiwadai Park

How to Get Here

Take the bus bound for Heiwadai Park for 24 stops at the east exit of Miyazaki Station. After getting off, walk towards north and turn right at the first crossing, you will reach Heiwadai Park in no more than 3 minutes.

Opening Time: 24 Hours

Ticket: Free

Nearby Attraction

Miyazaki Shrine: With a 15-minute walking distance, Miyazaki Shrine may be your first choice to drop by after visiting Heiwadai Park. It enshrines the first emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu. At the same time there are lots of toriis you can see there.