🐦 Through Tropical Pines and Ancient Mounds: A 13km Ptarmigan Art in Miyazaki 🐦
Miyazaki City, blessed with a warm Pacific breeze and fringed by the vast Hitotsuba pine forests, is a tropical paradise steeped in Japanese mythology. This 13km GPS art course invites you to sketch a Ptarmigan (Raicho), exploring the western countryside from the iconic Miyazaki City Phoenix Zoo.
The journey blends coastal nature with rich ancient history. Starting near the zoo, the route navigates through the serene green paths of Sumiyoshi Park and loops toward Hyūga-Sumiyoshi Station. The physical and cultural highlight of the trek is the Hasugaikeshiseki Park, a historic sanctuary surrounding a peaceful pond, where ancient kofun (burial mounds) and tunnel tombs from the mid-Kofun period are preserved. Walking through this landscape allows you to feel the deep, mystical layers of ancient Hyuga province under the gentle Miyazaki sun.
The Ptarmigan is a sacred alpine bird and an Ice Age relic that thrives on snowy mountain peaks. Drawing this mystical mountain messenger across the sun-drenched, palm-lined flatlands of Miyazaki creates a playful and poetic contrast that defines the joy of GPS art. The 13km loop is flat and pleasant, making it an excellent trail for an invigorating long-distance run or walk. By the time the digital bird takes flight on your smartphone screen, you will have woven together Miyazaki’s legendary past and its breezy modern landscape with every single step.
RESTAURANTS
DETAIL (EXTERNAL LINK)
A PIONEER IN GPS ART.
1st work was authorized by Guinness World Records as “the Largest GPS Drawing”.
He is the only Japanese person to be featured in a Google documentary as an innovator. He is fascinated by the idea of drawing with GPS and has published more than 2,500 works.
