If you are in Miyazaki and plan to use the Nichinan line, you might as well decide to take the scenic train Yamasachi Umisachi.
The train run twice a day, usually on weekend and holiday only, between Miyazaki station and Nango station. The most notable stops on the way are Aoshima, an island that display the unique washboard stone formation that you can see in the region and is also a good destination for surfers, as well as the castle town of Obi.
The train is one of the only scenic train in Kyushu to have some non-reserved seats in car 2, but you can also reserve your seat to be sure to have one. While most of the seats are regular front facing seats, there is also some sofa seats at the end of the car.
On the train running from Miyazaki, there is a picture story show, but I did not see it as I took it only in the other direction. Other activities in the train include a draw, you have to draw the red ball from a box to win a candy, the rule is that men pick with the left hand and women with the right hand. This is the same as the rule at the nearby Udo-jingu shrine, where you can throw a small ball on a target and if you are successful, your wish will come true.
They also offer onboard sales, with themed merchandise and some regional food items, including mango soda (mango is the famous local fruit), craft beer from the local Hideji Beer Brewery and cheese manju.
Overall, the ride was nice and it is a relaxing experience if you like riding trains and in this case, the interior design is fancier than if you where to use the regular train that run along the same line
