The Miyazaki Prefectural Office is the administrative headquarters of Miyazaki Prefecture, located in Miyazaki City. The name refers to the main government building and the group of annexes and other facilities used for prefectural administration.
The office is situated in the central part of Miyazaki City, in an area that includes Tachibana-dori, Asahi, and Miyata-cho, where many government offices are concentrated. Prefectural operations are distributed among 16 buildings, including the main building constructed in 1932, Buildings No. 1 through No. 10, attached buildings, the disaster-prevention headquarters, the prefectural assembly building, and the prefectural enterprise bureau building.
The main building is particularly notable for its age. Completed in 1932, it is the fourth-oldest active prefectural government headquarters building in Japan. Since Hideo Higashikokubaru became governor of Miyazaki in 2007, the building has also attracted attention as a sightseeing destination, welcoming many visitors. On September 14, 2009, the cumulative number of visitors exceeded one million.
The first Miyazaki Prefectural Office was built in 1874, one year after the establishment of the first Miyazaki Prefecture in 1873. It stood at the present-day Tachibana-dori Higashi 2-chome in Miyazaki City.
The original plan was to establish the prefectural office in Shimokitakata Village, Miyazaki District, which is now Shimokitakata-cho in Miyazaki City. However, a change of location to Kamibeppu Village was approved. Until the building was completed, the Kamibeppu Village Office was used as a temporary government office.
The first building was made of wood and featured a Western-style design incorporating a tower-like structure and a traditional Japanese karahafu curved gable. Its construction cost was 15,480 yen.
In 1876, Miyazaki Prefecture was incorporated into Kagoshima Prefecture. The building then served as the Miyazaki Branch Office of Kagoshima Prefecture. In 1879, it became an administrative office for Miyazaki and Naka districts.
The location where the prefectural office was established later developed into the present-day city of Miyazaki. Among the prefectural capitals in Kyushu, Miyazaki is unique in that its development did not originate from a traditional castle town.
The current main building was completed in October 1932. Following the abolition of the district system in 1926, the volume of prefectural administrative work increased, and the original government building became too small. This created the need for a larger and more functional office.
The construction plan was temporarily suspended because of the Great Depression. However, Minoru Ariyoshi, who became governor in 1930, proposed rebuilding the office as part of an employment-relief initiative. This proposal allowed the project to resume.
The total construction cost was approximately 720,000 yen. Of this amount, 450,000 yen was donated by four electric power companies as part of an arrangement connected with the construction of hydroelectric dams.
The building was designed by Akira Oki-shio in the Neo-Gothic architectural style, and construction was carried out by Obayashi Corporation. Its historic design and long use as the center of prefectural administration have made it one of Miyazaki’s notable architectural landmarks.
In April 2007, Governor Hideo Higashikokubaru proposed placing a life-size panel of the governor at the main entrance. A series of initiatives were introduced to attract visitors and make the prefectural office a more recognizable destination.
From July of the same year, the main building was illuminated on Friday and Saturday evenings. The nighttime lighting helped increase its appeal as a sightseeing spot. The adjacent Miyazaki Bussankan, a shop offering local products, also began welcoming many visitors.
Phoenix palms, the official prefectural tree of Miyazaki, have been planted on the government office grounds. Three palms in front of the main entrance were particularly well known as symbols of the prefectural office.
The central palm had originally been planted at Tenjin-yama Park in Miyazaki City in 1912. It was moved to the prefectural office grounds when the current main building was completed in 1932. Unfortunately, the tree died in 2009 and was cut down on May 21 of that year.
In November 2016, the Cultural Affairs Council of the Agency for Cultural Affairs decided that the Miyazaki Prefectural Office main building, the stone pillars at the main gate, and the pillars at the east gate should be registered as National Registered Tangible Cultural Properties.
The formal registration took place in May 2017. This recognition highlighted the historical and architectural importance of the prefectural office and its associated structures.
The Miyazaki Prefectural Office is more than an administrative center. Its architectural style, historical background, and role as a visitor destination have made it an important symbol of the prefecture. Its continued preservation and use help ensure that this historic building remains part of Miyazaki’s cultural landscape.