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Heiwadai Park

Little knownBarely documented in English. This is the kind of place the site exists for.

Researched and written by Hinato

Peace Towerhaniwahistorical monumentarchaeologyMiyazaki City

Photo: junichiro kawakami / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · original

What Heiwadai Park looked like originally and what it looks like now are two different stories — both worth knowing before you arrive.

Heiwadai Park features the Peace Tower (平和の塔) — a 37-meter stone monument built in 1940 to commemorate the 2,600th anniversary of Emperor Jimmu's mythical founding of Japan. The tower is constructed from stones donated from all over Japan and Japanese territories at the time (including Korea, Taiwan, and Manchuria), making it a complicated historical artifact.

The park also contains a 'Haniwa Garden' — 400+ modern clay haniwa (ancient burial figures) replicas arranged on a hillside, creating a surreal archaeological theme park.

What to know before you go

When to go

Year-round; best as supplement to other Miyazaki sightseeing for history/archaeology enthusiasts

Opening hours

Park open 24/7.

Closed: Park open year-round. Tower approach may have seasonal variations.

Time to allow

45–60 minutes for peace tower, haniwa garden, and park grounds

Fee

Free. Parking free.

Finding your way there

Getting there in detail

Heiwadai Park, Miyazaki City. A drive from central Miyazaki or a bus. Free entry. Parking free. Park open 24/7

What locals know

**Historical context:** The Peace Tower was built during militarist expansion (1940) and originally celebrated Japanese imperialism. Post-WWII, it was reinterpreted as a peace monument. The tower's design incorporates Asian architectural motifs (imitating Borobudur stupas) — an example of 1930s Pan-Asian ideology. The site is historically significant but aesthetically dated. **Haniwa Garden:** The modern haniwa replicas (created by artist Iwasaki Tsuneo) depict various figures — humans, horses, houses, shields. The originals date to Japan's Kofun period (3rd–6th century). The replicas are scattered across a hillside, creating unusual photo opportunities — 400 clay figures staring at you. The garden is free and uncrowded. **Skip if time-limited:** Heiwadai Park is interesting for history/archaeology enthusiasts but less essential than Takachiho Gorge, Aoshima, or Udo Jingu. Allocate here only if you have 3+ days in Miyazaki Prefecture.

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