Arriving in Miyazaki by long-distance bus , you end up at Miyako City Bus Centre, though most services also call at Miyazaki Station or the central crossroads on their way through town. Likewise, trains stop at both Miyazaki Station and southerly Minami-Miyazaki Station, three minutes' walk east of Miyako City. The airport also lies on the south side of town, just 5km from the city centre. It's connected by both train (1-3 hourly; 10min; A?330) and limousine bus (every 20min; 25min; A?360) to Miyazaki Station via Minami-Miyazaki. Finally, ferries from Kawasaki, Naha, Osaka and Yakushima dock at Miyazaki Port Ferry Terminal, east of the city centre. You'll find buses waiting outside the terminal buildings to bring you to Miyazaki Station or Miyako City (15-20min; A?290).

Miyazaki is well provided with English-language information. Both the main tourist information office inside Miyazaki Station (daily 9am-5pm; tel 0985/22-6469, fax 22-6505), and the airport desk (daily 7am-8.30pm; tel 0985/51-5114) have English-speaking staff. There's also a telephone helpline (tel 0985/52-4754) for assistance outside office hours. The Prefectural International Centre, 6F Higashi-Bekkan, 1-6 Miyata-cho (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.15pm; tel 0985/32-8457), beside the City Hall, is another useful resource, aimed primarily at long-term residents.

Look out for two publications, Discovering Miyazaki and Miyazaki Relax and Enjoy , which contain helpful tips about using local buses . Though most services depart from Miyako City, a few use the Miyazaki Eigyosho terminus, opposite Miyazaki Station's west entrance, or depart from the station concourse. However, almost all buses call at stops around the city's central crossroads, so the best thing is to head for this junction and ask which stop you need; getting off here, ask for Depato-mae. Destinations are shown on the front of the bus in kanji ; take a numbered ticket as you board and pay the driver on exit according to the fare on the display panel.