Miyazaki is the capital of Miyazaki Prefecture, which is located in southeastern Kyushu. The city is on a plain facing the Pacific Ocean, though the rest of the prefecture is mostly mountainous. It has a warm climate and gets a lot of rain, especially during the typhoon season.

The prefecture's biggest industry is agriculture, the leading products being rice and sweet potatoes.

A popular tourist attraction is Aoshima, an island 1.7 kilometers south of the city that you can walk to at low tide. Miyazaki's rocky shoreline, carved by waves, is called "ogre's washboard." There are almost 230 species of subtropical plants on the island, which is just 40,000 square meters (48,000 square yards) in area. The island is part of the Nichinan Coast Quasi-National Park.