Obi is called the Little Kyoto of Kyushu, and the designation is more accurate than most such nicknames. The castle town retains its Edo-period street plan, whitewashed walls, samurai residences, and the particular silence that comes from a historic district that has not been overwhelmed by tourism. The cedar forests that supplied the domain's wealth still stand on the slopes above the town. The October Jokamachi Festival sends a historical procession through these streets — samurai armor, domain flags, the visual vocabulary of the Edo period moving through an environment that was built for exactly this purpose. The backdrop is not reconstructed; it is simply the town as it has always been. The effect is of history that has not yet been separated from its setting. Miyazaki prefecture is typically associated with resort beaches and warm weather. Obi is the counterargument — a town that defines itself through historical depth rather than climate. Getting there requires some effort; it is not on any major route. This is also why it remains what it is.