Takachihogo-Shiibayama area in Miyazaki prefecture which consists of the three towns and two villages of Takachiho Town, Hinokage Town, Gokase Town, Morotsuka Village, and Shiiba Village is located right in the middle of Kyushu region.

Approximately 92% of the site is covered in forest that is mostly on sloped land, and despite these harsh conditions, people have constructed a composite system of agricultural forestry that combines the varieties of productions, including rice, produce, tea, flower, timber, shiitake mushroom as well as wagyu cattle. Using this system, the local farmers can pursue stable livelihoods.

Takachihogo-Shiibayama area holds many other treasures born from agricultural forestry, such as well-managed forests, some of Japan's best terraced fields and 500km of hillside irrigation canals, and traditional shifting cultivation.

To pray for peace in the area, Kagura, the divine ritual in which the dancers ask the gods to descend with a bountiful harvest has been passed down since ancient times.