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Province · Kyushu
Saga
Arita and Imari porcelain, Karatsu Castle, the hot springs of Takeo and Ureshino, the Yoshinogari site and the Saga Balloon Festival.
In the photo: Yutoku Inari Shrine, in Saga.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The province
Get to know Saga
Saga is in northwest Kyushu, between Fukuoka and Nagasaki, with the Ariake Sea to the south — known for large tides and nori seaweed farming — and the Genkai Sea to the north. It is one of the least-visited prefectures in Kyushu, just over an hour from Fukuoka.
Arita produced Japan’s first porcelain in the early 17th century and exported it to Europe through the port of Imari. In the town, shops, workshops and museums line a street of old houses. Okawachiyama, near Imari, was the village of kilns that made wares for local lords and still preserves brick chimneys among the hills.
On the northern coast, Karatsu has a reconstructed castle overlooking the bay and a long pine grove by the sea. In November, the Karatsu Kunchi festival parades large lacquered floats shaped like lions, fish and helmets through the streets. In nearby Yobuko, squid is served raw and translucent.
Takeo Onsen has a red wooden gate at the entrance to the public bathhouse and, at a shrine, a camphor tree more than a thousand years old. Ureshino’s hot springs leave the skin soft, and the area has tea plantations. The Yoshinogari site reconstructs a large Yayoi-period village with houses and watchtowers. In autumn, the Saga International Balloon Fiesta fills the sky over Saga.
When to go
The Arita pottery fair takes place in early May. The azaleas in Mifuneyama Park in Takeo bloom between April and May. The balloon festival usually occurs between late October and early November, and the Karatsu Kunchi is in early November. Summers in Saga are humid and hot, and winters are mild.
Getting there
Saga Airport (HSG) receives flights from Tokyo, but Fukuoka Airport is usually more used. By train, Saga is about 40 minutes from Hakata, Takeo-Onsen about 1 hour, and Arita about 1 hour 20 minutes. Takeo-Onsen is the starting point for the Shinkansen service to Nagasaki. Karatsu is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Fukuoka on the subway and the JR Chikuhi Line.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about Saga
Where can you see and buy porcelain in Arita?
On the town’s main street with shops and workshops, at the Kyushu Ceramic Museum and in the village of Okawachiyama near Imari. At the early-May pottery fair, hundreds of stalls fill the town.
How do you get from Fukuoka to Karatsu?
Take Fukuoka’s subway that runs on the JR Chikuhi Line to Karatsu without changing trains — about 1 hour 20 minutes. From the station, the castle is about a 20-minute walk.
When does the Saga Balloon Festival take place?
Generally between late October and early November, on the banks of the Kase River. The balloons launch early in the morning when the wind conditions allow. During the festival, a temporary train station serves the site.
What can you see at the Yoshinogari site?
A reconstructed Yayoi-period village from about two thousand years ago, rebuilt on the original site, with moats, fences, houses, raised storehouses and watchtowers. The park is large and requires two to three hours to visit.
Beyond the guide
