Yobuko squid呼子のイカ
Live squid served as glistening sashimi, with the remaining parts often fried as tempura.
Kyushu
Saga Travel Guide
Local tips, regional food and places off the tourist trail
A quiet prefecture between Fukuoka and Nagasaki, famous for porcelain and hot springs. Visit the pottery towns of Arita and Imari, the onsen of Ureshino and Takeo, and the castle town of Karatsu.
Open Saga on the map39 places on the map · 13 local favourites
Local tips
- TipThe Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen stops at Takeo-Onsen and Ureshino-Onsen, handy for combining Saga with Nagasaki.
- Heads upArita’s pottery fair during Golden Week draws huge crowds; go then for bargains, or another time for calm.
- TipIn autumn, the Saga International Balloon Fiesta fills the sky and Karatsu holds its Kunchi float festival.
- DoHead to Yobuko, near Karatsu, for its morning market and squid so fresh it’s still translucent.
- TipYutoku Inari Shrine in Kashima is a striking hillside shrine that sees far fewer visitors than Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari.
What to eat
Saga beef佐賀牛
Finely marbled wagyu, enjoyed as steak or teppanyaki around Takeo and Saga city.
Ureshino onsen yudofu嬉野温泉湯どうふ
Tofu simmered in Ureshino’s hot-spring water until it turns soft and milky.
Local favourites
Places mostly visited by people who live here — quieter, and often the highlight of a trip.
Taku Seibyo
多久聖廟 Sights & HistoryJapan's oldest surviving Confucian temple, a colourful Chinese-style hall hidden in the hills of Taku.
● Mostly localsFormer Takatori Residence
旧高取邸 Sights & HistoryGrand mansion of a Meiji coal magnate by the sea in Karatsu, with a private Noh stage inside and painted wooden doors.
● Mostly localsKiyomizu Falls, Ogi
小城 清水の滝 Nature & SceneryLocal FoodWaterfall in Ogi where restaurants along the stream serve koi carp sashimi. Lit up on summer evenings.
● Mostly localsMichi-no-Eki Kashima
道の駅鹿島 Local FoodNature & SceneryRoadside station on the Ariake Sea mudflats, where you can see mudskippers and buy seaweed and seafood. Hosts the muddy 'Gatalympics' in late spring.
● Mostly localsArita Tonbai-bei Back Street
トンバイ塀のある裏通り Sights & HistoryA quiet lane lined with walls built from old kiln bricks and broken pottery, tucked behind Arita's main street.
● Mostly localsKyushu Ceramic Museum
佐賀県立九州陶磁文化館 Sights & HistoryThe best place to understand Arita and Imari porcelain, from early pieces to export ware that reached European palaces.
● Mostly localsNakazato Taroemon Kiln
中里太郎右衛門窯 ShoppingHistoric Karatsu-ware kiln with a gallery and shop showing the earthy, understated pottery tea masters prize.
● Mostly localsMikaeri Falls
見帰りの滝 Nature & SceneryTall waterfall in the hills of Karatsu, surrounded by thousands of hydrangeas in early summer.
● Mostly localsMitsutake Shuzojo
光武酒造場 Local FoodSake and shochu brewery in Kashima's Hama area with a shop and tasting counter. Pairs well with a walk along the old brewery streets.
● Mostly localsMount Kagami Observatory
鏡山展望台 Nature & SceneryFlat-topped mountain with the best view over the curving pine grove of Nijinomatsubara and Karatsu Bay.
● Mostly localsMuraoka Sohonpo Yokan Museum
村岡総本舗 羊羹資料館 Local FoodSights & HistoryOgi is the home of sugar-crusted yokan bean jelly, and this old maker keeps a small museum in its brick sugar warehouse next to the shop.
● Mostly localsSaga Shrine
佐嘉神社 Temples & GoshuinchoShrine dedicated to the Nabeshima lords in central Saga, with a pair of Meiji-era cannons and a festive lantern event in summer.
● Mostly localsThe famous sights
The places most visitors come for. Worth it — just go early.
Yutoku Inari Shrine
祐徳稲荷神社 Temples & GoshuinchoSights & HistoryOne of Japan's three great Inari shrines, with a lacquered main hall on tall stilts against a cliff. Climb past the torii to the inner shrine for a view.
Mifuneyama Rakuen
御船山楽園 Nature & SceneryA vast garden at the foot of a sheer cliff, famous for azaleas in spring and maples in autumn, plus summer digital art nights.