[Saga Travel Guide] A Great Reference for First-Time Visitors

Day 1 starts from Saga Station.
Transfer between buses from Saga Station Bus Center and head for Yobuko.

Nanatsugama is a scenic spot that is also designated as a National Natural Monument.
The dramatic cliffs, deeply carved by the rough waves of the Genkai Sea, create a powerful sight you should not miss.
As its name suggests, seven caves line the coast, and inside them you can see columnar joints, where the rock surfaces are lined up like pillars in a regular pattern.
Take a sightseeing boat departing from Yobuko Port every hour and experience the astonishing power of nature.

After enjoying the spectacular views of Nanatsugama, take a taxi for Approx. 10 minutes to the Yobuko Morning Market and have lunch there.
One of Japan’s three major morning markets, Yobuko Morning Market has nearly 50 stalls lined up, where you can enjoy freshly made hot squid shumai, tempura, pressed squid crackers, and more as you walk and eat.
The market ends at 12:00pm, so be sure to buy any food that catches your eye early.

After filling up at Yobuko Morning Market, walk to the Showa Bus Yobuko Terminal and take a bus to Karatsu Castle.
From the nearest bus stop, Karatsu Castle Entrance, it is a 20-minute walk to Karatsu Castle.
Karatsu Castle is also known as Maizuru Castle because the pine forest stretching out to the left and right from the castle looked like a crane with its wings spread.
Its greatest attraction is the beauty of its scenery.
From the observation deck on the top floor of the main keep, enjoy a sweeping panorama of the Genkai Sea and the pine forest.

After enjoying the view from Karatsu Castle, walk to the Hoto Shrine Pier and board the connecting ferry departing at 2:10pm for Takashima Port.
The ferry runs infrequently, so please be careful.
Located a 3-minute walk from Takashima Port, Hoto Shrine is famous as a shrine where lottery tickets win, because some worshippers have won large lottery prizes after visiting.
After praying at the shrine building, also visit the grave of the guardian deity Nozaki Oki no Kami Tsunayoshi beneath the main hall to receive blessings for good fortune.
The grounds also offer unique charms such as the Hito Mamori, believed to bring luck in winning the lottery, so be sure to check them out.

After visiting Hoto Shrine, board the connecting ferry departing Takashima Port at 3:00pm and return to Hoto Shrine Pier.
Once you arrive at Hoto Shrine Pier, visit the Former Takatori Residence, about a 10-minute walk away, once home to the “coal mining king of Hizen” (present-day Saga and Nagasaki prefectures).
Built in 1905 as both a private residence and guest house, it stands on a spacious site of Approx. 2,300 tsubo, with two large buildings: a grand hall wing and a residential wing.
Enjoy this lavish space filled with intricate design elements throughout, including cedar sliding door paintings featuring 29 types and 72 panels of wisteria and wild cherry blossoms, as well as transoms decorated with plant relief carvings and cut-out animal motifs.

After touring the Former Takatori Residence, head to the Hikiyama Exhibition Hall, Approx. a 20-minute walk away.
The hall permanently displays 14 hikiyama floats used in Karatsu Kunchi, the festival that represents the Karatsu region.
Hikiyama are festival floats decorated with flowers, figures, and various other ornaments.
These gorgeous, powerful, and beautiful floats are designated as Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties of the prefecture.
Take your time observing the sculptural beauty created by skilled artisans.

After visiting the Hikiyama Exhibition Hall, take a taxi for Approx. 10 minutes to Karatsu Seaside Hotel.
Relax and soothe the day’s fatigue with views over Karatsu Bay right in front of you, along with the open-air observation bath, sauna, and the infinity pool known as the Rooftop Thermal Bath.

Day 2 starts at Oteguchi Bus Stop, Approx. 10 minutes by taxi from Karatsu Seaside Hotel.
Take a bus from Oteguchi Bus Stop and head to Imari Station.

Have lunch while waiting for the next train from Imari Station to Arita, your next destination.
There are many restaurants around Imari Station where you can enjoy Imari beef, known for being tender and rich in sweetness and flavor.
Enjoy Imari beef in the style you like best, whether as yakiniku, hamburger steak, or steak.

Take the train from Imari Station to Arita Station, then stroll around Sarayama Street, located a 30-minute walk from the station.
Sarayama Street is lined with galleries where you can admire Arita ware and shops where you can buy it, making it a great place to fully enjoy its charm.
It is also recommended to buy Arita ware as a souvenir from Saga.
Every year from late April to early May, the Arita Ceramic Fair is held here.
From new spring pieces and high-end works to original creations by young artists, a wide variety of porcelain products gather in one place, so if your timing works out, be sure to enjoy the fair as well.

Be sure to also stop by Tosan Shrine, located a little off Sarayama Street.
One of the shrine’s highlights is its beautiful grand torii gate made of porcelain. It is also unusual in having porcelain amulets.
Other structures typically found at shrines, such as lanterns and guardian lion-dog statues, are also made of porcelain.
Take a walk through this white porcelain space, something rare even across Japan.

After visiting Tosan Shrine, walk to JR Kami-Arita Station. From JR Kami-Arita Station, take a train to Takeo-Onsen Station, then walk Approx. 20 minutes to Takeo Shrine.
The main enshrined deity of Takeo Shrine, which has 1,200 years of history, is Takenouchi no Sukune.
Known as Japan’s longest-living deity, he is said to bring blessings for victory, good fortune, and protection from misfortune.
You should also take note of the Meoto Hinoki, a pair of cypress trees joined at the base, believed to embody the divine power of Emperor Chuai and Empress Jingu, the shrine’s enshrined deities.
Many people visit to pray not only for romantic relationships, but also for connections with people, work, and money.

After visiting Takeo Shrine, head on foot to Takeo Onsen, located Approx. 20 minutes away.
Takeo Onsen is a historic hot spring area with a history of 1,300 years, and its name is even recorded in the Hizen no Kuni Fudoki, a text compiled in the Nara period (710–794) that summarizes the climate, customs, and legends of what is now Saga and Nagasaki prefectures.
It is a historic hot spring said to have been used by notable figures such as Miyamoto Musashi, the famous swordsman of the Edo period (1603–1868).
Soak in its gentle waters and slowly ease away the fatigue of your journey.