Travel / Tourism Spots in Karatsu / Yobuko / Genkai Area

  • Karatsu Castle (Maizuru-jo “Dancing Crane Castle”)
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    4.0
    493 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Higashijounai 8-1
    This is a castle which could also be called a symbol of Karatsu, located in the northern part of Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture. Terazawa Hirotaka, a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, spent seven years to build this castle. The inner citadel sits on Mt. Mitsushima which projects out into Karatsu Bay, while the outer citadel is on the west bank and the third citadel leads to a renkaku style flatland mountain castle. The inner citadel has now been turned into Maizuru Park, and also you can see the superb views of Matsuura Bay from that observation point, the current castle keep which was completed in 1966.

    We planned for a trip to Karatsu since 2019 bit was put on hold due to the pandemic.. Finally all cleared and we find ourself on the way from Meinohamma sta. That’s another 60+ mins ride over 20...

  • Yobuko Ohashi Bridge
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    4.0
    125 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Prefecture Yotsukocho, Karatsu
    Yobuko Town in Karatsu City has been a fishing village since ancient times. A five-minute drive north from the center of the town is the Yobuko Ohashi Bridge, which opened in 1989. It is a PC cable-stayed bridge with a rational structure in which the main girder is suspended from the main tower by cables, and is characterized by its beautiful form.

    平戸に行った帰りにイカを食べたくて呼子に来た際に通りました。天気がよかったため眺めもよくて、きれいでした。

  • Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum
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    4.0
    100 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Chinzeimachinagoya 1931-3
    A museum situated along National Route 204 in Nagoya, Chinzei-machi, Karatsu City. The museum's standing exhibition looks at the history of exchange between the Japanese archipelago and the Korean peninsula, exploring Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasions at 1592 and 1598 as well as Saga's involvement with the Korean delegations to Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). The museum also displays artefacts exhumed during excavations of the Special Historic Site-designated Nagoya Castle Ruins and Encampment Sites. Visitors can also walk the ruins of the castle and see what Nagoya Castle looked like in its glory using a tablet computer and computer generated graphics.

    肥前名護屋城跡に建てられている県立の博物館です。常設展示は無料で公開されていますが、無料とは思えないほどの充実ぶりでした。 展示内容は名護屋城のジオラマや豊臣秀吉公による朝鮮征伐前後と、江戸から近代にかけての国内と朝鮮半島の資料が展示されています。また、復元ではありますが秀吉公の黄金の茶室が再現されており、そちらも無料で見学できます。 私自身が歴史好きなこともありますが、資料はどれも見応えのあるも...

  • Hoto-jinja Shrine
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    4.0
    114 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Takashima 523
    Visited by great throngs of people seeking luck due to this Shinto shrine’s name, which means “to strike upon treasure,” the numerous winners of large lottery prizes who attribute their good fortune to the shrine has resulted in it become famous almost overnight as the “lottery-winning shrine.” Today, the shrine is visited by some 200 thousand people annually. A reservation is required to engage in go-kitou (a prayer ceremony). The shrine’s Hitto-mamori (which provides luck with winning in games of chance and other situations) and other charms are also popular souvenirs.

    唐津湾に浮かぶ高島に鎮座する神社です。神社の名前から宝くじが当たるご利益があると有名で、宝くじが販売されると大勢の方がお参りに来られるそうです。なお、元々は島を海賊から守った野崎隠岐守綱吉公を祀った神社なので、宝くじは何の関係もありません。『宝当』と名付けたのも当島(高島)の宝、という意味で付けたものです。 境内は小ぢんまりしていて、拝殿と本殿が一体になったお社と社務所、藤棚がある程度です。お社も...

  • The Former Takatori Residence
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    4.5
    128 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Kitajounai 5-40
    This is the mansion built as a home and for welcoming guests by the coal mine (including Kishima Coal Mine) baron, Koreyoshi Takatori. There are two large buildings on a vast plot of land of about 7613 square meters. It has modern Japanese-style building architecture with a combination of Western style rooms while also still having Japanese style as a keynote. A must-see is the reception hall for the Noh stage and 72 “Sugido-e” (painting on cedar-board doors) paintings by the painter of the Kyoto Shijyo Faction, Koho Mizuno. You can have a good tour of the mansion as there are also always tour guides stationed here. In 1998, it was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

    A visit to the Former Takatori Residence is an absolute must. It provides a true impression of how a wealthy Japanese businessman lived 100 years ago. The rooms are incredible, with 72 beautifully...

  • Karatsu Shrine
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    4.0
    98 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Minamijounai 3-13
    A Shinto shrine located in Minamijonai, Karatsu City. Records state this ancient shrine was established in the distant Nara period. Famous for the Karatsu Kunchi, a large autumn festival held each year from November 2 through 4, many tourists come to watch the festival parade consisting of 14 colorful traditional floats. This festival has also been designated a National Important Intangible Folk-Cultural Property.

    The Shrine is a 20 mins walk from the JR station. It was a Monday early afternoon and good weather as we strolled along Karsatu streets otw to 唐津神社, chill & relaxing. Records stated that the ancient...

  • Roadside Station Momoyama Tenkaichi
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    3.5
    35 Reviews
    Transportation
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Chinzeimachinagoya 1859
    "A roadside station situated along National Route 204 in Nagoya Chinzei-machi, Karatsu City. The station sells fresh, local agricultural products; seafood; and local Karatsu specialty products. The station's Japanese restaurant, ""Momoyamatei Kaishu"", serves squid ikizukuri, a local Yobuko specialty; and seafood rice bowls and set meals made with edible wild plants, Saga beef and seafood from the Genkai Sea, plus sashimi assortments."

    It is a Michinoeki near Nagoya Castle’s ruins. The naming is unique, and so I visited for waiting time for a bus. There is a section for local products, and behind it there is another section for...

  • Karatsu City Furusato Kaikan Arpino
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    3.5
    38 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Shinkoumachi 2881-1
    A local specialty products hall located close to Karatsu Station in Shinko-machi, Karatsu City. Here visitors can purchase famous Karatsu sweets like Shoro Manju buns; nori seaweed and other marine products from the Ariake Sea; Karatsu tea; processed agricultural products like yuzu pepper made with Kyuragi's specialty yuzu fruit; and other local specialty products and crafts. On the second floor, visitors will find a Karatsu ware display space and shop which also has a corner where you can try painting your own Karatsu ware piece.

    1階は物産、2階は唐津焼を販売していました。 唐津焼は少々品ぞろえが少ないと感じましたが、物産は面白かったです。 駐車場は有料ですが、買い物でサービスチケットをもらえます。

  • Hizen Nagoya Castle Ruins
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Karatsu-shi Chinzeimachi Nagoya 1938-3 Nagoya Castle Ruins Tourist Information Office
    These castle ruins are located at Nagoya, Chinzei Town, Karatsu City. Hizen Nagoya Castle was built during the battles of Bunroku and Keicho when Hideyoshi Toyotomi was invading the Korean Peninsula. At the time it was the second largest castle in size after Osaka Castle. The castle was used as a base camp for the invasion of the mainland and over 140 encampments for soldiers were located in the surrounding area. At present, the castle ruins, as well as 23 other camps in the area, are designated as national historic sites. Artifacts excavated at the site are on display at the Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum.
  • Tashima-jinja Shrine
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    4.0
    19 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Karatsu-shi Yobukocho Kabeshima 3956
    An old Shinto shrine in a small port town dedicated to a guardian deity of the sea. It is the only major shrine among the four Shikinai shrines in Hizen. Located on the coast and well preserved, the approximately 35,600 square meter natural evergreen broad-leaf forest there is a valuable botanical resource with outstanding plant life. In the grove behind the main shrine, there is a place that's thought to be a ceremony site (festival ground) with three large standing stones and two flat stones, as well as a boulder that's today called the Taiko Prayer Stone.

    呼子の加部島に鎮座する神社です。創建時期は不詳ですが肥前風土記に記載がありますし、源頼光公寄進の石鳥居があるので平安時代には既に鎮座していたようです。また、佐用姫がこちらで恋人を待ったまま石(望夫石)になったという伝説があり、境内には望夫石を祀った佐與姫神社が建立されています。 境内はそれほど広くありませんが、拝殿は翼殿を配した立派なもので、古くからの歴史を感じさせますし、崇敬を集めてきたことが判...

  • Kinshoji Temple
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    4.0
    14 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Karatsu-shi Nishideramachi 511
    An ancient temple of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. According to temple tradition, it was founded by Emperor Go-Nijo in 1302. A monument with a hair from the Edo-period joruri and kabuki playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon is on the grounds beside the main hall. There is also a tradition that he studied there as a child.

    Before I went there, I hadn’t expected much. But there were actually many interesting things to see in this temple. The main attraction is the grave of Chikamatsu Monzaemon, a famous scenario writer...

  • Nakazato Tarouemon Tobo
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    4.0
    8 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Chouda 3-6-29
    The Nakazato family is the only family to maintain the traditions of ancient Karatsu and today, this Karatsu ware ceramics studio continues to be operated by the 14th head. Visitors can tour the studio’s gallery where Karatsu ware is displayed and sold as well as the Tojin-machi Ochawangama kiln, a nationally designated Historic Site. From 1734 through the Taisho period, the Tojin-machi Ochawangama kiln was used for official purposes by the local government. An eight-minute walk from the South Exit of Karatsu Station.

    唐津市の広い道から入った静かな唐津焼の工房。 車にナビがないとちょっと行き着けないようなところですが、 私たちが言っている時も探してくる人が多い工房です。 14代目がおられました。 2階に上がると入口があり、靴脱ぎで履物を置いて中に入りますと作品が並んでいます。 買いやすい工房のものが並んでいます。 その建物か池をまたぐ廊下を過ぎると何代にもわたって作られてきた作品が並ぶ部屋があります。 お値段も...

  • Niji no Matsubara
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Higashikaratsu / Hamakita cho
    A grove of some one million black pines grown along a 4.5 kilometer stretch of Karatsu Bay. Together with the Miho no Matsubara and Kehi no Matsubara, it is considered one of the three most beautiful pine groves in Japan and is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty. The pines, planted to provide protection against winds and tides, have grown twisted into beautiful shapes. The grove’s “Seven Curiosities,” facts and legends relating to the grove which have existed since ancient times, are also fascinating.
  • Yobuko Tourism Products Center
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    3.0
    8 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Saga Karatsu-shi Yobukocho Kabeshima 3956-9
    "A place that primarily exhibits collections from the community. On the first floor there is a display with replicas of the ships that used to come and go at Yobuko Port. The second floor has an exhibit of army and navy uniforms. Although it's called a ""Product Center,"" it is not a souvenir shop, but a museum."

    呼子に行ったときに立ち寄って見ました。無料で展示が楽しめるので時間つぶしにはよかったです。ただ、期待して行くとがっかりするとおもいます。

  • Mt. Kagami Observatory
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Kagami Mountain summit
    A viewing platform at the top of Mt. Kagami, a mountain once visited by numerous poets in the Nara period (710–794) and much praised in the poems of the Man'yoshu (The Ten Thousand Leaves), Japan’s oldest poetry anthology. 283 meters above sea level, this popular photo spot offers a spectacular view of Nijinomatsubara and Karatsu Bay. Approximately 15 minutes by train from JR Nijinomatsubara Station.
  • Cape Hado
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Chinzeimachihado
    Cape Hato in Chinzai-cho, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, is located at the tip of the Higashimatsuura Peninsula and can be reached by car from JR Karatsu Station in about 40 minutes or by local bus. Facilities such as Cape Hato Seaside Park, a jarred turban shell hut, and the Genkai Undersea Observation Tower provide enjoyment for children and adults alike.
  • Nanatsugama Caves
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Pref. Karatsushi Yakataishi
    This is a group of seven sea caves which stand in a row along the coast of Karatsu City in Saga Prefecture. It is a scenic spot formed by the erosion of the basalt cliff face which reaches a height of 40 meters by the violent waves. If you board a pleasure boat, you can see the powerful rocks up close. In 1925, the caves were designated as National Natural Monuments as “the seven pots of Yakataishi”.
  • Terraced Rice Fields of Hamanoura
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Pref. Higashimatsuragungenkaichou Hamanoura
    A terraced rice field area located in Hamanoura, Genkai Town, Higashimatsuura County, Saga Prefecture. The 11.5-hectare area consists of 283 terraced rice fields of varying shapes and sizes built on slopes facing a cove. Visitors can enjoy such seasonal sights as the terraced rice fields filled with water and sun set over the ocean beyond. There are observatories in the area from which visitors can take in the fields and on long holidays the place bustles with tourists.
  • Nishinomon Yakata
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    3.0
    5 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Saga Karatsu-shi Kitajonai 1-8
    A castle built on a hill by the first feudal lord Terasawa Shima-no-Kami Hirotaka between 1602 and 1608. The entrance to the west of Sannomaru was called Nishinomon. This facility is in that historic zone. It houses, curates, and exhibits cultural properties excavated from various sites around the city. You can also observe preservation and repair processes like the repainting of a traditional parade float that's a Tangible Important Cultural Property of Saga Prefecture.

    Not far from Hikiyama Museum, I guess it is a depot of Hikiyama floats. But as all Hikiyama were in the museum, there was of course nothing here. Inside there is a souvenir shop. Some archeological...

  • Ryutagama
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    3.5
    2 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Saga Karatsu-shi Mirukashi 4333-1
    "The kiln is located in Uban Futsukura (姥の懐), a village in Karatsu, and is the home of Takashi Nakazato, who won the first prize for his ceramic sculpture ""Sogyo"" at the 10th Modern Japanese Ceramic Art Exhibition sponsored by the Asahi Shimbun in 1961, and the prize at the 1985 Selected Modern Ceramic Art Exhibition sponsored by the Ceramic Society of Japan, and now three generations of his family are producing pottery. Tours are available, so please inquire in advance."

    宿で知り中里健太作陶展をみに隆太窯へ。唐津駅からタクシー1500円程。駐車場あるので車で行ってもOK。作品も販売しておりクレジットカード使えます。

Saga Areas

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Away from the fast-paced cities of mainland Japan, Kyushu’s Saga prefecture offers quaint towns and cities known for their traditional crafts, particularly ceramics. Rich in kaolin (a type of clay), Saga became the homeland of Arita ware, a delicate, decorative porcelain that is now celebrated worldwide and can be discovered in the towns of Arita, Imari, and Karatsu.

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