Niji no Matsubara

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.