Chinzei
The Nagoya Castle Ruins are located in Chinzei town. There’s very little left now, except for some foundation and walls, but at one time this was the second largest castle in Japan. Built for Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s ill-fated Korea expeditions, legend has it that the castle’s main donjon was completed in a mere five months. Before the invasion, Hideyoshi assembled close to 300,000 troops here; surely more folks than have passed through Chinzei in all the time since. In more recent memory, part of Kurosawa Akira’s epic Ran was filmed here. You can stroll around the grounds and try to imagine what the building must have looked like, or pop in to the nearby museum and see a model. Perversely, the castle is a major attraction for Korean tourists. In early August there is a performance of Noh theater at the castle site, under the stars (hopefully).
Arita
The Kyushu Ceramic Museum (Kyushu Toji Bunkakan, 九州陶磁文化館) is located in Arita town. It is famous throughout Japan for its research on ceramics. There are large exhibits of old and modern style ceramics. Closed on Mondays, admission is free. Located near Kami Arita station.
The Porcelain Park is a considerably large replica of a wannabe German village, located in the outskirts of Arita on the road to Hasami. Most stunning is probably the copy of the “Zwinger,” a famous German castle in the city of Dresden. Inside the castle is a permanent exhibition of European porcelain held in one track and Arita porcelain in the other. Both are pretty impressive. Behind the castle lies a European style garden, and behind that a large ancient kiln can be visited. The rest of Porcelain Park is like a theme park, and with an admission of 1500 yen, it looks more or less like a rip off — at least for Germans.
Arita Kan (有田館) has an exhibition of modern art porcelain, 400 different cups for coffee or tea and a theater with mechanical computerized puppets made of porcelain. Admission is 200 yen.
At China on the Park you can experience pottery and porcelain design. The establishment dates back to the end of the last century when the Fukugawa factory was chosen to provide the Imperial household with porcelain. This large and modern style facility contains a factory, galleries, shops and a restaurant.
Tozan Shrine is famous for its porcelain archway and other items of porcelain, which are usually made of stone at other shrines. This shrine is and was particularly revered by Arita’s ceramists.
Rokuroza (ろくろ座) If you are really interested in pottery but only have a half day you can spare, then Rokuroza is the place for you. Here you can learn how to make your own pottery. The staff is basically college kids and they are very helpful, especially to artistically impaired people such as us. It is a little expensive, between 2000 and 4000 yen, but well worth it. Located near Kami Arita Station.
Kashima
Located in the northern Kashima district of Fureda, Yutoku Inari Shrine (祐徳稲荷神社) is one of the most famous Inari shrines in Japan. It is dedicated to the wily fox kami and is the third largest shrine of its kind in Japan. It was constructed in 1688 as the family shrine of the Nabeshima Clan who ruled Saga during the Edo period. It was built to the Inari goddess of the harvest by a princess from Kyoto names Manko Hime who married Nabeshima Naotomo. The Nabeshima clan was entrusted with protecting Edo’s interests in Kyushu, in particular the city of Nagasaki, which was one of the few ports open to foreign contact during Japan’s period of isolation.
Princess Hime was a follower of Shinto, so her new husband sanctioned the construction of the shrine to Yutoku. The princess brought with her a doctor from Kyoto by the name of Oda. The Oda family has lived in Kashima ever since and the descendants of that doctor still run the hospital in Kashima that bears the family name.
Set up on a hillside and supported by exposed red stilts, the shrine is mindful of Kyoto’s Kiyomizu Temple. The main building and its tower gate, which are painted vermillion, present a magnificent view amidst the greenery. On 8 December, the Yutouku Inari Shine fire festival, Ohitaki, takes place. People bring charms and prayers that they have collected from their visits to shrines throughout the year and throw them into the fire. Later they collect some of the ashes to place in their home for good luck.
The shine is also popular for new year celebrations and is very crowded for the two weeks around January.
Ureshino
The sex museum is a nondescript cubic building, so it is a little hard to find. Thankfully there is a large golden Buddha statue in front of the building along Route 34. The 1500 yen admission fee allows you to walk through the museum. The museum is more like what you would expect from a haunted house ride at an amusement park. As you walk from one dimly lit room to another, there are a number of different exhibits that have electronically operated mannequins in various positions. As for the more historical aspect of the museum, you can see various paintings, carvings, and “equipment” from Japan’s sexual history. The end of the tour brings you to a sex shop.
Taku
Taku’s huge Yuraku Water Enjoyment Place is a great way to waste any spare weekends you might have. Onsens, a swimming pool, saunas and a wave machine are all under one roof. You can even spend the night in a large tatami room for cheap if you have a little too much fun. Follow the signs.
The Seibyo Shrine (聖廟) is something of a curiosity. It’s the only place in Saga dedicated to the worship of Confucius. The building is old and pretty, and the surrounding park and gardens are well maintained. Constructed in 1708, this is said to be the oldest such structure in Japan, and the Sekisai rites are still held in the spring and fall each year. Since the shrine is well outside the center of town, you’ll need to drive to get there. It is located near the intersection of Routes 24 and 25. Follow the signs.
Mitagawa/Kanzaki
Yoshinogari Koen (吉野ヶ里公園) is home to the most significant cultural remains in Saga. The trademark watchtowers show up everywhere in Saga, from stationary to T-shirts. The grounds encompass “the nation’s largest village enclosed by a moat, burial mounds, the remains of watchtowers, a large number of earthenware pot coffins,” and etc. We were also surprised to find a frisbee golf course there. As things from the Yayoi Period were generally made of perishable materials, most of the displays are reconstructions, but you can see some of the things that survived in the exhibition hall. Happily, English information is available, but only in a small pamphlet. The park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free. To get there, take the JR Nagasaki line to either Kanzaki or Yoshinogari station. The walk from the station to the park takes about twenty minutes from either one.
Kanzaki
Iyama. Towards the mountains of Kanzaki. There are many temples and shrines. Also one of the oldest wooden buildings in Japan is there. It’s about a 25-minute bike ride from Kanzaki station. Bike rentals are available.
Kunen’an. Constructed by Saga businessman Itami Yataro over a nine-year period from 1892, this garden incorporates the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape and bursts into beautiful color in the fall. Open to the public for only nine days a year, in November. Head north along Route 21 towards Sefuri Town. Take a right just before you cross into the Sefuri Town’s border.
Higashisefuri
The Celestial Monument was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Higashisefuri village. It’s lit up with spotlights at night and is a nice spot with a great view on a clear day. Take the road to Tom Sawyers Park and continue up past the park turn off.
Mitsuse
Donguri Mura, a French theme park on Rt. 263, has green hills, sheep, cows, horses, grass sledding, roller skating, restaurants, etc. Mitsuse Village shares a sister-villages relationship with Cussac Village in Bordeaux, France, and Donguri Village was created in the image of pastoral southern France. Visit the Levert Exhibition Site, where you can see how wine is made, or try milking a cow yourself! And if one day is not enough to see it all, you can spend the night at the stylish hotel right on the grounds. Take a bus from platform seven at Saga Bus Centre. Admission is 900 yen for adults. Open from May to December, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and October to April, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
Nakabaru
Ayabe Shrine, located in northern Nakabaru, is a quaint and beautiful shrine, especially during autumn and spring.
Kiyama
Daikozenji Temple (大興善寺) is said to have been established in 717 by the monk Gyoki. The wooden statues of Komokuten and Tamonten have been designated as national important cultural artifacts. Every year the 50,000 white and pink azaleas on the grounds burst into bloom in a spectacle of colour, and the autumnal colours are also justly famous.
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