For over 400 years, this autumn festival has been held at Karatsu Shrine and is one of Kyushu's major festival attractions. Highly decorated giant festival floats, known as hikiyama, are hauled across the sand at Nishinohama Beach to a soundtrack..
Held every autumn along the Kase River just outside Saga City, the Saga International Balloon Fiesta brings together hot air balloon enthusiasts from around the world. In 2016, the 22nd FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship took place in Saga for th..
The Mifuneyama Garden, or Mifuneyama Rakuen, located just outside Takeo Onsen in Saga Prefecture, hosts an annual autumn light-up event to highlight the area’s foliage. The event, which generally takes place in the middle two weeks of November,..
One of the things that Saga prefecture is best known for is its pottery, and one of the cities at the heart of Saga’s inspired pottery scene is none other than Arita, a small city close to the Nagasaki prefecture border. No trip to the prefecture is complete without a trip to Arita’s wor..
Just a 15 minute train ride from Saga City there is the more rural town of Ogi, getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life, and into the world of the real Japan. While Ogi is something of a hidden charm there are many reasons why you would want to visit. Firstly, there is Ogi Park. Ogi Pa..
The capital of the Saga Prefecture may be synonymous with the rice paddies which surround the area, but if you are curious enough to venture to this little metropolitan perhaps on your way from Fukuoka to Nagasaki, you will be delighted with the hidden treasure that you will uncover. Firstly, Saga ..
Following Route 263 from central Fukuoka City takes you over the mountains to the southwest and brings you to the village of Mitsuse in Saga Prefecture in just half an hour. There, at the forested foot of Mt. Kana, you’ll find a log cabin caf&e..
While Saga has plenty of Japanese style restaurants for everyone to enjoy sometimes when you are living the expat lifestyle you want nothing more than to chow down on some good old home fashion style food, and that’s where the Italian Grazie Ga..
When I first came to Japan I was looking for the same thing every girl living in Japan for the first time is on the hunt for: delicious sushi. TV and the media would lead you to believe that there is sushi popping out of every nook and cranny in Japa..
One of the closest campgrounds to Fukuoka City, Yamanaka Campground lies on the south side of the mountains that separate Saga and Fukuoka Prefectures. The site offers an escape from the city of 1.5 million but the short hike from there up Mt. Kana a..
Ochozu Falls is the main attraction on this hiking trail just outside of the city of Tosu in Saga Prefecture, an easy but scenic walk through the woods good for a family outing. But if you’re looking to spend the day extra leisurely or want to ..
I've been traveling through Japan for a month now, and before moving on to Nagasaki Prefecture and then to Okinawa I decided to come back to Ureshino Onsen town. I've been here earlier during my trip; however, I really wanted to enjoy the tra..
The Arita Porcelain Park gives visitors to Saga a small taste of Germany with its European-themed architecture and its on-site beer factory. The main site within this pseudo theme park is a recreation of the Zwinger Palace from Dresden, another city ..
The town of Arita in Saga prefecture has no shortage of porcelain galleries or even hands-on pottery experiences. If you want to combine both, however, head for the China on the Park complex that sits just at the western edge of town, on the road nor..
Just a few minutes' drive north of the Kyushu Expressway's Saga-Yamato exit, the unassuming Yodohime Shrine spruces up its slice of riverfront property every spring with about 300 koinobori, or carp streamers. These popular decorat..
