Saga (佐賀) [1] is the eponymous capital of Saga prefecture on the Japanese island of Kyushu.

Get in

By plane

Saga Airport is small but has daily flights to Tokyo (Haneda) and Osaka (Itami). From the city it takes about 30mins by bus and costs 600 Yen.

Buses also connect Fukuoka Airport to Saga (70 minutes, ¥1000). This option to travel via Fukuoka is much more practical unless you need to use Saga Airport.

By train

Saga is a stop on the JR Nagasaki Line.

Limited express train services run from Hakata station in Fukuoka twice each hour (usually :02 and :22 past the hour), including the Kamome and Midori train services. Trains run directly to Saga in about 40 minutes at a cost of ¥2300. It is best to get the Return Ticket, as it costs the same amount but you save yourself the trouble of having to purchase another ticket to get back to Fukuoka. Even if it is unused, it doesn't hurt to get it as it doesn't cost you any extra.

Local trains from Hakata cost only ¥1080, but you will have to change trains in Tosu and the travel time will be about 75 minutes or more, depending on the timing of the connection.

From Nagasaki to Saga it takes 75-90 minutes on the limited express (¥3740), or about 2 1/2 hours on the local service (¥2070). From Sasebo it is about 65 minutes by limited express (¥2470) or about 100 minutes by local (¥1250).

See

Saga International Balloon Fiesta

• 1 Saga Castle (佐賀城) (10 minute bus ride from Saga Station). The original Saga Castle was built in 1608 by the Lord Nabeshima Naoshige. The castle suffered repeated fires over the centuries before eventually being torn down. One of the gates survived all of this and has been listed as an Important Cultural Property. In 2004 the castle's honmaru palace was rebuilt. It is now the Saga Castle Museum of History. It offers excellent free English audio guides. Entry by donation, castle grounds free. 

• Kono Park (神野公園, kōno-kōen). Kono Park is home to a lovely Japanese garden complete with teahouse sitting along the central pond. The southern end contains a small amusement park for children. 

• Saga City History and Folk Museum (佐賀市歴史民俗館, sagashi rekishi minzokukan). 

• 2 Hizen Provincial Capital Ruins (肥前国庁跡, hizen kokuchō ato). 

• 3 Saga International Balloon Fiesta (佐賀インターナショナルバルーンフェスタ Saga Intānashonaru Barūn Fesuta) (outside Saga City, along the Kase River; stop at the temporary Balloon Saga Station on the JR Nagasaki Main Line). every year in the beginning of november. 

Do

• Take a bike ride on the converted ruins of the JR Saga Line (佐賀線跡). Bikes can be rented conveniently close to Saga Station. You may need a map to get your way to the entrance of the bike trail, but after that it's a quiet ride southeast under sakura trees, past the remains of old train stations, that leads you straight to Saga's arguably most famous structure: the Chikugo River Lift Bridge.
• Visit the Yoshinogari site

Drink

• Cron, Saga City-Aikei machi (a 5-10 minute walk from the station). 7PM-late. A cool little sports bar run by a guy called Yuji. Premier League and Champions League are on the big screens. English is spoken, and there is often a foreign presence there. Beer is cheap and the atmosphere is good. 450y a beer. 

Go next

• Yoshinogari
• Kanzaki
• Karatsu
• Ogi
• Arita
• Kashima
• Fukuoka
• Nagasaki

Routes through Saga

Nagasaki ← Kohoku ←	W  E	→ Kanzaki → Tosu
Nagasaki ← Taku ←	W  E	→ Tosu → N S