Saga Prefecture

Saga Prefecture (佐賀県) is a small and rustic prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It is famous for pottery and pre-historic village ruins.

Cities

Ten cities are located in Saga Prefecture:

• 1 Saga (Prefectural Capital)
• 2 Imari
• 3 Kanzaki
• 4 Karatsu
• 5 Kashima
• 6 Ogi
• 7 Takeo
• 8 Taku
• 9 Tosu
• 10 Ureshino

Other destinations

Sunset over Genkai's Hamanoura Rice Terraces

• 1 Arita
• Genkai
• Higashiyoka
• Kamimine
• Kawasoe
• 2 Kiyama
• 3 Kohoku
• 4 Miyaki
• Omachi
• 5 Shiroishi
• 6 Tara
• 7 Yoshinogari

Get in

By plane

Saga International Airport serves the prefecture with international arrivals from Seoul, Xian, Shanghai, and Taipei along with domestic flights from Narita and Tokyo's Haneda Airport. Nagasaki Airport and Fukuoka International Airport are viable options that are often preferable, because they serve a much wider variety of destinations.

By train

Shin-Tosu Station in Tosu is the only stop in Saga along the Kyushu Shinkansen, where visitors can transfer to the Nagasaki Line. For those traveling to Karatsu, the subway line in Fukuoka connects to the JR Chikuhi Line at Meinohama Station. Many of the subway trains actually travel along the JR line to Chikuzen-Maebaru Station before a transfer is necessary.

From Nagasaki, the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen has stops at Ureshino and Takeo Onsen Station in Takeo with plans to meet the Kyushu Shinkansen at Shin-Tosu Station.

See

Takeo Onsen

• Wander the grounds of Mifuneyama Garden below Mount Mifune (Takeo)
• Learn about the lives and culture of ancient Japan in one of the largest recreated Jomon villages (Yoshinogari)
• Stroll around the scenic pottery village of Okawachiyama (Imari)
• Marvel at the beauty of Yutoku Inari Shrine (Kashima)
• See the sunset at the rice terraces overlooking the Sea of Japan in Genkai
• Visit Saga Castle and its reconstructed palace, the largest wooden castle building in the nation (Saga)
• Visit Arita Porcelain Park to see its porcelain Zwinger (Arita)

Do

• Karatsu Kunchi (唐津くんち). Held at the beginning of November in Karatsu City. This is Saga's most famous festival and attracts around 1 million visitors every year. 
• Imari Ton-Ten-Ton Festival (伊万里トンテントン祭り) (In Imari City). Held for 3 days every year near the end of October. The festival is one of the three great fighting festivals in Japan. In the festival a crashing battle takes place between the two huge portable shrines, the Ara-mikoshi and the Danjiri. The name "Ton-Ten-Ton" represents the sound of drums used in the festival. 
• Kashima Gatalympics. Held every May in a small town called Hama, near Kashima City. This event involves playing a variety of sports in the mudflats of the Ariake Sea. 
• Saga International Balloon Fiesta. Held at the beginning of November every year just outside of Saga City along the Kase River. This is a very popular event and attracts competitors from all over the world.