It was Gerald Anderson and Julia Barretto who introduced Saga to me. In the film between Maybes, this humble, little-known prefecture became the setting of an unlikely romance. While Saga’s rustic charm sure feels cinematic, there is definitely more to this unassuming destination than what can be captured on cam.
Saga is one of the seven prefectures that make up Kyushu Island. located in the northwestern side of the island and situated next to Fukuoka, it is easily accessible. However, most tourists coming from Fukuoka, considered the primary gateway to Kyushu, breeze past this often overlooked destination in favor of Nagasaki. but there are many reasons to stop and take your time in Saga. itt van néhány közülük.
Mi van az útmutatóban?
Mifuneyama Rakuen
Yutoku Inari Shrine
Saga Prefectural government Office
Zombie Land Saga
Saga Balloon Fiesta
Saga Balloon Museum
Sagajoka Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival)
Ōuo Shrine (Floating Torii Gates)
Saga Beef
Sicilian Rice
Ureshino Tea
Ureshino Onsen
Tosu premium Outlets
How to get to Saga
How to get to Fukuoka
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Mifuneyama Rakuen
This was our most unforgettable stop in Saga. We visited in late November, so the entire site was clad in the fiery colors of fall.
Mifuneyama Rakuen is a picturesque garden in the shadows of Mt. Mifuneyama, a postcard-worthy mountain that looks like the hull of a ship. completed in 1845, this was originally built as the holiday home of Shigeyoshi Nabeshima, a feudal lord. Spanning 50 hectares, this sprawling park takes pride in its walking trails that will take you around the site including a still pond that mirrors its breathtaking surroundings perfectly.
The best time to visit is spring, when the cherry blossom trees — all 5000 of them — reach the peak of their bloom. aside from the sakura season, autumn is also a great time as the trees paint the site red and orange.
Entrance fee: ¥600
Hours open: 8am-5pm (may change on certain dates)
Nearest station: Takeo-Onsen Station.
Yutoku Inari Shrine
Welcoming over three million visitors annually, Yutoku Inari Shrine is undoubtedly one of the three most popular Inari shrines; the other two are Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine and Aichi’s Toyokawa Inari Shrine. most visitors flock to the Shinto shrine to ask for good family fortune, good business, traffic safety, and a huge catch. The whole complex is stunning. It has a gate, a bridge, a garden, small ponds, the main building, a museum, the numerous dark orange (or red) torii gates, and other beautiful buildings.
Admission Fee: FREE; For the Yutoku Museum: ¥300 (Adult) / ¥200 (Students) / ¥100 (7-15 y/o); For the Garden: ¥200
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: 1855, Furueda, Kashima City, Saga Prefecture
Nearest Station: JR Hizen-Kashima Station. travel time from JR Hakata station to JR Hizen-Kashima station is about an hour via limited express Train Kamome for around ¥3200. From the station, take the bus to Yutoku Inari Shrine. The bus fare is ¥320.
Saga Prefectural government Office
What will you be doing at a government office, you ask? The Saga Prefectural government office offers a 360-degree, unobstructed view from its observation floor (called Saga 360). To manage your expectations, it isn’t that tall. It stands only 50 meters, but it is the tallest building in the city. If the weather cooperates, you can even see Mt. Unzen, an active volcano in Nagasaki Prefecture.
If you can, visit at around sunset when the city is bathed in golden light. After admiring the vista, have a taste of Saga’s rich, delectable cuisine at Shino, a restaurant on the same floor. You can dig into some tender, juicy Saga beef and delicious sashimi.
If you visit at night, you can also enjoy a projection mapping show! more about that in the next section.
Observation Hall operating Hours: Weekdays, 8:30am-10pm; Saturdays, 10am-10pm; Sundays, 10am-9pm
Nearest train station: JR Saga Station. From here, you can take the bus from nearby Bus center to Kencho-mae bus stop. It’s a short walk from there. You can also walk straight from Saga Station, but it’s gonna take at least 20 minutes.
Zombie Land Saga
Over the past few years, one of the anime shows that made the biggest waves in Japan is Zombie Land Saga, which tells the story of Sakura Minamoto, a high school student who met an untimely death on the way to an audition. Years later, she was resurrected together with other zombies to form a 7-piece singing group called Franchouchou and promote Saga Prefecture.
That’s a very odd story concept — outrageous, even — but I have to admit that it’s very interesting. Obviously, this is fiction (duh), but the great thing about it is, Saga Prefecture embraced it!
In fact, at the observation deck of the Saga Prefectural government office building, you can enjoy a projection mapping show featuring Zombie Land Saga. It culminates in an exclusive animated concert. but that’snem mind.
Mivel a sorozatban lévő számos beállítás a Saga-ban létező tényleges helyeken alapult, ezek a helyek azonnal turisztikai helyszínek lettek, mivel több anime rajongók áradnak. Az egyikük az egykori Karatsu város történelmi népi múzeuma, amely a show-on szerepelt Franchouchou otthoni alapja. Más foltok közé tartozik a Karatsu kastély és a meghajtó Tori.
Saga Balloon Fiesta
Egy másik dolog, amit Saga híres? Hot Air Baloons!
Minden évben az elmúlt 40 évben a Saga International Balloon Fiesta-t Saga városban tartják. Ez Ázsia legnagyobb forró levegő léggömb versenye, és a világ minden tájáról származó pilóták részt vesznek. A látogatók a Kyushu ezen részéből állnak, hogy megcsodálják a számtalan forró levegő léggömböket, amelyek díszítik az égboltokat. Ez öt napig, általában októberben vagy novemberben történik.
Saga Balloon Múzeum
Ha az időzítése egy kicsit le, meglátogathatja a Saga Balloon Múzeumba, és élvezheti az életszerű videókat a Balloon Fiesta-ról! 2016-ban megnyílt a nyilvánosság számára, ez az első olyan fajta, mint Japánban, amely a repülési szimulátorokat tartalmazza, és a Ságában a balloning történelmét megkülönbözteti.
Bejárati díj: 500 jen
Óra nyitva: 10 óra-5pm
Zárt: Hétfő és újévi ünnepek
Cím: 2-27 2CHOME, Matsubara, Saga City
Legközelebbi vasútállomás: JR Saga állomás. Innen a busz a közeli buszközponttól a Kencho-Mae buszmegállóig veheti igénybe. Ez egy rövid sétára. A Saga állomásról is egyenesen járhat, de legalább 20 percet vesz igénybe.
Sagajoka Hinamatsuri (Doll Fesztivál)
Another annual event you should try to catch is the Sagajoka Hinamatsuri (Saga Castle town Doll’s Festival), which happens around the Saga Castle area, the Chokokan and Nagasaki Kaido.
Japán babák (lövés Oitában, nem Saga-ban)
Február közepéig március közepéig, a fesztivál a tavaszi szezonban. Az ünneplés során több száz elegáns hagyományos babát helyeznek el, beleértve a Nabeshima házát, az egyik legerősebb klánot a nap folyamán, és ezüst baba kiegészítők a Kuroda klánból a Fukuoka.
ŌUo szentély (lebegő torii kapuk)
A finom friss tenger gyümölcsei mellett Tara városa otthona ōuo szentély, legismertebb a vermilion Torii Gates.
Legend has it that in the 1700s, a hated magistrate was abandoned in Okinoshima, an island in the middle of Ariake Sea off the coast of Saga. Látva a mentés jelét, imádkozott az üdvösségért. Egy óriási hal megjelent és megmentette őt. Amikor visszatért Tara-hoz, a halak tiszteletére építette a ōuo szentélyt. ŌUo jelentése “nagy hal”. A Torii Gates olyan módon van elrendezve, amely Okinoshima-szigetre mutat, ahol mindez megkezdődött a legenda szerint.
A hely a népszerűbb “Oouo Shrine” nevű “lebegő torii kapu”, mert magas dagályban úgy tűnik, hogy lebegnek, mivel a víz a struktúrák aljáig emelkedik. De az alacsony dagálynál a szárazföldön sétálhatsz a kapukon.
Cím: 1874-9 Tara Oaza, Tara, Tara-cho, Fujitsu-Gun, Saga Prefecture
Legközelebbi állomás: Tara állomás
Saga marhahús
Amikor a japán Wagyu-ból származik, az első dolog, ami eszébe jutna Kobe marhahús vagy Matsusaka marhahús. De Japán más márkákkal büszkélkedhet, amelyeket a kiváló minőségükért is ünnepeltek. Az egyik a saga marhahús.
Like Kobe beef, Saga beef comes from Japanese black cattle raised and fed in the prefecture’s ideal environment. like the top quality wagyu brands, it is best known for the beautiful marbling of meat and fat, bright flavor, and tender, almost melt-in-your mouth texture.
Szicíliai rizs
Egy másik Saga finomság, amit meg kell próbálnod, az úgynevezett szicíliai rizs. no one really knows exactly where it got its name or how it is related to the Italian island halfway around the world, but it has become a regional specialty.
A szicíliai rizs nagyon egyszerű – rizs, sült hús, zöldség saláta, és a majonéz megszórja. Minden étteremnek saját verziója van, komplex öntettel vagy a hús típusának megváltoztatásával. Több előkelő létesítmény szolgálja Saga marhahússal vagy vaddisznóhússal, mások rendszeres marhahússal vagy csirkével. Néhány más összetevők hozzáadása. De a magjában rizsből, húsból és salátából áll.
Ureshino tea
Japánban számos város állítja a japán zöld tea eredetét. Uji in Kyoto and Hirado City in Nagasaki are both marketed as the birthplace of this well-loved drink. De a saga prefektúrát nem lehet diszkontálni. like the other cases, Saga’s claim is rooted in Eisai, a monk credited for bringing tea leaves from China. Az egyik olyan hely, ahol úgy vélik, hogy ültetett tea növények Mt. Sefuri, található Kanzaki, Saga. Később kiömlött a szomszédos Ureshino-hoz, amely teljes szívvel ölelte fel, és egy másik szintre vette.
Ma a Saga ezen részében erős tea kultúra van. A Ureshina megfelelő feltételekkel rendelkezik a minőségi tea növekedéséhez. Its landscapes are dominated by terraced countrysides, covered in groves.
A Saga legtöbb létesítményében zöld teát szolgálnak fel. Néhányan is szolgálnak mintavevőket, mint példáulKiHaKo of YOSHIDAYA Cafe, which will allow you to taste three types of local green tea.
Ureshino Onsen
Tea isn’t the only thing that keeps the town of Ureshino hot and steaming. It’s also famous for hot springs!
Ureshino Onsen is a hot springs town in southern Saga. like most onsen towns, it is great place to just take a dip, relax, and recharge. but Ureshino’s alkaline water is also believed to have great benefits to the skin. around 60 ryokan and other establishments dot the map of the town.
When using an onsen, always remember the following:
No bathing suit or underwear allowed. strip down to your birthday suit. The thought of going completely naked can be unsettling, but trust me, no one gives an eff.
Wash and shower before you take a dip. sit on the provided stool while you wash. You’ll find liquid soap and shampoo near every shower space.
No swimming, jumping, diving, or any other disturbing activity!
Don’t let your hair or towel touch the water.
No loud noises. maradj csendben.
Dry yourself with a towel before heading back to the locker room.
In most public onsen, people with tattoo are not allowed, at least not those with the big ones.
You’ll also find foot bath facilities around town!
Tosu premium Outlets
Modeled after a southern California town, the site feels a bit out of place in Saga, but it is one of the most popular shopping stops in this part of Kyushu. This vast shopping destination houses 160 outlet stores featuring both Japan’s homegrown brands and international labels including Coach, Gap, Citizen, Kate Spade, Vans, Under Armour, Ralph Lauren, Seiko, and Takeo Kikuchi.
If you’re not that much of a shopaholic (like us), there’s a food court where you can stuff your face with ramen, takoyaki, and more!
Hours open: March-January 10am-8pm; February, 10am-7pm
Address: 8-1, Yayoigaoka, Tosu-shi, Saga, Japan
Nearest train station: Yayoigaoka Station. From here, you can take the bus to Tosu premium Outlets.
How to get to Saga
Saga has its own airport, Saga airport (HSG), but it serves a very limited number of flights, mostly to and from Tokyo, Taipei, Shanghai, and Incheon. If you’re coming from other cities overseas, you are most likely going to land in Fukuoka international airport (FUK).
From here, you need to get to Hakata Station. Itt van, hogyan.
Once you’re at Hakata Station, catch a train to Saga. If your destination is Saga City, the cheapest way is by boarding the limited express Kamome train.
Travel time: 40-50 minutes.
Fare: ¥1,130 (one way)
Seat Fee: ¥840 (unreserved)
Total cost: ¥1,970 (one-way)
To see the schedule, you can check Hyperdia.
If you’re traveling from Fukuoka to Saga or you plan to explore many parts of Saga Prefecture and other prefectures, consider getting a JR Kyushu Rail Pass to save a lot on fares! On our most recent trip, JR Kyushu shouldered our journeys by giving us a free JR Kyushu Rail Pass so we could use it first-hand and see for ourselves how far it could take us.
The JR Kyushu Rail Pass comes in three versions: Northern, Southern, and ALL Kyushu. but let’s focus on the two passes only: northern and ALL Kyushu.
If you’re interested to see Saga, Fukuoka, Nagasaki and the northern halves of Oita and Kumamoto prefectures, the JR northern KYUSHU area PASS should be enough.
– Can be used for: local trains, limited express trains, and Hakata-Kumamoto Shinkansen
– Price: ¥8660 (3 days); ¥10,190 (5 days)
– number of seat reservations allowed: 10 (for 3 days), 16 (for 5 days)
If you’re also going to Miyazaki and Kagoshima, consider getting the ALL KYUSHU area PASS instead.
– Can be used for: local trains, limited express trains, and Hakata-Kagoshima-chuo Shinkansen
– Price: ¥15,280 (3 days); ¥18,330 (5 days)
– number of seat reservations allowed: 10 (for 3 days), 16 (for 5 days)
To give you an idea on how much savings you can get, here’s an example. Let’s say that yo