Karatsu is a coastal town in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, about 50 kilometres west of Fukuoka. In the past, Karatsu was a major milestone for ships travelling to Korea and China because it is one of the Japanese cities closest to the Korean peninsula. Today, the city is known for its castle, the annual Karatsu Kunchi festival and its local pottery. Several other attractions are on the neighbouring rural peninsula of Higashi Matsuura, including magnificent coastal landscapes and the ruins of a huge castle that Toyotomi Hideyoshi used during his attempt to invade Korea in the late 1500s.
Karatsu Castle
Karatsu Castle is located on a small hill along Karatsu Bay. It was built in 1608 with materials from the dismantled Nagoya castle. The present dungeon of the castle is a reinforced concrete reconstruction of 1966 and houses a museum on the history of the castle and Karatsu ceramics. The top floor offers views of the bay, the city and the pine forest. Entry costs 500 yen.
Exhibition room Karatsu Hikiyama
The Karatsu Hikiyama exhibition hall exhibits the 14 great tanks of the Karatsu Kunchi festival, which takes place every year from November 2 to 4. The exhibition hall is located opposite the Karatsu sanctuary, the sanctuary responsible for the festival. Entry costs 310 yen.
Karatsu-yaki pottery gallery
It is one of the best places to see local pottery. The gallery traces the history of Karatsu pottery and exhibits many works of art. The locally made pottery is also sold to the gallery, and there is a workshop where visitors can try painting pottery.
Niji pine forest no Matsubara
Niji no Matsubara is a five-kilometre stretch or about a million pine trees are planted along Karatsu Bay. It is one of Japan’s three main pine forests with Miho no Matsubara (Shizuoka) and Kehi no Matsubara (Fukui Prefecture). A long sandy beach extends between the trees and the sea, and a road crosses the grove.
It is said that Niji-no-Matsubara was born about 400 years ago when Terazawa Hirotaka, the first feudal lord of the Karatsu estate, ordered people to plant Kuromatsu (Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii)) on coastal sand dunes to protect agricultural land from sea winds.
Mount Kagamiyama
Mount Kagamiyama is a 284 metre flat mountain located just outside the centre of Karatsu. At the top is a large park with seasonal flowers and shops selling Karatsu-yaki ceramics. The Kagamiyama observation platform at the northwest end of the park offers excellent views of the pine forest, bay and city.
One of the legends of Mount Kagami is the legend of Princess Sayo Matsura. Princess Sayo reportedly said goodbye to her beloved Otomo no Sadehiko while embarking on the Korean peninsula from the top of Mount Kagami. Watada of the city of Karatsu is known as the place where Princess Sayo went down the mountain following the ship of Otomo no Sadehiko. There’s a rock here where Princess Sayo’s footprints can still be seen. There are many other places in the city of Karatsu linked to Princess Sayo, such as the Tajima sanctuary. There is also a poem written by the famous Japanese poet Yamanue no Okura in Manyoshu about the legend of Princess Sayo. At the top of Mount Kagami there is a gazebo, a rest area and an open grass area. The top is also famous for cherry blossoms, azaleas and other flowers depending on the season.
To Karatsu
Karatsu is easy to access from Fukuoka thanks to the JR Chikuhi line. If you fly to the area via Fukuoka Airport, the best way to get to Karatsu is to take the Kuko line to Nishi-Karatsu from Hakata Station. From the nearby town of Saga, take the JR Karatsu line towards Nishi-Karatsu.
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