Saga Prefecture Day 2&3:Behind the Scenes of a Journey Through History, Nature, and Culture
Tracing the People Who Preserve History and the Time Spent Living in Harmony with Nature
You can read the Day 1 article here.
On the second day of our trip through Saga, we began in the early morning with a visit to Yūtoku Inari Shrine.
Counted among the three great Inari shrines of Japan, it draws many worshippers praying for prosperity in business and safety at home. The vermilion-painted shrine buildings rise up the mountainside, and with each step up the stone stairway, sweeping views of Kashima City and the Ariake Sea spread out below.
For a more detailed introduction to this shrine, please see our dedicated article. After the visit, we stopped at the temple town and enjoyed local soba noodles.
Hizen Hama-shuku (Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings)
Our next stop was Hizen Hama-shuku, which flourished in the Edo period as a sake-brewing and post-town area.
The Hamashōzu Hamakanaya area and Hamanaka Yabongisuku area have been designated as Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Here, thatched-roof houses and white-walled merchant homes still carry history into the present.
Have you ever seen a thatched roof in person? Their history in Japan is said to go back as far as the Jōmon period. Well-known examples include Shirakawa-go in Gifu (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and Miyama in Kyoto. The thatched houses of Hama-shuku are not preserved exhibits; they remain living homes. Laundry hangs in the yards, bicycles are parked by the gates — signs that daily life and cultural heritage continue seamlessly together.
Along the sake-brewing street in Hamanaka Yabongisuku, we tried amazake soft serve ice cream. Walking through the historic townscape with it in hand felt like peeling back the layers of time between the Edo and Meiji periods.
The Sea Shrine of Ōuo Jinja and the Underwater Road
Next, we visited Ōuo Shrine in Tara Town.
Its torii gate standing in the Ariake Sea makes this place truly unique. Depending on the tides, the scene changes dramatically: at high tide, the gate appears to float in the water; at low tide, you can walk right up to its base.
Because high and low tide times vary daily, it is best to check in advance and visit during high tide if you want to see the torii rising from the sea. Nearby is the “Underwater Road”, which only appears at low tide. Stretching into the sea, it creates an otherworldly view as though leading straight into the ocean.
Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel
That night, we stayed at Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel in Takeo City.
Built within the grounds of Mifuneyama Rakuen, a beautiful garden first established in the Edo period, the hotel offers the chance to stay alongside seasonal landscapes. After enjoying a kaiseki dinner made with seasonal local ingredients and relaxing in the hot spring, we joined the nighttime art exhibition in the garden.
The art collective teamLab has created “A Forest Where Gods Live”, where trees and ponds are illuminated, turning nature itself into part of the artwork. With its excellent hot springs and sauna facilities as well, this hotel is one we can wholeheartedly recommend.
Concluding Our Journey in Takeo
The next morning, we enjoyed a traditional Japanese breakfast at the inn, followed by a morning bath before setting off.
Our first destination was Takeo Onsen Romon Gate, designed in 1915 by Tatsuno Kingo, the architect of Tokyo Station. Designated an Important Cultural Property, the gate’s ceiling carvings provide an intriguing connection to Tokyo Station itself. The northern and southern domes of Tokyo Station famously feature only eight of the twelve zodiac animals, long considered a mystery. Recent findings revealed that the remaining four animals appear in the ceiling corners of Takeo’s Romon Gate, meaning the full set of twelve can be seen between the two structures.
Next to the gate stands Takeo Onsen Shinkan, a beautiful Taishō-era wooden building registered as a Tangible Cultural Property, which can be toured free of charge.
We also visited Takeo City Library, renovated in 2013 into a modern space combining library, bookstore, and café. It was bustling with both locals and visitors, serving as a cultural hub for the community.
The journey concluded with a fresh seafood bowl in Saga City. Surrounded by the Ariake Sea and the Genkai Sea, Saga offers a wide variety of seafood, notable for its firm texture and rich flavor.
Editor’s Travel Diary
This trip through Saga may not have been flashy, but it carried a deep sense of cultural richness and everyday life.
At Hizen Hama-shuku, I was struck by how historic streets remain genuine living spaces. At Ōuo Shrine, watching the torii shift with the tides made me reflect on the long rhythms of life lived alongside nature.
Culture and landscapes are not confined to the past — they are sustained here and now by the hands of those who live with them. Each encounter with that truth strengthens my desire to return. I hope you too will find the chance to walk through Saga, in Kyushu.
—Written by Sumire
Another beautiful article!
Lovely. I guess I need to go to Saga.