Fully enjoy Karatsu, whose picturesque scenery has fascinated people since ancient times!

The view from Kagamiyama as seen also in the ancient Manyoshu times

Those who want to see “Niji no matsubara”, one of Japan’s three most famous pine groves, should definitely climb Kagamiyama mountain east of Karatsu city. The winding road to the parking lot takes about 5 minutes by car, after which you continue for 5 more minutes until the observatory on foot. There you will see a fascinating panorama view of the picturesque silent Karatsu bay continuing to Genkainada sea where plenty of small islands are scattered around. Niji no matsubara pine grove has over 1 million pine trees, truly making the landscape a combination of white sand and green pines.

Kagamiyama mountain appears in Manyoshu anthology of poems as “Hirefuriyama” in the poems of Yamanoe Okura. An old legend tells about the noble lady Matsuura Sayohime who had to bid farewell to her beloved one going to the Imjin War in Korea. She climbed the mountain and waved her shawl after the ship until it couldn’t be seen anymore. Then Sayohime followed the ship’s trail until Yobuko town’s Kabeshima island, where she turned into a stone out of grief. In good weather days you can see Iki island in the distance.

Feast your eyes on Kannon Fall

Karatsu Nanayama mountain is located on the border of Saga and Fukuoka prefectures and is rich in nature, surrounded by Tenzan mountains. Drive along Takigawa, a branch of Tamashimagawa river which goes through the town, and in 5 minutes you will reach Kannon Fall which is said to be good for treating eye diseases.

It is a 30-meter tall and 9-meter wide waterfall, whose water is fiercely dropping down. Also called “the male waterfall”, it is included in the list of Japan’s best waterfalls. Walk down the trail and you will arrive at the waterfall’s basin. You are likely to feel the water splashes there.

This place is believed to be good for healing eye diseases, and particularly the legendary illness “Ikume Kannon”. About 400 years ago shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi spent some private time with a local court lady at Hizen province’s Nagoya on his way to the Imjin War. However the court lady started suffering from an eye disease and, by goddess Kannon’s order, she washed her eyes in the water basin of the waterfall to have them completely healed.

Actually, there is an eye-shaped hole next to the water basin where one should scoop water from, but those who cannot descend all the stairs can instead pray at the small shrine near the upper part of the waterfall. Here you can try the local river crab called “tsugani”. It’s a little known delicious crab. You can buy some and cook at home or eat at one of the restaurants. Be sure to try.

Changing seasonal sceneries at Oura's terrace rice paddies

About 25 minutes by car from Karatsu city, on the south-west end of Higashimatsuura peninsula’s Hizen town are Oura terrace ride paddies, included in the list of Japan’s 100 best terrace rice fields. Over 1000 rice paddies span over the three villages of Ouraoka, Ourahama and Mitsukoshi.

Drive a bit into the mountain and at one point you will see a panorama view overlooking the Irohajima group of uninhabited islands which made Kobo Daishi drop his writing brush in astonishment. The terrace rice paddies swirl around the hills and continue all the way to Imari bay. The landscape here is unrivalled.

Local people recommend visiting this place during the rice planting season. You will be amazed by the view of the setting sun over the rice paddies full of water. But not only the spring, all the seasons provide deeply impressive sceneries that you will remember: the young blades of rice in the summer swaying in the sea breeze, the golden rice heads in the autumn, the snowy landscape in the winter.

There are barely any signs around this area. If you go with a car, follow the signs saying “Irohajima”.

The strange rock Nanatsugama formed by Genkainada Sea's stormy waves

The stormy waves of Genkainada sea have eroded the hexagonal prism shaped basalt rock peninsula and have created 7 caves which look like kettles, hence this place is known as Nanatsugama (seven kettles). There is a lawn on the top with some toilet facilities, so the place is ideal for enjoying a picnic.

It is also often used as a location for suspense TV dramas. The famous French diver Jacques Mayol met a dolphin for the first time here when he was 10-years-old, so this place is believed to be the starting point of his career. If you’re lucky you might also meet a dolphin!

On the photo you see “the elephant’s trunk” which is on the opposite side of Nanatsugama. Doesn’t it look exactly like a lying elephant with his trunk spread?

The splendid and gorgeous 400-year-old tradition of Karatsu Kunchi festival is a must-see

Every year on November 2-4 Karatsu city hosts the Karatsu Kunchi festival. All the 14 towns belonging to the old castle display their gorgeous lacquered festival floats in what has been designated as an important intangible folk culture asset.

Already in October you can hear rehearsals of the Japanese festival music in the little towns. The music of Karatsu Kunchi is included in the list of Japan’s 100 best folk melodies – once you hear it, you cannot forget it. You can see the festival floats at various places in the town during the three days of the festival, but even the view of the floats’ pictures parading around lit up by paper lanterns on the first night of November 2 is extremely beautiful.

On November 3 the giant 2-5 ton floats are taken out and brought to their starting place on the sand ground. After that they are pulled out to their respective locations using wooden wheels. The view of the pullers straining their voices to shout for encouragement while applying unseen before power to move the floats is really impressive. In the end a total of 14 floats and 200-300 people from all the towns gather together for the climax of the festival.

On November 4 the floats go around the towns, then gather once again at Karatsu shrine and circulate a bit more before being stored back at Hikiyama Kaikan, their usual home. Observers of the festival will be touched to tears by the passion of the local people who tend the floats until the last moment. If you cannot visit Karatsu during the festival, you can always go to Karatsu Hikiyama Kaikan where the 14 floats are exhibited permanently.