GUARDIAN OF FAMOUS CERAMICS: KARATSU CASTLE, SAGA PREFECTURE KYUSHU
Jan 05 '05 (Updated Jan 10 '05)
The Bottom Line A good day trip if in the region.
The southern Japanese island of Kyushu lies close to the Korean peninsula. In fact the cities of Fukuoka and Nagasaki are closer to South Korea than many other parts of Japan. Kyushu in the Sixteenth Century served as the traditional invasion route across the South China sea.
Invasions though work both ways and often Korean, Chinese and Mongol invaders used Kyushu as the start point for their attempts to conquer Japan. To prevent this and often due to the disputes between various warlords numerous fortifications were built up throughout the region.
Karatsu Castle in the city of the same name in Saga Prefecture is one of the best remaining Castles of this period on Kyushu. Lord Terasawa-Shimanokami- Hirotaka the first lord of Karatsu and a close attendent of the Japanese Primeminister Toyotni-Hideyosi built it in 1608. The original castle was destroyed by fire in and was rebuilt/restored in the 1966. Now it serves as a local museum.
The Castle is located on the a commanding hilltop on the seafront in Karastu, a resort city about an hour away from Fukuoka and a couple of hours from Nagasaki. It is an easy walk from the main railway station, and for those driving there is parking nearby.
Admission to the main castle grounds is free although there is an admission fee for the main tower, which holds the museum. One has two options to reach the hilltop. The main gate can be reached by a series of steps, which are both wide and easy to climb. For those with mobility problems a combination elevator/escalator has been discretely built into the back of the hilltop on the seaward side so as not to destroy the view of the castle. A small fee is charged for it’s use and tickets can be purchased at either end.
The main courtyard provides great views of the main castle tower, and the surrounding walls and gates. There are also several small statutes and cherry blossom trees here as well. Panoramic views of Matsuura Bay and surrounding countryside can be had from the ramparts.
The main tower building is five levels all-accessible to the public. Admission is 400 Yen per person and no flash photography is permitted on the first four levels. Most of the exhibits on display here are of local interest and/or history including some ancient weapons and suits of armour. There are also numerous examples of local pottery. Saga is famous for it's unique style of pottery brought over from Korean in the sixteenth century.
All the displays are marked and there are information brochures available unfortunately though not always in English.
At the top level of the main tower is a small open observation deck. The view form here is spectacular. The town of Karatsu is spread out below you including its long wide public beach that fronts the bay and several small islands. In the distance is Kagamiyama, Mirror Mountain, with its observatory, another local attraction worth seeing.
Finally to the north is Niji-no-Matsubara, one of the few standing groves of black pine trees in Japan. It covers a sweeping gentle curve at the water's edge stretching over two miles long and over 500 yards wide, and is bordered by a white sand beach. The name literally translates as rainbow forest and seen from the castle the strip of green trees, white sand beach and blue of the waters do resemble a rainbow.
There are other attractions a short walk from the castle including a popular local open air Shinto shrine where weddings are often performed and the exhibition hall where the fourteen Hikiyama Floats for Karastsu's annual autumn or Kunchi festival are stored. Admission 300 Yen per person, flash photography not permitted.
There is small tourist shop in the courtyard by the main entrance and several more near the entranceway to the castle grounds proper. All offer films, drinks, snacks and the usual collection of souvenirs. As is often the case near tourist attractions the prices tend to be somewhat inflated.
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