Karatsu Ceramic Fair

In this event, you can fully enjoy the aesthetics of Karatsu pottery, which have been loved by many tea ceremony masters and other cultural figures. Based on the theme of “the marriage between food and dish,” the event features exhibitions and sales of karatsu pottery as well as collaborative events by pottery makers and restaurants.

Rhododendron in Koyaji Temple

Koyaji Temple, which was established by Kukai, is famous for its shakunage (Rhododendron) flowers. The 300 year old shakunage bush is a magnificent sight to behold and every year in April a Shakunage Festival is held.

Peony Festival

This event is held at Kyushu’s largest peony garden named “Botan To Midori No Oka,” where you can see all kinds of peonies from around the world in full bloom. Outside the garden are forest, grass square, bamboo forest and other recreational spaces for kids. The first half of the festival period is the best time to view a tree peony and the latter half for Chinese peony.

Wisteria of Maizuru Park in Karatsu Castle

The wisteria here is over 100 years old, and it is designated as a natural monument of the city. The size of the wisteria trellis is about 500 square meters, and each of the stems with wisteria flowers draping from the ceiling is 1.3 meters long. You will be fascinated by the scenery created by a total of 500 thousand beautiful wisteria flowers.

Yobuko Great Tug of War

The history of this tug of war event traces back to the time when Toyotomi Hideyoshi set up his camp in Nagoya and made the troops of Kato Kiyomasa and Fukushima Masanori compete in a tug of war. It has a history of 420 years and is competed between the land team and sea team. If the land team wins, it is believed to be foretelling the good harvest of the coming year, if the sea team wins, the good catch of seafood. It is held on the first Saturday of June, every year.

Mikaeri No Taki Falls Hydrangea Festival

About 40 thousand hydrangea flowers beautifully bloom around the Mikaeri No Taki Falls, which have been selected as one of the best 100 falls of Japan.

Kyushu Firework Festival

This firework festival is one of the main summer events in Karatsu City, Saga. Approximately six thousand fireworks will be in the sky while more than two hundred thousand visitors come and watch. The climax is 2-feet fireworks and set fireworks called Niagara fall. The big and gorgeous fireworks shot off with Karatsu Castle in the background, decorate the summer sky.

International Shower Climbing in Nanayama

In this event, participants will try to reach the goal by walking, swimming and climbing in the nature located along the downstream of Kan’non no Taki Falls. Registration is required to participate in the event.

Autumn Foliage at Kankyo Geijutsu No Mori Park

About 50 acres of "Kankyo Geijutsu No Mori," which took about 30 years to be made, is located under Mt. Sakurei. In autumn, more than 10,000 maple trees turn red, yellow, and light green and turn the valley into a whole other world. The little waterfalls and babbling sound as well as the arrangement of the natural stones are exquisite.

Karatsu Kunchi

The Karatsu Shrine's autumn festival "Karatsu Kunchi Hikiyama Parade" has been registered as UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage "Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan." This is an annual autumn festival of Karatsu Shrine. The 14 Hikiyama floats from the 1st "Akashishi (Red Lion)" to the 14th "Shichihomaru (Seven Treasures)," parade through the city of Karatsu while calling out to each other to keep the rhythm with flutes and drums. This Hikiyama parade has been designated as a Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Japan and those 14 floats are registered as Saga Prefecture's Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property.

Onja Onja Bonfire

Kadomatsu and shimekazari, the New Year’s ornaments, are gathered from around the city, piled up on the shrine site and put on fire to offer a prayer for good health and safety of families for the coming new year.

Cherry Blossom in Mt. Kagamiyama

5,000 trees of Someiyoshino bloom here. The observatory on the summit overlooks a panoramic view of Karatsu City. Also, the path along the hillside is lined with cherry trees on both sides, which make a tunnel of cherry blossoms.

Cherry Blossoms of Nagoya Castle Ruins

Nagoya Castle Ruins is scattered with many atmospheric stone walls and has about 400 Someiyoshino cherry blossom trees and other plants that will come in full bloom in spring. The site is adjoined by Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum and the cafe “Chaen Kaigetsu,” which features an authentic tea ceremony room and a Japanese garden. The surrounding area also has many sites of old battle camps of famous feudal warlords. As the area is also a part of “Kyushu Olle Karatsu Course,” it would be a good idea to have a walking tour around here. Also worth checking out here is the night time lighting up of Nagoya Castle Ruins, which is held only during a certain period.

Flowers of about 200 trees in the plum garden of Kagami Shrine, which is related to the Tale of Genji, will bloom. From mid-May ~ late June, "Ume-chigiri" where plums can be harvested is held. Visitors to the shrine can spectate this for free. ●Goshuin stamps can be received.

100 years old weeping red plum tree with height of 6m and tree girth of 1m. Right next to this old tree, an old-timer 60-year-old tree will bloom and entertain the eyes of visitors.

There are plum trees 700m upstream of Kyuragi Dam. About 300 plum trees will bloom beautifully. Plum harvesting can be enjoyed in June. (Advance registration is required for plum harvesting)

About 60 trees in Karyu Park and 80 trees in the surrounding area of the Sports Park upstream of Kyuragi Dam will bloom. There are also a spring water collection site and hydrophilic revetment in the Sports Park.

At the Hirabaru area, amazing old plum blossoms trees of traditional houses can be seen. At Yoshimura's Residence, there is a pink weeping plum blossoms tree which is about a hundred years old、softly spreading out its branches.

Approximately 220 cherry blossoms trees such as Somei Yoshino bloom in the center of Karatsu castle. The place is crowded with people who come to enjoy the elegant figure of Karatsu castle and cherry blossoms.

About 40 Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms trees of over 30 years old will be in full bloom. As they are located 300 meters above sea level, you can also see the Karatsu Bay.

It is said that Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered Date Masamune to bring and plant this cheery blossom tree as an apology for relocating the temple when he sent troops to Korea.

The "Kinuboshi Hyakunen Cheery Tree"located at the community square on the mountainside of Kinuboshiyama is the wild cherry tree with a trunk circumference of 3.8m and said to have an age of 100 years old.

The characteristics of Kawazu cherry blossoms are that they bloom early and have a darker pink color than Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms. At "Hotaru Bridge" 1km downstream from "Mikaeri No Taki Falls" along the Ikisa River, the arrival of spring is announced a little earlier.

Taking its pride as one of Kyushu's most prominent waterfall, being selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls, Mikaeri No Taki Falls is a secret spot of autumn leaves in autumn. Fully enjoy the beauty of natural colors and falling waterfalls.