Karatsu is filled with entertaining tourist destinations: iconic Karatsu Castle, the Hikiyama Exhibition Hall displaying extravagant festival floats of hikiyama, the nostalgic Former Karatsu Bank Headquarters, and many others. If you are ever lost as to where to go for tourism, why not go on a little tour with our knowledgeable city tour guide? Walk through the streets with lots of helpful insight and historical background - that should enhance your trip experience greatly. Discover Karatsu, a town filled with exiting history and heritage.
-
- Adjacent to Karatsu Shrine, the Hikiyama Exhibition Hall provides a comprehensive history of Karatsu Kunchi. Array of festival floats being carried during the parade are displayed here at the Hall, and they are all stunningly overwhelming. These artistic creations portray anything from a giant sea bream, a lion, a helmet of a shogun, and so fourth. It won’t be hard pressed to figure out that the layers of Japanese lacquer applied on these mascots reveal the intricacy of work required only by the hands of highly trained craftsmen.
ATTENTION! Hikiyama Exhibition Hall has been temporarily moved to ARPINO next to JR Karatsu Station. It is expected to reopen in 2025.
- - Hikiyama parading through the low-rise residential areas, not the high-risers, is absolutely compelling and exiting! -
- Hikiyama Exhibition Hall
-
- Address
- 2881-1 Shinkomachi Karatsu City（Arpino）
- Phone
- 0955-73-4361
-
- Hours
- 9am – 5pm (entry by 4:40pm)
- Closed
- 11/3-4,12/29-12/31
- 6min.walk
-
-
Our first stop is the Former Karatsu Bank Headquarter, a modern European-style architecture. It is hard to miss - thanks to its lavish, red brick and white granite construction. It was built in 1912 by architectural designer Minoru Tanaka with the guidance of his master, Kingo Tatsuno, the pioneer of the Meiji-period architectural advancement. Notable design features include the so-called “Tatsuno-style” arched windows and crown-like spires.
- Native of Karatsu, Kingo Tatsuno has designed numerous iconic architectures of the modern Japanese history - including Tokyo Station!
- Former Karatsu Bank Headquarters
-
- Address
- 1513-15 Honmachi, Karatsu City
- Phone
- 0955-70-1717
-
- Hours
- 9am – 6pm
- Closed
- Dec. 29th – 31st
- 6min.walk
-
- Our next stop is Karatsu Shrine built during the Nara period. As you reach the front of it, you will be welcomed with its majestic white gate. Enshrined here is Sumiyoshi Sanjin, the three deities of the ocean. Many frequent the shrine to pray for safety at sea and/or for academic success. Karatsu Kunchi, without a doubt, is the biggest festivity of the city of Karatsu. It originates here at this shrine and then spreads all throughout the city. Bringing in over 500,000 spectators annually, the citywide Shinto festival takes place from the 2nd to the 4th of November every year.
- Karatsu Shrine
-
- Address
- 3-13 Minamijonai, Karatsu City
- Phone
- 0955-72-2264
- 2min.walk
-
- Walk toward Karatsu Castle from the Hikiyama Exhibition Hall, and you will quickly notice the Edo-style structure along the way. This is our next destination, Nishinomon-kan. Exhibited here are historical artifacts such as Edo-period Karatsu ware discovered in the region. Also available for purchase at a discount price are a wide variety of porcelain and ceramic items produced by up-and-coming designers of Karatsu ware. One unique feature of the facility is the hikiyama exclusive repair shop. For free of charge, you can get a close look at the repair shop, as craftsmen work on repairs and maintenance for hikiyama floats.
-
Hikiyama is an intricate work of Japanese lacquer. In the past, they were created using washi traditional Japanese paper from o-mikuji (fortune-telling tiny strips of paper). They are applied one by one in order to create the gigantic floats that exist today.
-
Nishinomon-kan
-
- Address
- 1-8 Kitajonai, Karatsu City
- phone
- 0955-75-3667
-
- Hours
- 9:00～17:00
- Closed
- Mondays (open on national holidays, closed on next day), Dec. 29th – Jan. 3st
- 4min.walk
-
- Next, we head to the Former Residence of Koreyoshi Takatori, who gained notoriety during the Meiji period as the “coal mining king of Hizen.” Although the overall tone of the property is traditional Japanese, the interior of the residence features a Western-style room with an art nouvear-like chandelier hanging from the ceiling. So-called the modern Japanese-style architecture, the facility displays such an interesting combination of the East and the West. The luxurious home may overwhelm some; however, little signs of care and intricacy of Koreyoshi are evident through and through. Some rooms feature a painting of cedar doors called “sugido-e” to match the theme of the room.
-
Koreyoshi Takatori loved Noh traditional performance. The former residence of his features a stage dedicated for this art. Apparently, he would often entertain his guests with his Noh performances as well.
- Former Residence of Koreyoshi Takatori
-
- Address
- 5-40 Kitajonai, Karatsu City
- Phone
- 0955-75-0289
-
- Hours
- 9:30am – 5pm (entry by 4:30pm)
- Closed
- Monday (in the case that Monday is a holiday, the following day) 12/29-1/3
*During long weekends and end of year holidays, special business hours may apply.
- 8min.walk
-
- Stonewall found between the Former Residence of Koreyoshi Takatori and Karatsu Castle is the remains of the Ninomaru tower of Karatsu Castle. This stretch of road is a popular walking course with the sound of the ocean in the background. Pedestrians just may be picturing the old days of the castle town Karatsu here as they feel the sea breeze brush against their cheeks.
-
- The final destination of this tour on foot is Karatsu Castle. The Tenshukaku Palace is accessible by the stone staircase and the elevator. Head toward the top as you glance through the history of the city along the way. The view of Karatsu Bay with the old castle town is nothing short of picturesque. Since the sandy beach stretching east to west of the castle makes it look like a crane spreading its wings, Karatsu Castle is also referred as “Maizuru” (or flying crane) Castle.
- Karatsu Castle is known for its beauty of cherry and Japanese wisteria trees. Hanami on the castle premises is exceptional.♪
- Karatsu Castle
-
- Address
- 8-1 Higashijonai, Karatsu City
- Phone
- 0955-72-5697
-
- Hours
- 9am – 5pm (entry by 4:40pm)
*Hours are subject to change depending on season.
- Closed
- 12/29-12/31
*10/2/2016-Summer 2017 (scheduled): Castle tower closed due to interior remodeling.
-
- Standing outside of the north exit of Karatsu Station is the figure of red lion, the No.1 hikiyama of Karatsu Kunchi. It is a Karatsu ware ceramic figure measuring 3.55 meters in height and 2.1 ton in weight. It is also one of the largest Karatsu ware objects in existence. It has taken a local kiln a year to complete, as the process was divided into two segments - the head and the torso. Firing took total of 26 days prior to being assembled together for completion.
-
- Art collection of Tatsuo Kawamura, a Karatsu native financial businessman, is gathered here at the Kawamura Art Museum. It notably features a strong set of works by painter Shigeru Aoki, who passed away at the age of only 28 (1882-1911). The 20-piece exhibit includes works such as “Lamp” and “Yuyake-no-Umi.” The facility comes with an Asian art exhibition, Western art exhibition, as well as another special exhibition hall. Two annual special exhibition events are held here, and they are a must-see.
-
- There is a marionette clock tower placed along the Ninomon moat of Karatsu Castle. It is 7.68 meters in height, while the frontage measuring at 4.84 meters and 5.36 meters in depth. Every hour on the hour, a hakama-wearing samurai figure pops out and bang on his drum. It has been told that there once was a gong called “toki-no-kane” placed here at this very location during the ruling of the fourth domain lord of the region, Doi Toshisato.
