Services, places & everyday essentials

Marketing Department - Sasebo — COMMUNICATIONS near Sasebo,

The Toshiemon Kiln of the Marukei Trading Company offers workshops in wheel throwing and porcelain painting. From children to elderly people, in our workshops everyone can have fun making their own original piece of pottery. At Marukei’s, the biggest porcelain shop in Arita, you can enjoy both, porcelain shopping and porcelain making.

Matsubara Forge — OTHER near Sasebo,

Meganeishi, or glasses rock. Named because it looks kind of like a pair of eye glasses I suppose. The front of the rocks look like they used to have something carved into them. The sandstone steps and rocks beneath the arches have years, maybe decades of people carving messages into them. The building next to the rocks is a small buddhist temple, called Sairenji Meganeiwa Kannondo.

Mermaid Earring — OTHER near Sasebo,

Mt. Mifune in Takeo city is also known as "Mt. Karafune" (which literally means "Chinese ship") due to its resemblance to one. Mifuneyama Rakuen is a park which sprawls out on the western foot of this mountain. It was built over a period of approximately 3 years by Shigeyoshi Nabeshima, the 28th ruler of the Takeo Domain, as part of his holiday home. In spring the park is reminiscent of a Shan shui painting, with 5000 cherry blossom trees and 50,000 azaleas all blooming against a backdrop of the rugged cliff of Mt. Mifune. The park hosts a variety of events such as tea parties and photography sessions. In the Mifunegaoka Plum Grove on the eastern foot of the mountain, 10,000 plum trees bloom in all their brilliance from mid-February to early May, and the place buzzes with people attending the Plum-Viewing Festival.

Very nice waterfalls.

Catholic church close to the Sasebo Station. It is small yet quaint.

The following art exhibitions are held at Sasebo Shimanose Art Center. The center opens at 1000 and closes at 1800. Unless it’s mentioned, the admission is free of charge. You can call the art center at 0956-22-7213.

Admission: Y1,200 (adult), Y1,000 (high school, university student), Y800 (middle school student), Free for elementary school students or under

Momo's Antique — OTHER near Sasebo,

Kirarasa forest on the hill which I want to see under Kujukushima is the theme animal and plant path of the nature and healing of Kujuku Island. You can see the appearance and lovely expression of animals living vividly in the garden wrapped in flower trees every season.

Various items to help repel mosquitos (notes in the picture description). Double click image for description. Credit to Windy Leigh.

Mt. Eboshi, or Shinto priest hat peak, is a knobby mountain perched on the northern shores of Lake Haruna in central Gunma Prefecture. The steep hike is filled with pristine forests, wild bamboo grass, and enticing views of the lake directly below.

There are four different courses for climbing Mt. Kurokami. We suggest a climbing course starting at the parking lot of Ryumon Dam. After the climb you can rest your weary bones in the high-quality water of Arita Onsen. Mt. Kurokami Climbing Course There are four different courses for climbing Mt. Kurokami. We suggest a climbing course starting at the parking lot of Ryumon Dam. After the climb you can rest your weary bones in the high-quality water of Arita Onsen. Ryumon Dam Parking Approximately 80 minutes Tendo Rock on Mt. Kurokami Approximately 60 minutes Ryumon Dam Parking By car 15 minutes Arita Onsen (60 minutes) Ryumon Dam Parking Enter Arita at the Takeo-shi area from national highway No. 35 by turning right at the Harashuku intersection on to the prefectural road Route 281, and then head north. In approximately 3.4 kilometers turn right at the sign "Ryumon Valley". The road becomes narrow and Ryumon Dam appears after some 800 meters. From there the road turns into a one-way street. Cross the dam wall to the left and and drive along the lakeside. Some 2.2km from the junction from the national road you reach the remotest part of the lake where a campground with a big parking lot is located. From there one can enter Ryumon Valley or climb Mt. Seira or Mt. Kurokami. Ryumon Valley (Arita Town) Mt. Kurokami Prefectural Nature Park is home to the upper stream of Hirose River, an affluent of Arita River. Mt. Seira, which consists of andesites, and the western slope of Mt. Kurokami, which consists of rhyolites, form the basin of this water source. Huge, curiously shaped stones can be found all around the site. There are also caves and many unique plants inhabiting the region. With its mysterious atmosphere, this area has since long been known as haunted site. [Parking space] Two car 76 trailer buses Tendo Rock on Mt. Kurokami The outlook from Tendo Rock (at the summit of Mt. Kurokami) is simply fabulous. This stunning view is absolutely worth the one-hour climb. Please be careful when climbing the parts with chains. Mt. Kurokami Climbing Map (PDF format: 153KB) Concept of Mt. Kurokami Rocky Peak of Mt. Kurokami Plants of Mt. Kurokami Wild Birds of Mt. Kurokami Ryumon Dam Parking Same as above. Arita Onsen Just about five minutes by car from JR Arita Station there is a small public bath much-loved by the locals: Arita Hot Springs. This hot spring was discovered by chance about 17 years ago. Its water is popular for its smooth, thick quality.

It’s an observatory which dominates the whole landscape of the port of Sasebo and South Kujukushima. You can enjoy the night view of the downtown as well as the beautiful sunset.

Muffin Nagao & ID PHOTO — OTHER near Sasebo,

Air raid shelter in Sasebo. Built by children from the top-down during the war.

2 Week event begins on the first day of Chinese New Year

The Nagasaki Peace Park is a tranquil space that commemorates the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, which destroyed a significant portion of the city and killed ten thousands of inhabitants. The complex is comprised of two parks and a memorial museum. In the center of the complex is the Hypocenter Park with a simple, black monolith that marks the explosion's epicenter. Not far from it stands a damaged pillar of the former Urakami Cathedral which was destroyed in the blast. Furthermore, there is an area that allows visitors to take a look at a layer of soil below the park's surface where broken roof tiles, bricks and pieces of glass remain from the explosion.

A must see for penguin lovers. Penguins and nature tell you very important things… We established "Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium" as a nature school with wishes to provide an opportunity for children in the 21st century to think about the harmony between human and nature. Penguin is one of the best species to indicate the condition of global-scale natural environment. We are now and will observe more and show you the mode of life of these penguins. Please look at, touch and play with cute penguins and fish, and please feel the mysteries of nature with all your senses. We also have "Nature Zone" where there are a variety of living nature such as insects, fish/shellfish and plants in the creek, pond, marsh, forest, grass, seashore, that is, food-chain environment. Let's release your senses to wind, daylight and all this nature. And we really hope you'll be much impressed here at "Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium"

NAGATA JEWELRY — SHOPPING near Sasebo,

The splendor of azalea in this park is the most gorgeous in Japan for its width and beauty. It is a pity it is accessible only by car. The period of azalea (from the middle of April to the beginning of May) is recommended.

Small pottery town tucked away in Hasami-cho