Sightseeing in Saga
Arita Porcelain Park
I stayed at Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel in Takeo Onsen, and the next morning I went sightseeing around Saga. My first stop was Arita Porcelain Park.
It’s a theme park with a distinct bubble-era feel, but these days it doesn’t really function much as a theme park. It seemed that its main business now is pottery experiences for inbound tourists and a large souvenir shop.
That said, the buildings constructed during the bubble era are incredibly lavish and well worth seeing. They were modeled after the Zwinger Palace in Dresden, Germany, Arita’s sister city. The park opened in 1993.
However, the interior is no longer in use, and I wasn’t able to go inside. Apparently it was originally an exhibition hall. I imagine maintaining such an extravagant building must cost a great deal, and I can’t help feeling a little worried about its future.
Even up close, the sheer seriousness of the architecture is… amazing…
Nagasaki Holland Village, the predecessor to Huis Ten Bosch, opened in 1983, and Huis Ten Bosch itself opened in 1992, so local expectations for this place must have been pretty high.
Beyond the building, there’s a fountain made with Arita ware, but that too has deteriorated quite a bit, and it gave me the impression that maintenance hasn’t been keeping up.
Even so, the fact that this place has managed to remain as it is may be something of a miracle in itself.
Most of the visitors were tourists from Asia, and everyone seemed to be happily taking photos.
The Climbing Kiln and Workshop
As I walked through the grounds, I came across an Arita ware climbing kiln and was able to see it up close.
According to the official website, it’s apparently used about twice a year.
The building where you can try making Arita ware was extremely lively, with groups of overseas tourists visiting and having a great time.
Remnants from When It Was a Theme Park…
After making a full loop around the grounds and heading back, I came into an area that is no longer used at all.
Most of the buildings had practically fallen into ruin. I assume there were once various facilities here back when it was still a theme park, but the details are unclear. I tried looking online to find out what kinds of shops or attractions there had been, but I couldn’t find any information, so it remained a mystery.
I was told that this impressive building was originally built as a museum for Arita ware, but it is now closed.
I took a photo of a restroom sign that still felt like a remnant of the old theme-park days.
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