Saga– category –

The morning after staying at Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel in Takeo Onsen, I visited Arita Porcelain Park, a lavish 1993 complex modeled on Dresden’s Zwinger Palace. Its grand architecture still impresses, even as parts of the former theme park now sit unused.

After leaving Arita Porcelain Park, I stopped at Gallery Arita, a popular restaurant where I could enjoy a meal surrounded by Arita ware. I ordered the local Gotofu set and even my tea after the meal was served in Arita porcelain.

After lunch, I headed farther into Arita and stopped at Arita Sera, a shopping complex where Arita ware makers run their own direct-sales stores. With everything from traditional tableware to modern designs, it was one of the most enjoyable stops of the trip.

After returning the car, I stopped in Hakata for a casual drink and a surprisingly affordable Chinese meal at Gyozaya Nino-Ni Watanabe-dori before heading to the airport.

I visited Yoshinogari Historical Park in Saga to see the reconstructed Yayoi-period settlement and burial sites. Entering from the east gate made it easy to focus on the main archaeological area, but the park’s sheer scale quickly became clear.

After checking out of the hotel, I returned to Mifuneyama Rakuen for a daytime walk and found a completely different atmosphere from the illuminated garden I had seen the night before.

After a short rest, I headed to teamLab’s seasonal exhibition “A Forest Where Gods Live” at the neighboring Mifuneyama Rakuen. Spread across dark garden paths, old hotel structures, and illuminated natural scenery, it was an immersive nighttime experience that required both the app and sturdy shoes.

At Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel in Saga, I found teamLab installations woven into the hotel itself, a spacious traditional room, a standout sauna, and a leisurely dinner and breakfast that made the stay feel full from check-in to checkout.