Things to do in Kashima

Yūtoku Inari Shrine

Yūtoku Inari Shrine is located in Kashima, Saga Prefecture. Known as "Chinzei Nikko," it is counted among Japan's three great Inari shrines, alongside Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto and Kasama Inari Shrine in Tochigi Prefecture. It receives nearly 3 million visitors annually, second only to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine among shrines in Kyushu. Local residents affectionately call Yūtoku Inari Shrine "Yūtoku-san," and it is deeply revered by those in agriculture and commerce. The shrine is nestled among green mountains and clear waters, with its main structures—including the main hall, front hall, and gate tower—all painted in a striking, vibrant red. Every year, about 2.8 million people come here to pray for bountiful harvests, business prosperity, and safety. Yūtoku Inari Shrine in Saga also provides fortune slips with Chinese explanations for Chinese tourists, so don't forget to draw one if you visit. Known as "Chinzei Nikko," Yūtoku Inari Shrine is famous not only for being one of Japan's three great Inari shrines but also as a shrine of flowers. In every season, the shrine is surrounded by a sea of flowers. Plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, azaleas, and peonies bloom in succession with the changing seasons, attracting visitors to come and enjoy them. Especially during the rainy season, over 600 hydrangeas bloom together in the gardens and along the streams, like a colorful carpet covering the entire shrine. Washed by the rain, the colors of the flowers and green leaves become even more vivid, and the hydrangeas, glistening with water droplets, possess a unique charm.

No. 19 of Family-friendly Attractions in Japan

Huis Ten Bosch

\★Japan's No. 1 illumination for 13 consecutive years is reborn this year★/ The Starlight Millions Event period: 11/6 – 2027.2/25 In a European streetscape wrapped in the brilliance of countless stars, you can enjoy a fantastical illumination that feels as if you are walking through a starry sky. ★European Holy Christmas★ Event period: 11/6–12/25 The largest-scale Christmas event ever, where the streets of Europe are adorned with ornaments and lights. In addition to Japan's only symbol tree, a new illumination that looks like a shower of stars will also appear! Please enjoy a magical Christmas at Huis Ten Bosch. \Grand Chandelier Tree/ Location: Amsterdam City Countless crystals \Melody of Christmas/ The Grand Chandelier Tree lights up along with Christmas songs! Enjoy a heart-fluttering night show as the Christmas decorations throughout the city all begin to shine at once. \Christmas Market/ Enjoy unique Christmas gourmet food and sundries amid streetscapes that evoke the authentic Europe! \Kyushu's Largest Fireworks Festival/ Date: 11/14 ★Confirmed again this year! Special Viewing Seat A now on sale★ Dazzling special effects and 22,000 fireworks will light up the night sky again this year!

No. 1 of Hot Springs Attractions in Saga Prefecture

Ureshino Onsen

Ureshino Onsen is one of Japan's three skin-beautifying hot springs. The hot spring town stretches along both banks of the Ureshino River, with nearly 50 hot spring ryokans of various sizes lining the streets, making it a sizable hot spring resort in Kyushu. The water is a sodium bicarbonate spring, leaving the skin feeling smooth after bathing. Some of the spring water is drinkable, and the local specialty, onsen yudofu, is slowly simmered in this water, resulting in tofu that is delicate, soft, and carries the unique, mild texture of the spring water. Ureshino is also a well-known production area for pan-fired tea in Japan. By infusing Ureshino tea into the hot spring, they have created an open-air tea bath, where a faint tea fragrance lingers while you soak—a rare feature among Japanese hot spring ryokans. The public bathhouse on the hot spring street, Siebold no Yu, features Taisho-Roman style wooden Gothic architecture, recreating the original appearance designed by a German in the 1920s, and is one of the iconic views here.

Mifuneyama Rakuen

At the foot of Mount Mifune in Takeo City lies the expansive Mifuneyama Garden, said to have been built over three years by the 28th lord of the Takeo Domain as a villa. Mount Mifune is named for its resemblance to a Tang Dynasty seagoing vessel. Mifuneyama Garden is a wonderful place to enjoy cherry blossoms and autumn foliage. Every spring, over 2,000 cherry trees and more than 200,000 azaleas bloom simultaneously, creating a vast carpet of azaleas against the backdrop of the Mount Mifune cliffs, resulting in a magnificent and breathtaking landscape. A flower festival is held here every spring, with cherry blossoms in March and azaleas and wisteria in April. The autumn foliage is also spectacular; during the Autumn Foliage Festival from early November to early December, there is a large-scale nighttime illumination event for viewing autumn leaves, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

Saga Prefectural Space & Science Museum

Roadside station Kashima

Takeo Shrine

Floating Torii Gate of Ōuo Shrine

The Floating Torii Gate of Ōuo Shrine is a tourist destination famous for its unique view and mysterious atmosphere. The shrine's torii gate is situated in the sea, presenting different scenes as the tides change, attracting countless tourists and photography enthusiasts. ŌUO Shrine itself is a shrine with a long history, and its torii gate in the sea is its iconic feature, built on the shallows near the coast. At high tide, the base of the torii gate is submerged by seawater, making it appear as if it is floating on the sea. At low tide, the base is revealed, allowing visitors to walk near the torii gate and admire its magnificent view up close. The design of the torii gate is simple and elegant, adopting a traditional Japanese architectural style, with red pillars that stand out against the backdrop of the blue sky and sea. Its unique location and natural environment ensure that every tidal change brings a new visual experience for visitors.

Saga Ninja Village Hizen Yumekaido

Hizen Yume Street is located in Ureshino Onsen. It reproduces the street style of Nagasaki in the 17th century. It is a large-scale theme park where you can experience the life of ninjas. There are more than 60 amusement facilities. Here, you can experience ninjutsu and ninja horsemanship, as well as witness exciting performances such as street performers and ninja shows, and take pictures in Edo period costumes in the garden that reproduces the streets of the Edo period. There are many shuriken dojos, blow arrow dojos, and mansions with many labyrinths and hidden institutions in the park. You can fully experience ninja training while playing. When you come here, be sure to rent a set of ninja uniforms and challenge your ninja practice! Various events are held in the park, which reproduces the buildings and towns of the Edo period, and it is immersive. Among them, the daily performances by ninjas and samurai are particularly popular, and the exciting performances are very fascinating for both adults and children. In the garden, you can change into costumes and wigs of characters such as samurai, princesses, and maiko, take pictures, paint on Saga's famous pottery such as Arita ware and Imari ware, and enjoy various activities with your family. experience project.

Takeo city Library

Takeo City, Saga Prefecture, famous for its hot springs, cooperated with Toriya Bookstore to transform the original municipal library into a Takeo City Library that combines library, bookstore and coffee shop. More people are immersed in the scholarly world. After reopening in April 2013, the museum has set a record of 260,000 visitors within three months of its opening, which is five times the local population. Rather than a library, the elevated space, stylish design, a variety of books and audio-visual CDs, and even a café are more like a composite bookstore. In cooperation with TSUTAYA, one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, in addition to retaining the original functions of the library (such as book lending, reading room, audio-visual room, etc.) Enhance lighting, add iPad rental services, set up a dedicated reading area for audio-visual devices, etc. At the same time, the elements of bookstores and DVD rental shops are also added, so that people who come to the Takeo City Library can not only borrow books, but also buy their favorite books and rental CDs. In order to avoid confusion, the book display area is The black and white color is divided into sales and borrowing; and considering the busyness of modern people, a mechanism has also been set up that can be returned at the TSUTAYA branch after renting a DVD in the library. Not only that, there is also a coffee shop in the library, where you can While reading a book, sipping coffee, there are also limited-edition merchandise in the museum.