Now, after spending the night in Sasebo and filling up on “Sasebo Burgers,” we took a short train ride a bit further to Arita Town. Arita is in Saga Prefecture.

There are many famous pottery-producing regions across Japan, but Arita ware (also known as Imari ware) is incredibly famous. It is considered the “birthplace of Japanese porcelain.” It is characterized by detailed patterns applied with masterful craftsmanship.

The history is said to have begun long ago when porcelain artisans brought over from Korea found high-quality raw materials for porcelain in this area and started producing it. Today, a wide variety of porcelain is made here, from everyday soy sauce dishes for home use to high-end items purveyed to the Imperial Household Agency. I hear their annual ceramics fair attracts a million visitors!

For more information about Arita ware: Arita Tourism Association Website

Anyway, we got off at a JR station called “Kami-Arita.” Right from the platform, you can see a townscape full of character!

As soon as we exited the station’s ticket gates, there was a box of plates with a sign that read, “Please feel free to take one home as a souvenir of your trip.” That’s Arita for you!

We walked around the town, checking out the many porcelain production workshops and galleries. Perhaps because it’s a town of ceramics, even the walls of the houses are artistic.

I absolutely love tableware. Even just simple stir-fried vegetables look like a restaurant dish when served in a beautiful bowl, right? My husband and I live in a very small place now, so I can’t collect a lot of tableware, but someday I want to move to a bigger house and go on a massive shopping spree in Arita.

If you take a short drive from Arita, you can reach another town famous for its ceramics: Hasami. Hasami ware also boasts a history of several hundred years, but many of its designs are modern and stylish, so I highly recommend it!

For more information about Hasami ware : Hasami cho website

Now, we hopped back on the train, passing right through Sasebo this time, and returned to Nagasaki City. Along the way, we could see Huis Ten Bosch from the train window.

Tomorrow is the final day of this trip.

When it comes to Nagasaki, there is one place you absolutely have to visit. Tomorrow, that’s where we’ll go.