Kyushu Craftsmanship: Pottery and Porcelain (6 days, 5 nights)

Who is this for?
A quiet journey through Saga unfolds through kiln towns, design-forward libraries, steam-filled hot springs, and hands-on encounters with regional skill and tradition. Ideal for travelers curious about the slower rhythms of Japan, where the everyday carries stories passed down through generations.

Physical Activity: Medium
Length of Trip:  6 days, 5 nights
Capacity:  2 - 6 people

Visualize yourself:
- Sipping fresh green team then dyeing cloth with tea in a quiet countryside studio
- Riding through patchwork fields of green tea and golden rice, far from city noise
- Sharing stories with a local artisans and seeing them at work 
- Wandering through tucked-away porcelain studios in Arita
- Taking a slow afternoon search for the perfect pieces to bring home
- Stepping into a centuries-old sake brewery where the aroma of rice and koji fills the air
- Sampling street food in Nakasu, where sizzling ramen and grilled skewers await

Itinerary:

Day 1: Travel Day, Welcome to Fukuoka!
Arrive in Fukuoka via the Fukuoka International Airport and meet your guide. Well-connected to the city center, in just 20 minutes out of the airport, take time to explore the city or rest up for the travels ahead.

Day 2: Karatsu 
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Begin the day along the shore at Sakurai Futamigaura, where twin stones linked by a sacred rope rise from the sea. Continue to Karatsu Castle, perched above the bay with wide views across the landscape.  In the afternoon, have a close look at Karatsu ware. This is pottery prized for its understated form and subtle imperfections, with a chance to meet the artisans continuing this centuries-old craft. It is the epitome of wabisabi. 

Day 3: Arita 
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch,  Dinner

Start in Arita, birthplace of Japanese porcelain. Visit Izumiyama Quarry, where porcelain stone was first discovered. Stop by Sueyama Shrine to see its rare ceramic torii gate. Tour a working ceramics studio and browse through cases and cases of handmade pieces in a treasure hunting style. Travel onward to Ureshino for the evening. This day highlights the foundations and evolution of porcelain in Japan. For dinner, enjoy a steaming meal of yudofu, Saga's specialty tofu meal.  Yudofu is typically tofu simmered in hot water, but in Ureshino, it’s boiled in local hot spring water instead. 

Day 4: Takeo
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Begin with tea dyeing in Ureshino, using onsen water to tint fabric in copper hues. Learn about local tea culture at the museum in the facility. Then head to Takeo to see the ancient shrine and The Great Camphor Tree of Takeo. In Takeo, take a short break to learn from a tea master and enjoy whisking and sipping your own green tea in a hidden Japanese garden. In the afternoon, visit Amabuki Shuzo to explore centuries of sake brewing rooted in the Saga Plain. Learn about their special ingredients that give their sake distinct flavors. End the day in Fukuoka with time to unwind. 

Day 5: Fukuoka
Included meals: Breakfast,  Lunch, Dinner

Start the day with a trip to Dazaifu Shrine in the morning. Dazaifu is a historic site with deep cultural roots, and its lively approach street is lined with local street food that makes the journey just as memorable as the destination. In the afternoon, return to Fukuoka city and explore Canal City Hakata. It's an impressive entertainment complex known not just for its wide range of stores, but also for its impressive architecture. End the day in Nakasu, where open-air food stalls serve up classic Hakata flavors in a casual riverside setting.

Day 6: Fly home
Included meals: Breakfast
Your next destination? Home sweet home. But remember, it's not sayonara yet, it's "See you soon!" The question is, where to from here?

OR EXTEND YOUR TRIP!
Add another trip of ours on top of this journey and we will be happy to send you off.

Some Saga photos are used with permission from Saga Prefecture Tourism Federation.