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During the days when Nagasaki served as the only port open to the outside world, the Saga Domain owned and was in charge of protecting the port. With that, they were the only domain that received information from and about other countries, including discoveries and advancements in science and technology. The naval docks were established in Saga to begin producing Western-style ships and forming Japan's first Western-style navy. The dock here was an important part of Japan's modernization on the shipbuilding and naval front and is inscribed as one of the World Heritage Sites that make up the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
筑後川昇開橋, Chikugo-gawa shōkaikyō
This bridge was part of a train line that is no longer used. Visitors can now walk across it from Saga Prefecture to Fukuoka Prefecture and back. If you arrive at the right time, you may see the middle of the bridge lifted.
佐賀線跡,徐福サイクルロード
Take a bike ride on the converted railway. Bikes can be rented conveniently close to Saga Station. You may need a map to get your way to the entrance of the bike trail, but after that it's a quiet ride southeast under sakura trees, past the remains of old train stations, that leads you straight to Saga's arguably most famous structure, the Chikugo River Lift Bridge.
佐賀城
The original Saga Castle was built in 1608 by the Lord Nabeshima Naoshige. The castle suffered repeated fires over the centuries before eventually being torn down. One of the gates survived all of this and has been listed as an Important Cultural Property. In 2004 the castle's honmaru palace was rebuilt. It is now the Saga Castle Museum of History. It offers excellent free English audio guides.
佐賀市歴史民俗館, sagashi rekishi minzokukan
A unique museum that features many preserved historic buildings. Visitors can enter the buildings and learn about the families that lived there and in turn learn more about the history of Saga City.
佐賀バルーンミュージアム
A new museum all about hot air balloons and competitions. It has interactive exhibits and a small theatre.
干潟よか公園
A park on the coast of the Ariake Sea where visitors can see native flora and fauna up close and through provided binoculars. Most famous are the mudskippers that hop around on the mudflats, and the shichimensō, a plant that turns deep red in November. It's also a popular spot for birders, as many shorebirds stop here during migration. The park also has a charming Saga-themed playground.