The ruins of Karatsu Castle are located to the north of Karatsu City in Saga Prefecture. The main bailey of Karatsu Castle was located on the top of Mt. Mitsushima, which altitude is 42 meters in height. At the foot of Mt. Mitsushima, the second and third baileys were located.

The Matsuura River flows to the east of the ruins of Karatsu Castle and flows into Gankai-Nada Sea. The view of the main castle tower of Karatsu Castle from the other side of the Matsuura River was fantastic.

To the main bailey of the ruins of Karatsu Castle, you will go up stone steps through the "Nino-Kuruwa" bailey. The main gate of the main bailey is shown in the below pictures. The blue curtain displayed at the main gate has two family crests of TERASAWA Clan.

The white walls of the main castle building were well shining with bule sky.

From the main bailey you will see the "Genkai-Nada" Sea. There are a couple of islands on the "Genkai-Nada" Sea. The left island in the below picture is Torishima Island, and right is land is Takashima Island.

The "Genkai-Nada" Sea was the entrance of Japan for culture from China and Korea to the northern Kyushu area in the past.

You will see Mt. Sodefuri, which is a triangle-shaped mountain to the upstream of the Matsuura River. Mt. Sodefuri is related to a sad tale of Miss "SAYO-Hime".

Miss "SAYO-Hime" was a daughter of a millionaire in the Karatsu Area in the sixth century. She met OTOMO-no Satehiko, who was a general and was dispatched from Nara in 537, and they fell in love. However, OTOMO-no Satehiko was on the way to Korea and they had to be separated. She was in deep sorrow and committed suicide.

At the foot of Mt. Mitsushima, the second and third baileys were located. Now, at the sites of these baileys, downtown Karatsu developed. "Tatsumi" Turret was rebuilt in 1993 at the site of the third bailey.

TAKATORI Koreyoshi built this residence in 1905 for his house and to welcome honored guests. The residence has approximately 7,600 square-meters and is designated as an important property of Japan.

If you walk to the south-east from TAKATORI Residence, Karatsu Shrine is located.

To the east of the ruins of Karatsu Castle, "Nijino-Matsubara" Beach is located. "Nijino-Matsubara" means a rainbow pine-covered area in English. The length of the beach is 4.5 kilo-meters (approximately 2.8 miles) long.

I visited here early in the morning in January. No one was on the beach. Only footprints of birds were on the beach.

A pine-covered area is located along "Nijino-Matsubara" Beach. The width of the area is 500 meters and it is said there are a million of pine trees in this area.

The beautiful pain forest was developed because TERASAWA Hirotaka, who was the first feudal lord of Karatsu Domain in the Edo Age, ordered to protect pain trees. "Nijino-Matsubara" Beach is one of three major pine-covered areas in Japan. It is designated as a special scenic spot.

"Nijino-Matsubara" station on the Chikuhi Line is located near the "Nijino-Matsubara" Beach.
You will be able to visit the beach easily from this station.

How to get there
From Tokyo or Osaka, take a "Nozomi" bound for Hakata. From, Hakata, take a subway to Nishi-Kararsu. You can get off at Karatsu Station. It will take you twenty minutes from Karatsu Station to the ruins of Karatsu Castle on foot.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Ruins of Fukuoka Castle
Ruins of Hizen-Nagoya Castle
Yoshinogari Archaeological Site
Arita Historicl District
Ruins of Saga Castle