Green tea, so central to Japanese daily life, actually originated in Northern Kyushu! Below, I present a brief guide to three of Kyushu’s main tea producing regions and their particular types of Japanese green tea.

Okawachiyama, Saga. As soon as you get off the bus, sightseeing starts. You see the mountains in the background, narrow roads, pottery and porcelain everywhere, a stream and cute little bridges over it.

Every year between April 29th and May 5th, a period with a cluster of national holidays known in Japan as Golden Week, the village of Arita holds a festival about all things porcelain

The Saga International Balloon Fiesta is on now and it's a great time to visit Saga! This year the weather doesn’t even feel like winter yet!

The highlight of the festival are the huge floats, made using traditional materials and methods (like wood, washi paper, clay, lacquer and gilding) and each one has its own story. They range from colourful fish, to lions and dragons. At night they will have lanterns hanging from them...

During Obon In Nagasaki, the spirits of the deceased are transported on a symbolic spirit boat. Each family makes and personalizes the boats according to the hobbies, lifestyle and favourite things of the loved ones that have departed.

You’ve probably heard the idiom “Here’s mud in your eye”, an expression used to wish someone success or happiness while tossing a glass of beer.

Onsen or hot spring is one of the best attractions in Japan. Your once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan would be incomplete without a unique hot spring experience. But did you ever know that in Japan, some hot springs can literally make your skin and body healthy?

The Saga International Balloon Festival (SIBF) is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Japan. The festival officially began in 1980 and has grown from a gathering of 5 hot air balloons to a world-class competition.

Arita Porcelain Park in Saga is a theme park filled with beautiful architecture and porcelains, adding to that NEW experiences.

Yoshinogari Historical Park in Saga Prefecture was established to preserve Yoshinogari ruins.

Japan's southern island of Kyushu has way too many autumn-leaf viewing spots to introduce them all to you here, so let us show you some of the best spots in Saga and Nagasaki.