Nakagawa-Omuta Route

A spot that is bustling with the spring cherry blossoms and lively in summer with kids playing in the water. Restrooms and water fountains are available, and at the Kawasemi-no-Sato market, you can buy local produce as well as bento lunch boxes, Kashiwameshi (seasoned rice with vegetables and chicken)…, homemade bread, and mugwort mochi sweets. There's also an increasing number of bakeries and cafes in the surrounding area.

Located along National Route 385, right at the border of Fukuoka Prefecture. At this farmers market, enjoy freshly harvested local produce, freshly baked bread made using natural spring water from the Sefuri Mountain Range, and delicious dishes made with seasonal items. Take in panoramic views from the observation point of the Mino Mountains, Mt. Unzen and Saga Plain. Close by is the nationally designated Natural Monument - the sasanqua camellia of Mt. Sengoku - and the nationally designated Special Historic Site Yoshinogari Historical Park.

A rest area located in Nishi-Kidoguchi, Kanzakishuku, on the Nagasaki Kaido. There is also a tourist information center. With delicious aromas wafting out the store to whet your appetite, the Kanzaki Somen croquette is not to be missed.

Mietsu, the unseen world heritage site.
This was registered as a world heritage site in July, 2015. In 1857, members of the Saga clan were undertaking naval training, and in the following year built their own Naval Academy on the site where the small boat docks had been. This was the start of the Mietsu Naval Dock.　This was not just a training facility - the Saga clan also wanted to build steamships. In 1865, Japan's first steamboat, the Ryofu-maru, was built here. The Saga clan also purchased boats and was Japan's leading naval power at the time.

Located at the base of the Chikugo River Lift Bridge, with a simple shipping-container exterior, at the cafe you can enjoy soft serve ice cream and other items made with the local Amaou strawberries, and premium selected coffee. You can also take part in Kumiko making workshops (assembling pieces of wood) and other woodworking events held regularly. At the souvenir booth you can pick up Okawa souvenirs and wooden crafts made by local artisans.

The facility offers various experiences for everyone year-round, which has the handicraft hall, the campground, baseball field, and fishing spot. When the weather is good you can see Shimabara Peninsula, and when the tide is low it's possible to spot the mutsugoro (mudskippers) jumping around. The sun setting over the mud flats has also become a famous sight, with the red sun reflected on the sea leaving everyone in awe.

Opened in 1908, this is the only port in Japan with a lock-gate system. This is a very beautiful sunset spot, and twice a year it's possible to see the setting sun light up a path from the end of the harbor to the lock gates. Listed as part of the World Heritage Site: "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining".