Castle, Castle

Temperature - 32

Food eaten - Bacon burger and Shaved Ice

Another sunny Sunday was upon me. This time, I took the chance to join a trip with a friend headed for Karatsu. Technically the second biggest city in my prefecture, if you ignore the adding towns on the outskirts to make up numbers!

The drive to Karatsu was beautiful. You pass through green forests and mountains, the roads pass sleepily by many small farming towns. Located in the North, it overlooks the sea, and across that sea is South Korea. Always fun to remind myself that I am closer to South Korea than I am to Tokyo.

Upon arrival. You will be greeted with some jaw-dropping scenery. You will see Nagasaki showing off some of its many islands. Fukuoka nestled to the far left. If you can climb up Mount Kagami which I would fully recommend. You will be rewarded with panoramic views. The temperature is also reasonable up there as the sea breeze helps take off the burn.

There are 2 castles in Karatsu, the first is the spectacular Karatsu castle. The first of which is currently showing off its Yuri on Ice merch. And also Nagoya castle… not to be confused with the one up North… you did not just skip a prefecture.

Looking for something easy to access and fun for the family? I would recommend the first of the two. The second is now ruins and a museum. But another fantastic place to grab shaved ice and overlook a stunning view. You can almost see down the stretch of Nagasaki’s northern section from here.

Both castles are beautiful and have their charm. Karatsu blessed me with what my heart needed … a friendly cat decided to sleep at my feet and let me have a well-needed cuddle session. There is a beautiful viewing platform up top of Karatsu Castle. And also has a cute mascot for younger visitors to enjoy.

By this point, it has been a month since I landed in Japan. So much has happened and it feels like I have been here much longer. However, I am still eager to explore as much as possible and bring out more fun blogs.

Karatsu is a place well worth adding to your travel list, find a nice hotel and spend a little time exploring. I would love to go back at some point to explore the beach area, and also locate the floating Tori gate. So another trip to Karatsu will happen at some point for me.