Regions & prefectures
JapanRegions & prefectures
Saga
The birthplace of Japanese porcelain, born of Korean potters deported in the sixteenth century.
- Capital
- Saga
- Status
- Prefecture
- Region
- Kyūshū and Okinawa
- Must-see
- The kilns of Arita
- Local specialty
- Arita porcelain, Saga beef, nori seaweed
In 1616 the Korean potter Yi Sam-pyeong, taken by force during Hideyoshi’s invasions, found kaolin near Arita: Japan produced its first porcelain, exported from 1650 by the Dutch company under the name of the shipping port, Imari. The Yoshinogari site further south documents a fortified Yayoi-period settlement, with its ditches and raised granaries.
What to see there
Places, dishes and traditions tied to this territory.
In the magazine
Articles that cover this topic.