Engaging in the San Sebastian of Japan, Karatsu.

Sharing what I learned about sake from Saga My image before moving into Karatsu was that the Kyushu people are crazy shochu drinkers, not sake. But it turns out that Saga is a big sake area of Japan, winning many awards. Working in Choko Bar that serves a variety of Saga sake in Karatsu ware cups, I'm amazed that a lot of people from even Tokyo area come all the way here to try the local sake that doesn't get shipped to big cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Especially the seasonal ones are produced only in limited quantities, only enough to be consumed within Saga. So we have guests from Fuokuoka as well telling us they want to try the limited ones that don't get shipped there.   Choko Bar lets you try 4 local sake of your choice with a local appetizer for 1500JPY, and 4 limited/seasonal local sake for 2000JPY, so customers tell me that it's the best way to try good local sake at the same time. Fair enough. A small glass will usually cost around 500~1000JPY, and it's act...

It's been almost 6 months since I moved into Karatsu. I've found out that many foodies from all over Japan moved here for a slower life near the spaceyand sunny beaches and great food.  Today I gathered where and what I like doing in Karatsu so far! The Castle and the Sea I walk about an hour everyday around sunrise near the Karatsu Castle every day, and when I can sunset as well. It's just 10 minutes walk to the castle from where I live in the city center area, and there is a walking path along the beach going to the castle. The beach is managed by Karatsu City and Saga Prefecture, so it's very organized and clean. It's spacey and relatively empty, so plenty of breathing space. I only see a few people swimming or walking like me, and some fishing. I wrote about my walking experience here. My morning walk in Karatsu! Fishing in Karatsu Karatsu Bay is very rich in nutrients and a whole varitey of seafood can be fished here including: horse mackerel, mackerel, seabrea...

Out of the major cities of Japan which includes Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo, and Fukuoka, Fukuoka is the hub of our southern island Kyushu and is a smart city that has an international airport just 10 minute train ride away from the city center. For a big foodie like me, local food is very important when I visit a city. After living in Hokkaido which is said to be the food capital of Japan, and the kitchen of Tokyo Tsukiji and Ginza area, I learned Fukuoka is my favorite place for good food. I've just started discovering Fukuoka, but I want to share with you what I love about it so far. Smart and compact City When it comes to how smart the city is, Fukuoka is probably my favorite city in the world right now.  I'm always amazed how close the airport is to the city center, just 2 subway stations apart. Fukuoka Airport is still compact and not as big as Narita or Kansai, the two biggest airports of Japan, nor is as busy like Chitose in Sapporo. The city center, Hakata has...

When I was considering moving into Kyushu, the first thing that comes up to mind is the typhoon during the summer. We all see heavy rain flooding the rivers and sometimes cars being swept away. Winters tend to be warmer, but summers have this tropical climate with natural disasters and humid, sticky temperatures. But having lived in Karatsu, northwest of Kyushu Prefecture, it isn't necessary true. It all depends on which part of Kyushu I'm in. Today I want to summarize the 1 month weather forecast of North Kyushu including Fukuoka and Karatsu from 9th Aug, 2025. 7th of August was the "Start of Fall."(立秋） We take it as the peak of the hot season of Japan. It is actually the hottest timing, but we historically know that autumn breeze flow into the cities. This year 2025, it was clear sunny skies every single day, probably July. But interestingly, after the Risshu, it's been raining a lot. Temperatures are a lot lower, but the humidity from the rain makes it unpleasa...