Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [542]
For the full pottery treatment, join the Japanese package tours at Arita Porcelain Park (; 41-0030; adult/student ¥1000/500; 10am-5pm Mar-Nov, to 4pm Dec-Feb), a 10-minute bus ride (¥150) from the train station, or shop for Fukagawa porcelain at China on the Park Gallery (; 46-3900; 9am-5.30pm), 5km west of town on Rte 202 where you can also watch the firing process. An Arita bus (¥150, four daily from 9.30am) can take you out to the clay mines, from where you can walk back to the station in about an hour or so, if the numerous galleries don’t tempt you inside. Along the way, check out the house walls in some of the back streets: leftover pottery was often used in bricks and construction and some of the older buildings show this recycling well.
A short hop east of Arita, Takeo Onsen () is a modern hot-springs town. The traditional baths are said to have refreshed the armies of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Look for the lacquered Chinese-style gate, which was built without nails.
Takeo Onsen Youth Hostel (; 0954-22-2490; fax 0954-20-1208; dm with breakfast member/nonmember ¥3300/3900) is comfortable, but the last bus to the hostel (¥250) leaves Takeo Onsen Station at 4pm.
From outside Arita Station, private Matsūra-tetsudō trains depart for Imari (¥410, 25 minutes). JR tokkyū trains between Hakata (¥2690, 80 minutes) and Sasebo (¥1050, 30 minutes) stop at Arita and Takeo Onsen. Takeo Onsen is also connected to Arita by local trains (¥270, 20 minutes). Around town, community bus routes (¥150) cover most sights, departing hourly from Arita Station, where you can also rent bicycles (¥300 per day).
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NORTHWEST ISLANDS
Five large and many smaller islands lie to the northwest of Kyūshū and are accessible from Fukuoka, Sasebo and Nagasaki, but reaching them is not cheap. Some are part of Saga-ken, but all below are part of Nagasaki-ken. Visit if you want to get away from it all, but if you are looking for the elusive Lost Japan, prepare for some level of disappointment.
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IKI
09204 / pop 32,310
Iki, off Kyūshū’s northern coast, has an area of 138 sq km and lies closer to Karatsu than Fukuoka. As well as having some nice beaches, it’s relatively flat and a decent place for cyclists. Toyotomi Hideyoshi fortified Gonoura, the busiest port and a base for exploring the island. Ondake-jinja, north of Ashibe, features stone statues dedicated to a half-monkey deity. These eroded figures were carved by a local lord, and were intended to bring health to the island’s livestock. Yunomoto Onsen on the west coast is the island’s only hot spring. Other minor sights include burial mounds, Buddhist rock carvings and historic ruins.
The little beach near Katsumoto on the island’s north side has a camping ground nearby. At the hot springs, the kokumin-shukusha (people’s lodge) Ikishima-sō (; 43-0124; r with 2 meals ¥6660) is good value. Otherwise, try Tomita-sō (; 47-0011; r with 2 meals ¥5800) if in Gonoura. At Gonoura ferry terminal, the information desk (47-3700) can help book other accommodation around the island.
ORC Air has flights from Nagasaki to Iki (¥9300, 30 minutes, two daily). Jetfoils run year-round from Hakata to Gonoura or Ashibe (¥4900, 70 minutes, three daily) on Iki. Ordinary car-ferry services take twice that long (¥2400, two daily). On Iki, rental cars start at ¥3000 per three hours, costing ¥10,000 for two days. They can be rented at all of the ferry ports. Try friendly Genkai Kōtsū Rent-a-Car (44-5658). Bike rental is possible from Kawabe Motors (44-6636; ¥1000), near the ferry terminal; for an extra ¥1000 you can have the bike dropped to you anywhere on the island.
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HIRADO-SHIMA
0950 / pop 39,080
Hirado-shima’s proximity to the mainland makes it