One of the biggest issues I had in the past was finding the right Porcelain shops for the right customer. It is extremely different to know what type of ceramics someone might have a tendency to be impressed by, therefore it was necessary to frequent many different shops to sample the pottery style of the area in general and the artisian in particular. As you can probably guess, this takes up a lot of precious time traveling from place to place and obviously very hit and miss. This is a problem that I don't have to worry about anymore!
These days I head straight to the Arita Sera shops and just let the clients roam at their hearts content. There are over 20 ceramic speciality shops, so there is a lot to see and appreciate. You can window shop, enter as many places as you like to get up and personal with the products (touch and feeling is just as important as how visually appealing the products are) and if you wish a private talk with one of the shop owners can be arranged.
The shops are open 365 days a year and it can be a very popular place on weekends. Our weekday tour don't encounter this problem, you will have all the space and time needed to fully satisfy your ceramic wants and needs.
Please check below to see the Arita Sera Porcelain shops on a map:
Please click on the photos below to see more information about the Arita Sera Porcelain shops.
It's well signposted
Even the map is made of Porcelain
Plenty of room to roam
John Lennon anyone?
There is a lot of good ceramics.
Sale items are available too!
Fancy plates
It's all about the color!
There is some great stuff here
Plenty to see and do
Please look at these videos below to learn more about what the Arita Sera Porcelain shops have to offer ceramic lovers:
It's not too often that the Grand Lady of Cruising, the QE 2 is in town. When an opportunity to see this majestic ship in the Port of Nagasaki arises then a true fan will do whatever it takes to see her up close and personal.
In a true story, my mum and I were supposed to cruise around NZ on the QE2 back in 2020 but the night before our departure from Sydney our cruise was cancelled by a Covid outbreak. Obviously our chance to cruise on the QE2 went down in flames but it still remains on our agenda and I am sure that one day this cruise will come to fruition.
On this particular day not only was I able to see the ship depart from the Port Terminal but I hightailed it to the best vantage point in the city, the Megami Bridge to see her in all its glory. In fact, I wasn't the only one!! There were hundreds of people already on the bridge and arriving at ever minute to get a last glimpse of her on its departure.
Hope you enjoy the pictures and videos, I know I did when I was taking them!
Please see the location of the Megami Bridge on a map:
Please click on the photos below to enlarge:
Getting ready to depart
Port workers waiting for the order
On the Megami Bridge
A crowd has gathered!
Here she comes!
Closer and closer!
Such an impressive sight.
See you again.
Please click on these videos below to see more of the QE2 and its departure from the Port of Nagasaki.
The Marinoa Outlet Mall is a regular destination for my personal travels and shopping experiences. It has a lot of shops that I frequently need to visit, for example clothes, shoes, golf accessories, food stuffs and best of all it is only located about 8kms from where I reside.
There are other larger Outlet Malls such as the ones in Tosu and Kitakyushu but from a location and convenient point of view, Marinoa covers all my needs and in all honesty it is quite a bit cheaper than the others so it's a destination that is high up on my radar.
Every now and then, when the weather is not behaving I will incorporate the Marinoa Outlet Mall into our private day tours as a stop when it is rainy heavily. Other times I have gotten requests from customers to get some shopping in at the end of the day especially when we have about an hour left of the schedule.to kill. In this way, it's a win win situation for all parties concerned. I get a quick break and retail therapy is enjoyed by the clients.
Please let me know in advance whether this destination would be a suitable last stop on our day together as it's only 20 to 30 minutes away from the Fukuoka Cruise Terminal and City Hotels.
Please click below to see the Marinoa Outlet Mall on a map:
Please click on these photos below to enlarge:
Want something Japanese?
Lots of shops to choose from.
Tax free shopping with your passport
The Ferris Wheel is a great landmark
Please click on the videos below to see more about the Marinoa Outlet Mall:
You know you are in Ceramic Territory when the Shrines are decked out in Porcelain designs. It's actually quite remarkable for such a religious and hence traditional institution to allow these designs but when you think about it, it's actually a marketing masterpiece that will attract more customers to the region to see something unique.
The Tozan Shrine is specifically located just above a train station is its easy to find but of course you just have to be careful when crossing the tracks. But don't worry since we are in the remote countryside of Kyushu there aren't too many trains in a daily routine. Walking towards the Shrine is a cultural event in itself. You literally have to stop and look intensely at every statue, pillar, column and of course the main torii entrance gates that feature at every Shinto Shrine in Japan.
The Shrine is also dedicated to Lee Sam Pei, the Korean Potter (who was allegedly brought to Japan by force in the 17th century) who is the person that developed and started the 1st Ceramic Industry in Japan, specifically here in Arita, Saga Prefecture. His memorial statue is located up on a hill behind the shrine and although it is a great view up there of the entire town, unless you have a specific reason to do so, visiting the statue is not a moving moment at all.
I recommend this site as its centrally located near many other attractions off a main street and it's obviously the only Shrine in Japan that is decorated just so. You miss it here, and you will not see another one, period!
Please check out the Tozan Shrine in Arita Town on a map:
Please click on the photos below to enlarge:
Purification time
Porcelain is incredible
Even small is impressive
Interesting roof tiles
Too many details to fathom
The torii gate is impressive
The size of the vases are massive
Check out the detail
Has a magnificent view
Please click on the video below to see more about Tozan Shrine:
