Tara: Mount Tara, the Coast and Regional Cuisine

Tara combines a landscape where the sea and mountains lie close together with a distinctive regional food culture. The area offers several ways to shape a trip: day hikes on Mount Tara, views over the Ariake Sea and regional dishes. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Tara, you can also plan your trip around the oyster season and the annual events in early January.

Mount Tara: Nature and Hiking

Mount Tara is 996 meters high and designated as a natural park of Saga Prefecture. The mountain has natural forests with numerous rare plants and animals; Chalmersol is one of the rare plants found there. The Mount Tara hiking trail is suitable for day hikes and gives your trip a clear nature focus. Taradake Gongen is enshrined at the summit.

Regional Cuisine and Specialties

Takezaki oysters are considered a typical winter specialty of Tara; their season runs from November to March. Harvest conditions can vary. If oyster season is a deciding factor for your trip, check current availability. Takezaki crabs are also a typical specialty. They are caught in the coastal waters off the Takezaki district.

There are many oyster huts along National Route 207. There, you can grill oysters, Takezaki crabs, squid and various shellfish together. As the operation of individual huts may change, check in advance which ones will be open during your trip. At the Tara roadside station on National Route 207, the Tarafuku-kan shop stocks local products, including fresh vegetables, mandarins and seafood landed in the Ariake Sea; the selection may vary.

Tarafuku-don is a typical dish from Tara. It was developed to promote and offer the branded pork associated with Tara. Together with oysters and crabs, the dish shows another side of the local food culture.

Culture, Events and Views

The Shushōe Oni Festival at Takezaki Kannon Temple takes place every year on January 2 and 3 at the temple in Tara. It is designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan. The Tara New Year Marathon is held annually on January 4 in front of Tara Elementary School and attracts runners from Tara and beyond.

Takezaki Castle was built by the Arima family of Shimabara during the Northern and Southern Courts period. The three-story Takezaki Castle Observatory houses a fishing equipment museum on the first floor; the second and third floors serve as viewing levels. The observation deck at Takezaki Castle offers a 360-degree panorama, with views of the Ariake Sea, the Mount Tara mountain range, Mount Unzen and Ariake Saga Airport. Underwater torii gates associated with Ouo Shrine are traditionally rebuilt every 30 years.

The dates also provide a practical guide for planning your trip: the oyster season from November to March overlaps with the festival on January 2 and 3 and the marathon on January 4. This means early January brings together a culinary seasonal highlight and two annual events.

Shirahama Beach and the Tides

Shirahama Beach is an artificially created beach on the Ariake Sea. The tides limit the times when swimming is possible, so be sure to take them into account when planning your visit. The beach has a beach house, a rest area, changing rooms, shower stalls, toilets and parking. Facility operations and swimming conditions may vary by season; check conditions before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Tosu, Takeo, Imari, Taku, Shiroishi, Ureshino, Ogi, Saga.

For the main travel overview: Saga Prefecture.