Located north of Tosu City, Kiyama Town is the Eastern-most area within Saga Prefecture, bordered on all other sides by Fukuoka Prefecture. The land has historically been hotly contested, from 663 when the Yamato court feared invasion and made sweeping changes to their fortifications; passing to the Tsukushi clan during the Sengoku period; and becoming territory of Kobayakawa Takakage in 1587. It then became enclave territory of the So clan until the Meiji restoration, with the village of Kiyama established in 1889 and then raised to town status in 1939.

Due to its location, around ten percent of Kiyama’s residents work or attend school in the city of Fukuoka, and it is considered a major commuting town for Kurume a short distance to the south.

Places of Interest

• Kihotsuru Brewery – the host of an annual tour for foreign residents that JETs are encouraged to attend, this is a family brewery where no two batches of Sake are the same! If you can attend an event, you’ll be able to enjoy a tour around their facility and also enjoy a sampling menu of delicious local sake with a hearty bento!
• Daikozenji Temple & Kibo no Saka ー only five minutes from the Komatsu bus stop, you can view the beautiful Daikozenji Temple founded in 717AD, and climb the 127 stone steps up into the temple grounds. The main hall has a traditional thatched roof and kawara tiled roofing, existing examples of valuable historical architecture.
• Eleven-Faced Kannon ー usually hidden and only seen once every twelve years, the eleven-faced Kannon statue resides on the Daikozenji Temple grounds. The next unveiling (at time of writing) will be in 2026. If you don’t have the time to wait, you could also head up to Mt. Chigiriyama to view the Kannon up there.

Local Events and Traditions

• Daikozenji Azalea Garden ー Azalea flowers are the symbol of Kiyama town, and Daikozenji in particular is famous for its azalea garden. You can see it in bloom around April to May, but can also enjoy an autumn stroll to view the beautiful red maple trees!
• Kiyama Monzen Market　ー held in late April near the Daikozenji temple grounds, this is an open-air market of fresh produce, seafood, and small handcrafted items. The Spring JR Kyushu walking event is also held on the same day.　

Getting Around

Kiyama is a short distance away from Tosu Train Station, but getting around to anything of note might be difficult without a car. From within Kiyama you have many excellent transportation options onwards if you drive – the Kyushu Expressway or Japan National Route 3.