Sajo District is comprised of Saga City, Tosu and Yoshinogari. As the capital and most populous city of Saga Prefecture, Saga City is the hub and has many amenities. Saga boasts shopping centers, dining, nightlife, government services, and a host of events and tourist attractions. Travellers can easily access other parts of the prefecture and Kyushu via JR Saga Station and the adjacent Saga Bus Center. The local regional airport also offers regular flights to destinations both domestic and international.

Who’s Here?

• Six prefectural ALTs live in the Northern part of Saga city and work at area high schools, including those in Ogi, Kanzaki, and Taku.
• Two prefectural ALTs live in Tosu.
• One private school ALT lives in the Southern part of Saga city.
• Three prefectural CIRs live in Saga City and work for the Saga Prefectural Government. One is Dutch, one is Vietnamese, and one is Korean.
• One city CIR lives in Saga City and works for the Saga City Government.

Leisure

Whether your up for a round of baseball at Round 1, a stroll in Kono park, or want to watch some soccer at Best Amenity Stadium,  there are plenty of things to do in Sajo District!

For more details on exploring Sajo District, visit our Sajo District Travel page.

Shopping

• Youme Town – A massive shopping mall about 20-25 minutes (walking) northeast from the station. A special bus provides access to and from the Bus Center. Special points of interest include Kaldi (an import store), several bakeries, a large grocery store, Uniqlo, Muji, Toys R Us, Daiso (100 Yen Shop), Best Denki (Electronics), Nittori (Home Furnishings), several barbers, Food Court, a wide selection of restaurants, and much more.
• Mallage – Another massive shopping mall located south east of the station. A special bus provides access to and from the Bus Center. Special points of interest include a huge grocery store, Jupiter (an import store), movie theater, Seria (a more upscale 100 yen shop), Mr. Max (general low price store), and much more.
• Aeon – Yet another large shopping mall but this one is located rather north of the station. There isn’t a bus provided to get there, however, there are buses that go close to the mall. Special points on interest include a very large Daiso (100 yen shop), Nittori (Home Furnishings) and a movie theatre.
• Tosu Outlet – A huge outlet park that is situated in Tosu. There is a bus that can take you straight to the outlet from the station and back. If you happen to miss the bus, a taxi there isn’t too expensive. There are shops such as; Nike, Lego, Lacoste, Adidas, Tefal, Levis and many more. There is also a food court that has a lot of delicious food options.

Services

• Saga Shoko Building – Saga Shoko Building is located in the Shirahama shopping arcade, just next to S-Platz. Shoko houses SPIRA, which holds a variety of international exchange services. Events include cooking classes, language classes, Circle Time, and more.
• Around S-Platz – around S-Platz is also known as “Snack Street” and is where almost all of the Snack Bars and “evening establishments” are located. There are also a ton of fabulous restaurants and bars located around here. G Collection, the only real club in Saga, is also located in this area.
• Saga Prefectural Government Office – if you head straight south from the station on Chuo-Dori you will find the Prefectural Government Office Building, or Kencho. The Saga BOE is on the 3rd Floor of the Old Building. Accessing Kencho is fairly easy, as almost all bus lines in Saga pass it at some point on their route.

Local Events

To find out what events are coming up around the prefecture, check this month’s events page.

• Circle Time – an event organized by Saga JETs, held multiple times a year at Shoko Building. Read picture books, sing songs, and make crafts with local children and their parents as a way to share culture.
• Koinobori – When the koinobori (carp streamers) are up around early May, head North towards the mountains to see the red bridge as they put up many koinobori above the river.
• Saga Charity Christmas Party – Every year in December the Saga Charity Christmas Party is held at the Culture Hall. Volunteer to help out with the party, or even just attend – it’s a great way to give back to the community.
• Sakura Marathon – The Sakura Marathon begins and ends in Northern Saga City at the Sogo Grounds.
• Saga Balloon Festa – The annual Saga Balloon Festa is held along the Kase River in Northwestern Saga. A temporary station is set up to access the festival, though it can also be reached by bike (if you’re up for it) or by car.

Getting Around

Transportation within the city is arguably the most convenient in the prefecture. There are buses to major shopping centers and tourist attractions, and plenty within walking distance of the station. For further or less popular destinations, a taxi or bike will suffice.

Fukuoka by bus or train. Nagasaki by train. Karatsu by train. All of Kyushu by various buses and trains (transfers can be made just inside Fukuoka, from which buses depart to almost everywhere below Osaka).