is a 360-year-old pine forest in
Karatsu
is a city located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Its name, formed from the Japanese word roots 唐 ''kara'' (China, or continental East Asia in general), and 津 ''tsu'' (port), signifies its historical importance as a ...
,
Saga
is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...
. It has a width of 400 - 700 metres, a length of about 4 km, and a total area of 240 hectares. It was also referred as , however this name is uncommon today.
The forest was originally planted by the feudal lord
Terazawa Hirotaka (1563 – May 18, 1633) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. Hirotaka was the builder of Karatsu Castle. He was a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, became lord of Karatsu in 1595.
In 1598, he abandoned his original castle of Nagoya ...
as a counter-measure against the strong winds and tides in Karatsu Bay. Today it is a popular tourist spot, and on a list of the 100 most beautiful places in Japan.
This forest is easily accessible from both Karatsu City and
Fukuoka City
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...
, by the
Chikuhi Line
The is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, connecting Meinohama Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka (and via a subway through service, Fukuoka itself) to Karatsu Station in Karatsu, Saga, and from Yamamoto Station in Karatsu to Imari Station in Imari, ...
. There are several hotels and places to park nearby.
See also
*
External links
Yokatoko
{{Coord, 33.446643, 130.028322, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:JP
Forests of Japan
Special Places of Scenic Beauty
Geography of Saga Prefecture
Tourist attractions in Saga Prefecture