🏺 Fukuoka / Saga · 2 days
Saga & Fukuoka Pottery Road: Kilns, Yoshinogari & Yutoku Inari
Drive the birthplace of Japanese porcelain: the pottery villages of Koishiwara, Arita and Imari, the Yayoi ruins of Yoshinogari and the great Yutoku Inari shrine — 6 michi-no-eki across Fukuoka and Saga.
Northern Kyushu is where Japan learned to make porcelain. Four hundred years ago the first kaolin in the country was dug near Arita, and the towns strung across Fukuoka and Saga still fire the wares that carry their names — rustic Koishiwara, refined Arita and Imari’s Nabeshima porcelain. It is a region made for a slow car tour: the kilns, museums and pottery streets sit in valleys the trains skip, and the roadside stations double as the potters’ own showrooms.
This route runs west out of Fukuoka into the mountain pottery village of Koishiwara, down through the white-walled town and terraced rice fields of Ukiha, across the Yayoi-era moated settlement of Yoshinogari — the largest archaeological site of its kind in Japan — and on to Kashima, where the vermilion Yutoku Inari, one of Japan’s three great Inari shrines, stands above the Ariake Sea and its famous floating torii. It finishes in the porcelain heartland at Takeo and the kiln towns of Arita and Imari. Every michi-no-eki is a pottery stand and a farm market in one.
The stops, in driving order
- 1 Michi-no-Eki Koishiwara 道の駅 小石原 · Fukuoka
Michi-no-Eki Koishiwara (道の駅 小石原) is a government-designated roadside station in 朝倉郡東峰村, Fukuoka, Japan, registered in 1996 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 36 cars and 3 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–18:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kyushu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Kan Yuu Sha Hikosan, Hara Tsuru and Ukiha.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Umami (5.9 km) · 🏛英彦山修験道館 (8.1 km)
- 2 Michi-no-Eki Ukiha 道の駅 うきは · Fukuoka
Michi-no-Eki Ukiha (道の駅 うきは) is a government-designated roadside station in うきは市, Fukuoka, Japan, registered in 1999 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 160 cars and 8 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–17:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kyushu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Hara Tsuru, Koishiwara and Suihen No Sato Ooyama.
Nearby: 🌄曲がり角 (1.2 km) · 📸春光園 觀光果園 (1.2 km)
- 3 Michi-no-Eki Yoshino Ke Sato 道の駅 吉野ヶ里 · Saga
Michi-no-Eki Yoshino Ke Sato (道の駅 吉野ヶ里) is a government-designated roadside station in 神埼郡吉野ヶ里町, Saga, Japan, registered in 2007 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a local-products shop, a tourist-information desk, an observation deck and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 51 cars and 6 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–18:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kyushu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Yamato, Ooki and Kurume.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Hamaguri-dake (3.4 km) · ⛰Mt. Ishitaki (4.5 km)
- 4 Michi-no-Eki Kashima 道の駅 鹿島 · Saga
Michi-no-Eki Kashima (道の駅 鹿島) is a government-designated roadside station in 鹿島市, Saga, Japan, registered in 1994 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a cafe, a local-products shop, showers, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 239 cars and 11 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–18:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kyushu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Tarou, Shiroishi and Sonogi No Sou.
Nearby: 📸Floating Torii of Oouo Shrine (5.7 km) · 🏛太良町歴史民俗資料館 (6.9 km)
- 5 Michi-no-Eki Yamauchi 道の駅 山内 · Saga
Michi-no-Eki Yamauchi (道の駅 山内) is a government-designated roadside station in 武雄市, Saga, Japan, registered in 1998 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 65 cars and 8 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:30–18:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kyushu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Imari, Kyuuragi and Sonogi No Sou.
Nearby: 🌄神六山公園展望台 (3.2 km) · 🏛有田焼参考館 (4.2 km)
- 6 Michi-no-Eki Imari 道の駅 伊万里 · Saga
Michi-no-Eki Imari (道の駅 伊万里) is a government-designated roadside station in 伊万里市, Saga, Japan, registered in 1995 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop, a tourist-information desk and a baby room. There is free parking for about 62 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:00–18:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kyushu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Kyuuragi, Yamauchi and Taka Ra Shima.
Nearby: 🏛伊万里市歴史民俗資料館 (6 km) · 🏛伊万里・鍋島ギャラリー (6.8 km)
Make this route yours — load all 6 stops into the planner, reorder or remove stops, then open the finished trip in Google Maps.
Customize this route →Route tips
- Time it for Golden Week if you can: the Arita Ceramics Fair and Imari and Koishiwara pottery markets (late April–early May) are the biggest of the year, with kiln prices along the streets.
- Yoshinogari Historical Park is a full stop in itself — reconstructed watchtowers and pit dwellings of a 2,000-year-old Yayoi town, right by the michi-no-eki.
- Yutoku Inari near Kashima is one of Japan’s three great Inari shrines — a towering vermilion complex; the Ariake coast nearby has the photogenic floating torii of Oouo Shrine.
- Takeo and Ureshino onsen make the natural overnight between the Fukuoka and Arita legs — end the day with a soak before the kilns of Arita and Imari.
Before you drive
- Can you drive in Japan? License rules by country
- Renting a car in Japan: the complete guide
- Can you sleep overnight at a michi-no-eki?
FAQ — Saga & Fukuoka pottery road
How many days do you need for the Saga & Fukuoka pottery road route?
2 days is a comfortable pace: roughly 160 km of driving with 6 michi-no-eki stops along the way. You can compress it, but the stops are the point.
Where does the route start and end?
It starts at Fukuoka and ends at Imari / Arita. Load all 6 stops into the free MichiStops route planner to reorder, add or remove stops, then open the finished trip in Google Maps.
When is the best season to drive this route?
Year-round; the great pottery fairs run over Golden Week (late April–early May).
Do I need to rent a car?
Yes — michi-no-eki are roadside stations, realistically reachable only by rental car or campervan. Most visitors can drive in Japan with a 1949-convention International Driving Permit; check the license rules for your country before booking. License rules by country →
Can I sleep overnight at the michi-no-eki on this route?
Resting overnight in your vehicle is tolerated at most michi-no-eki, but tents, awnings and open-air cooking are not allowed. Read the overnight-stay guide for the etiquette. Overnight-stay guide →