Sasebo City
"Kirrato (city with a bright future)" Sasebo City
- Nurtures people and towns
Sasebo is a city where the residents are healthy and active in harmonious coexistence with nature.
Sasebo City is situated at the edge of northwest Kyushu. The distance from Sasebo City to Tokyo is approximately 1,000km while the distance to Shanghai, China is approximately 800km. The city has mountains such as Mt. Eboushidake (568m) and Shoukandake (443m) and a ria (or drowned river valley) that formed in the coastal area. The city embraces a part of Saikai National Park that includes the beautiful natural "Kujuku Islands," which is made up of a complex interweave of different sized islands.
Sasebo Port, considered the center of Sasebo City, is an excellent natural port that has a narrow entrance and wide inner bay. Because of these characteristics, the 'Chinju-fu (naval base)' was set up here in 1889. Propelled by this momentum, the population of the city sharply increased from about 4,000 (in 1886) to about 50,000 (in 1902). From a village, Sasebo became a city at a single stroke, bypassing the town phase.
The central district of Sasebo City suffered catastrophic damage during the Second World War. In 1948, Sasebo Port was designated the first trading port in West Japan after the war. In 1950, Sasebo City started to make efforts toward becoming a peace-time industrial coast city in accordance with the "Act on Reconstruction of Cities that Formerly Served as Naval Ports" that was enforced by the government. Since that time, the city has developed around the shipbuilding industry.
Today, the Sasebo is also known as a city for sightseeing with many tourist attractions that represents the Kyushu district, such as "Kujuku Islands" of Saikai National Park and the Dutch-styled theme park "Huis Ten Bosch."
While the city puts great importance on "nurturing people" and "nurturing towns" as its two core targets for city development, it also strives to achieve "Kirrato" Sasebo City where citizens can be healthy and active in harmonious coexistence with nature.
Official tree of Sasebo City
Flowering Dogwood
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Official flower of Sasebo City
Lilium speciosum
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| Municipality enforcement |
April 1, 1902 |
| Area |
426.06 km2 |
| Population |
232,761 |
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Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort (overall view)
Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort enables visitors to enjoy Kujukushima Islands through facilities such as an aquarium, yacht sailing, sea kayaking, and cruising by boat.
Kujukushima Islands viewed from the Tenkaiho observatory
Visitors can enjoy a 180-degree magnificent panoramic view of Kujukushima Islands from the Tenkaiho observatory. The garden park below the observatory is crowded with many visitors, especially during the flowering season, for example, the rapeseed blossoms in spring and cosmos' in autumn.
Glow of sunset on Kujukushima Islands
Photographers are captivated by the sunset over islands.
Kujukushima Cruise Ship "Pearl Queen"
The elegant "Pearl Queen" certainly lives up to her name inspired by the image of mistress of the sea. There is a daytime service for cruising around the blue ocean and green islands on this vessel and a limited seasonal sunset cruise for watching beautiful sunsets over Kujukushima Islands.
Kujukushima Aquarium "UMIKIRARA"
Aquarium "UMIKIRARA" in Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort. In this aquarium, visitors can watch the dolphin show and see the living creatures in the sea of Kujukushima Islands.
Sea Kayak in Kujukushima Islands with your friends and family
At Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort, visitors can use a sea kayak, which moves like gliding on the surface of the sea, to enjoy the nature of Kujukushima Islands from the visual perspective of water-birds. Even kayak beginners can safely experience this activity. Feel free to take advantage of this outdoor activity!
Huis Ten Bosch in spring time
The "Tulip Festival" of Huis Ten Bosch offers a total sensory experience of the arrival of spring. The garden boasts 500 varieties of 500,000 tulips and is the largest among all tulip gardens in Japan. Visitors can enjoy the flowers in bloom throughout the garden with its Dutch-style townscape.
Fireworks of Huis Ten Bosch
This fireworks show is one of the highlights of the Huis Ten Bosch summer.
The two bridges of Saikaibashi and three towers of Hario Radio Towers
Three concrete towers rise near the old and new Saikaibashi bridges. (National important cultural property Former Sasebo Radio Facility (Hario Transmitting Station and Radio Tower)) It is said that the encrypted code "Niitakayama nobore 1208 (Climb Mt. Niitaka 1208)" for the attack on Pearl Harbor, which lead to the breaking out of the Second World War in the Pacific, was transmitted from one of these radio towers.
Evening Sunset on Sasebo Port
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), Japan Coast Guard, and US Navy are stationed in the port of Sasebo. The "port town Sasebo" conveys the history of a "naval port" as it was in the past, down to the present. The islands of Goto, Seikai, and Hirado are connected by sea routes and various ships came and went in Sasebo Port. The shipyard "Sasebo Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd. (SSK)" inherited from the Naval Arsenal and Sasebo Port are the symbols of Sasebo from the time it was a little fishing harbor until today. SSK and Sasebo Port have been places of long history and stories.
Sasebo Port
The Miura quay was opened from April 2014 and now Sasebo Port can be accessed by large 77,000-ton vessels. The international terminal located in the port also started services from April 2015. Many cruise passenger ships stop at Sasebo Port.
Welcome to Sasebo! (Event for welcoming international cruise ships)
Residents and tourism personnel organize welcoming events at the Miura quay when large cruise passenger ships make a stop there.
Sasebo burger
It is said that the Sasebo burger has its origins in hamburgers made using the recipe directly learned from the US Navy around 1950. The main specialty of this hamburger is that it is made after an order is received. It is commonly believed that the Sasebo burger is big, like the American size. In reality, however, the size, taste, and attention paid to preparation vary from one restaurant to another. There are also a wide-range variation of ingredients, such as chicken cutlet, thick bacon, and steak burgers in addition to the beef patty burgers.
Kujukushima oysters
Kujukushima oysters are small but they are fresh and juicy and have a rich taste. Visitors can enjoy the finest oysters at the "Kujuku Islands Oyster Festival" held in autumn (November) and winter (February) every year.
Kujukushima Zoological and Botanical Garden "MORIKIRARA" (overall view)
This public facility was opened in 1961 as Sasebo Subtropical Zoo and Botanical Gardens. It was renamed Sasebo Zoological Park and Botanical Garden on its 50th anniversary in 2011. In July the same year, the place was given the nickname "Mori Kirara." This garden is located on the west side of central Sasebo City on a hill overlooking Kujukushima Islands. On the vast grounds, there are animals such as elephants, which are the children's favorite, and greenhouses as well as many plants that are grown all over the garden. In particular, the rose garden is very famous and fills the grounds with the fragrance of roses in the blooming season.
Flying penguin, "MORIKIRARA"
The "Penguin aquarium" was newly built in 2014. Visitors can fully experience the attractions of the penguins through Japan's largest overhead aquarium, 4m-deep water tank, and Japan's first shallow water tank that enables visitors to watch the underside of the penguins' feet.
Meganeiwa (glasses-shaped rock) in autumn
A long, long time ago, when an ogre woke up from a nap, he braced his legs as he stretched his back and made a hole in a big rock lying at his feet. Thus, according to this legend, was how this interesting rock was formed. This rock conveys a sensation of grandeur that stands out even more depending on the season.
Climax! YOSAKOI Sasebo Festival
Yosakoi Festival in Sasebo is one of the biggest to be held in Kyushu. The eve of this festival falls on a Friday in late October and the festival is held on Saturday and Sunday every year. The biggest attraction of this major Sasebo event is the Yosakoi street dance performance. The highpoint of the festival is to watch people dance with high energy in the streets regardless of their age and gender while making an awe-inspiring sound using 'naruko' hand clappers along with the music.
Hikari Minato, Sasebo Seaside Festival
This festival is one of the many summer events (held in the beginning of August every year). About 3,000 rounds of fireworks are released into the sky from Sasebo Port. This powerful fireworks display is worth seeing at least once in a lifetime.
Emukae Thousand Lantern Festival//Sentourou
This festival has nearly a 500-year history. The lanterns that light up the town and the 25m-high lantern tower symbolize a typical summer experience of Sasebo.
Annual event schedule
| Time |
Event |
Description |
| Beginning of May |
Mikawachi-Yaki Hamazen Festival |
Visit the 400-year-old Mikawachi-yaki kilns. |
| May |
Haiki Tea Market |
Haiki Tea Market has a 400-year history that has been passed down to present day.
1st tea market: May 7th to 9th,
2nd tea market: May 17th to 19th
3rd tea market: May 27th to 29th,
'Ume' market (Japanese apricot): June 7th to 9th
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| Beginning of August |
Sasebo Seaside Festival |
Spectacular fireworks display at Sasebo Port. |
| Mid-August |
Emukae Thousand Lantern Festival//Sentourou |
This is a 500-year old traditional event of Emukae machi. It is famous for having Japan's tallest (approximately 25m high) lantern tower, which is decorated with about 33,000 lanterns. |
| Mid-September |
Fireworks Festival of Huis Ten Bosch Kyushu |
Kyushu's largest annual fireworks display festival at Huis Ten Bosch. |
| Beginning of October |
Mikawachi pottery market |
Mikawachi-yaki(pottery) market for the famous wares made in Sasebo City designated as traditional Japanese craft by the government. |
| Beginning of October (About 1 month from the beginning of September) |
Sasebo JAZZ festival |
Sasebo JAZZ festival is held with a live concert in Shimanose park and various events at the live music clubs around the city. |
| Mid-October |
YOSAKOI Sasebo Festival |
Kyushu's largest Yosakoi festival |
November
Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays |
Camp in the Matsuri (festival) of oysters Oyster in Kujyukushima |
Kujukushima oyster outdoor barbeque at Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort |
December
Mid-November to December 25 |
Kirakira Festival in Sasebo |
This festival represents a typical winter experience of Sasebo where the parks, shopping streets, and shopping arcades are lit up with colorful decorative lighting. |
| November to March |
Huis Ten Bosch - Kingdom of Light |
The world's largest size illumination display, "Kingdom of Light," crowned No. 1 in the all-Japan illumination rankings by nightscape critics. |
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