Karatsu Castle — Sea Castle on the Bay

Karatsu Castle (1608) stands on a pine-covered promontory directly above the mouth of the Matsuura River, with three sides facing the sea — one of Japan's few castle sites where the ocean dominates the view from every window. The reconstructed donjon (1966) contains a well-curated collection of artifacts from the Karatsu Kunchi festival, including the 14 festival floats (hikiyama) that parade through town annually in early November. The floats — representing mythological creatures and Chinese scenes — are works of lacquer craft that have been maintained and repainted for 200 years.