Saga-jinja Shrine 佐賀神社

Saga-jinja Shrine is dedicated to the 10th and 11th lords of the Saga Domain. After a visit to Saga Castle or Saga Prefectural Museum , Saga-jinja is just a short walk away.

Saga-jinja has a powerful presence, with two large cannons out front, indicative of Saga's role in the development of advanced weaponry.

From Saga Station, take the #45 bus from the Saga bus center for the short ride to Gofukumoto-machi stop. From there, Saga-jinja is a four-minute walk.

From Saga Castle, it's around 13 minutes on foot.

Next door is Matsubara-jinja Shrine, which enshrines the ancestors of the Nabeshima clan, who oversaw the Saga Domain from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Unlike the imposing Saga-jinja, Matsubara-jinja is quite serene, with a pleasant creek that surrounds the complex and is filled with koi fish.

The two shrines are so closely adjoined, in fact, that by just strolling throughout the complex, you might not even realize that you have passed from one to the other.