Nagasaki · Core city
Sasebo
佐世保市させぼしSasebo-shiNaval harbour on an island-studded coast
Sasebo is the second-largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture, a naval port on a deep, sheltered bay in north-western Kyushu. It is the gateway to the Kujūku-shima islands of Saikai National Park and home to the Huis Ten Bosch resort and the porcelain village of Mikawachi.
Overview
Sasebo was a scattering of farming and fishing villages until the Imperial Japanese Navy chose its deep, well-protected harbour for one of its four naval districts in 1889. The city grew with the navy and its dockyard, and after 1945 the port became a base for the United States Navy and, later, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, a role it keeps. The former naval dockyard continues as a commercial shipyard.
North-west of the city the coast breaks up into Kujūku-shima, a maze of more than 200 small islands that forms the heart of Saikai National Park and is best seen from the hilltop viewpoints of Tenkaihō and Ishidake or from sightseeing boats. The city also takes in Kuroshima, an island whose Catholic village is part of the Hidden Christian Sites, and Mikawachi, a porcelain village with four centuries of history.
South of the centre, on Ōmura Bay, lies Huis Ten Bosch, a large resort modelled on a Dutch town, a reminder of Nagasaki's historic ties with the Netherlands. American influence in the post-war decades produced the Sasebo burger, now one of the city's calling cards.
Landmarks
- 九十九島Kujūku-shima
Archipelago of more than 200 islands; the Pearl Sea resort is the base for cruises and an aquarium.
Tenkaihō viewpoint
展海峰TenkaihōHilltop park with a panorama over the southern Kujūku-shima and seasonal flower fields.
Ishidake viewpoint
石岳展望台Ishidake TenbōdaiViewpoint over the densest cluster of islands, a classic sunset spot.
Huis Ten Bosch
ハウステンボスHausu TenbosuResort town modelled on the Netherlands, with canals, replica buildings and gardens, on Ōmura Bay.
Mikawachi pottery village
三川内MikawachiKiln district making fine white porcelain with delicate blue painting and openwork.
Hario radio towers
針尾送信所Hario SōshinjoThree reinforced-concrete naval transmission towers of 1922, an Important Cultural Property.
- 黒島Kuroshima
Island reached by ferry, with a brick church of 1902 and villages of hidden Christian descent.
Districts
Yonkachō and Sankachō arcades
四ヶ町YonkachōStraight covered shopping streets about a kilometre long, among the longest in Japan.
Waterfront and ferry terminal
Harbour front near Sasebo Station with ferries to the Gotō Islands and views of naval vessels.
Haiki
早岐HaikiOld market town at the junction of rail lines, known for its tea market in spring.
History
Before the navy arrived, the area belonged to the Hirado domain, and its kilns at Mikawachi produced porcelain for the Matsura lords. The founding of the Sasebo Naval District in 1889 transformed the villages into a city within little more than a decade. Sasebo was a key base in the wars of the early twentieth century and was heavily bombed in 1945. Under the post-war occupation it became a US naval base, which played a supporting role in the Korean War. Mergers with surrounding towns in the 2000s extended the city over much of northern Nagasaki's coast.
c. 1600
Korean potters establish kilns at Mikawachi under the Hirado domain.
1889
The Sasebo Naval District is founded.
1902
Sasebo is granted city status.
1922
The Hario radio towers, three concrete masts over 130 m high, are completed.
1945
Air raids destroy much of the city centre.
1955
Kujūku-shima becomes part of the newly designated Saikai National Park.
1992
Huis Ten Bosch opens on Ōmura Bay.
2016
Sasebo becomes a core city.
Culture
Sasebo's character is shaped by the sea and the navy: naval uniforms in the streets, a jazz and burger culture dating from the post-war era, and a tradition of ceramic craft in Mikawachi. The islands and the Pearl Sea aquarium make the coast the city's main attraction.
Festivals
YOSAKOI Sasebo Festival
Large team-dance festival in the city centre in autumn.
Kujūku-shima Oyster Festival
Winter weekends at Pearl Sea devoted to grilled local oysters.
Mikawachi pottery fair
Spring market where the kilns of Mikawachi sell their wares.
Food
Sasebo burger
佐世保バーガーSasebo bāgāLarge, freshly made hamburgers, a legacy of the US base in the 1950s.
Lemon steak
レモンステーキremon sutēkiThin slices of beef served on a hot iron plate with a lemony soy sauce.
Kujūku-shima oysters
九十九島かきKujūku-shima kakiSmall, sweet oysters farmed among the islands, eaten grilled in winter.
Getting around
- JR trains link Sasebo with Hakata via the Sasebo Line in about one hour and 50 minutes by limited express, and with Nagasaki via the Ōmura Line, which also serves Huis Ten Bosch Station.
- The private Matsuura Railway runs north along the coast towards Hirado and Imari.
- Airport buses connect with Nagasaki Airport in about an hour.
- Ferries and high-speed boats leave from the port near the station for the Gotō Islands and Kuroshima; boats for Kujūku-shima cruises depart from Pearl Sea.
Day trips
Hirado
平戸HiradoIsland town where Portuguese, Dutch and English traders first settled, with Hirado Castle and churches.
Birthplace of Japanese porcelain, just across the border in Saga Prefecture.
Hasami
波佐見HasamiPorcelain town with kilns and craft shops, a short drive south-east.
The prefectural capital, with Dejima, Glover Garden and the peace memorials.
The wider park includes Hirado, Ikitsuki and the Gotō Islands.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
What is Sasebo known for?
Its naval base, the Kujūku-shima islands of Saikai National Park, the Huis Ten Bosch resort and the Sasebo burger.
How many islands are in Kujūku-shima?
Despite the name, which means 'ninety-nine islands', the archipelago counts more than 200 islands.
Is Huis Ten Bosch in Sasebo?
Yes. The Dutch-themed resort lies on Ōmura Bay in the south of the city and has its own JR station.
Is there a US military base in Sasebo?
Yes. Sasebo hosts a US Navy installation and a district headquarters of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, sharing the harbour with a commercial shipyard.
Related
Sources
- 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
- 2.佐世保市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 佐世保市
- 3.西海国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省
- 4.Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre