Saga prefecture’s latest venue, SAGA Arena, is open

Saga prefecture’s latest venue, The Saga Arena, has opened. According to CATch-up on Japan M.I.C.E, Japan National Tourism Organization Singapore Office’s quarterly newsletter, this is one of the biggest arenas in Kyushu and is about 15-minute walk from the JR Saga Station, a 40-minute train ride or one hour’s drive from Fukuoka city.

The venue comprises the main and sub arenas which span 3,306 sqm and 1,800 sqm respectively. They accommodate about 8,400 and 450 pax respectively. There are also multi-purpose rooms and both main venues are able to host academic conferences, trade shows, exhibitions, and sports, concerts and entertainment events. The rooms are available for breakout sessions, meetings, and workshops and range from 12 sqm to 388 sqm for 5 to 308 attendees.

There are support programmes for event organisers who are planning to host their events at Saga Arena.

‌Things to do in Saga city

Saga City features late Edo period and Meiji Restoration heritage charms. It is famous for its Arita porcelain ware. In the 17th century, Arita porcelain was exported through the East India Company throughout Europe and is still exhibited in castles and museums in England and Germany.

The prefecture’s long history of MICE engagement was documented at the 1867 Paris World Exposition, where Saga’s envoys were Japan's first official delegates comprising the shogunate. They travelled to Paris in their formidable attire to showcase Arita porcelain and tea. 

Post conference activities

• Lunch at Hizen Hamashuku (Sake Brewery Street). In the Edo period, it was a post town on the Nagasaki Kaido Tara route (Tara Kaido), with thatched and tile-roofed townhouses, and a brewery with many white-walled storehouses.
• Visit the thatched samurai residence of the former Noda Family Residence (designated as an important cultural property of the city)
• Taste local sake at Minematsu Sake Brewery. Originally a shipping wholesaler, this sake brewery has been in business since 1916. There are spots that are Instagrammable, such as a simulated experience of one of the sake brewing processes, “paddle mixing,” which stirs the tank, and an exhibition of nostalgic goods from the Showa era.
• Stay overnight at Ureshino Onsen, one of Japan's three largest hot springs
• Savour tea at Tateiwa Observation Deck, which is famous for its tea plantation of Soejimaen, named Tenchadai, with nearby Ureshino city and scenic mountains in the background.