SAGA, Jan 16 (News On Japan) –
Korean vacationers are presently flocking to Saga Prefecture, elevating curiosity about why they’re visiting a area ranked lowest in attractiveness.
Saga is ranked final—forty seventh place—within the newest prefectural “Attractiveness Ranking.” Yet, Korean vacationers are arriving in droves.
At the general public library in Takeo City, lots of the guests are Korean vacationers. The library, which features a bookstore, a Starbucks, and a historical past museum on the identical flooring, has turn out to be a preferred new attraction for each locals and international vacationers. Among the guests, a noticeable quantity are from Korea.
A Korean customer remarked, “It’s like a painting of fresh cream.”
A neighborhood resident stated, “You can hear Korean being spoken everywhere. The atmosphere feels livelier, and it’s great.”
Why are Korean vacationers visiting Saga regardless of its low attraction rating?
Takeo City Library spokesperson Hiroka Hiwatashi stated, “One factor is its proximity to Kyushu, making it easier to travel from Korea.”
Saga Airport, which is comparatively near Korea, elevated Seoul-bound flights to 4 spherical journeys per week final yr. Ticket costs are fairly inexpensive, with one-way fares costing as little as 7,000 yen on low-demand days. Another motive is the reference to a well-known Korean library.
Hiwatashi added, “Pyolmadan Library publicly stated that Takeo City Library was its model.”
Takeo City Library gained fame after Pyolmadan Library in Seoul’s Gangnam District cited it as an inspiration, making it a key vacation spot for Korean vacationers.
One customer from Korea stated, “I heard there’s a place similar to Pyolmadan Library here, so we came as a family to enjoy coffee and read freely.”
Saga’s attraction is spreading by means of phrase of mouth as a spot the place guests can take pleasure in Japan’s nature, tradition, and sizzling springs in a compact space. One of the most well-liked scenic spots is the sea-crossing torii gate within the Ariake Sea, recognized for its excessive tidal vary. When the tide recedes, guests can take memorable photographs beneath the torii.
Next to this web site, a brand new facility opened final yr, that includes oyster huts the place guests can take pleasure in winter delicacies reminiscent of Takezaki oysters.
Kosuke Yamamoto of Kaisenyaki Kaido Maru stated, “Around 80% of our weekday customers are foreigners. Oyster huts seem to be well-known over there.”
The huts present a self-service grilling expertise, with educational indicators written in Korean for comfort. Local operators have excessive hopes for inbound tourism, saying they’re well-prepared for the rise in guests.
Yamamoto added, “We’re thrilled. The influx of foreign tourists came at a time when domestic traffic had slowed.”
Source: ANN