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Back to Kohoku

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Voykit pocket guide · Japan

Kohoku

Stop in Kohoku for a quick half‑day to see Shiraki Panorama Park and local shrines; otherwise skip.

Kohoku is a small town in Saga Prefecture with a handful of parks, shrines and historic sites. It can be explored in 3–4 hours, making it a half‑day stop en route to Saga or Nagasaki.

KyotoOsakaAbashiriAchiAgeoAioiAizuwakamatsuAkajimaAkashiAkiAkitaAkitakataAkoAmagasakiKohoku500 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Japan
Best months
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
Avoid
Jul–Aug (hot, humid)
Stay
0 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
JPY
Money
Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
Daily spend
Budget ¥5,000–8,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥8,000–12,000 excl. bed · High ¥12,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
Emergency
Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
Plugs
Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
Tipping
Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
Water
Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
Toilets
Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.

Get in

By air

HSG · Saga Airport
Shared taxi to Kohoku about 50 min, ¥1,500 (check).
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

JR Hizen Yamaguchi Station on the Nagasaki Main Line serves the town; local Yutoku buses connect to Saga, Ogi and Takeo. Cars use National Route 34 and Prefectural Roads 35/339.

See and do

Known for

  • Shiraki Panorama Park
  • Shiraki Mausoleum Shrine
  • Substitute Kannon Temple
  • Sekikawa Family Residence
  • Sixteen Arhats stone structure

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Saga cityBus from Kohoku to Saga Station, about 30 min, then walk to town centre≈45 min

Sleep

Saga city
Nearest hotels; 20 km (12 mi) north, 30‑min bus ride.

Language

Japanese everywhere; English on rail signs, ticket machines and in large hotels, thin elsewhere. Menus with photos and translation apps close most gaps.

  • Write addresses in Japanese for taxi drivers; the hotel card works.
  • A camera translation app reads menus and machine labels.

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
  • Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
  • Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
  • Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
  • Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
  • Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
  • Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
  • Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope

Scams and watch-outs

  • Limited English signage; ask locals for directions.
  • Tourism info is Japanese‑only on the town website.
  • Bus schedules may be sparse on weekends; check timetables.

Kohoku is low‑risk; main concerns are limited English signs and infrequent bus service on weekends – plan transport ahead.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Kohoku yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Shiraki Panorama Park
  • Shiraki Mausoleum Shrine
  • Substitute Kannon Temple
  • Sekikawa Family Residence
  • Sixteen Arhats stone structure

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Kohoku

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

  • Police110
  • Fire and ambulance119

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/kohoku). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.