You can ride the leisure boat that tours the Kujuku Islands from Saikai Pearl Sea Resort. The journey takes approximately 50 minutes, and as the course zigzags through the islands, you can observe the islands up close. There is also a Sunset Cruise that offers the view of the sunset on board between July and October. 
Yachts that tour the Kujuku Islands also operate in the Saikai Pearl Sea Resort. It takes up to 10 passengers and the journey is about 50 minutes. The passengers can try their hands at steering or operating the sails. Booking is essential.
As the sea of Kujuku Islands are very calm, it has great reputation as a place where you can enjoy sea kayaking safely. There is a canoe try-out corner every Sunday and during summer break, and beginners can also enjoy kayaking safely.
The aquarium in the Saikai Pearl Sea Center exhibits many creatures that inhabit the Kujuku Islands. It houses a Touching Pool in which you can actually touch the creatures, and a tank for learning how to feed the fish. Fune-no Tenjikan (Ship Museum) that presents the history of ships created by mankind through models and videos is also one of its highlights. The pearl harvesting corner where you can try your hands at harvesting a pearl from a pearl oyster farmed in Kujuku Islands is also popular (500 yen per go.)
The observatory is on the way from Saikai Pearl Sea Resort to the Zoological and Tropical Botanical Garden. It is the nearest observatory to the Kujuku Islands. The Kujuku Islands viewed from the observatory is beautiful like that of an ink brush paining even on a rainy day. It is wheel-chair-friendly.
At 364 meters high, it offers a panoramic view of the Kujuku Islands and the city of Sasebo. The beauty of the evening view of the Kujuku Islands and the nighttime view of the city of Sasebo are a must-see.
The island of Kujuku with its ria coastline is best for farming fish because of the calm waves created by its landscape. Oyster farming is particularly active, and the oysters in Sasebo are well known for their flavor and quality. The oyster season is between November and March, and you can enjoy them fresh, grilled, in soups, au gratin, etc.
Sea bream is also farmed in Kujuku Island, and you can try freshly caught sea bream in restaurants. Fresh sashimi is a fixture, but in Sasebo, Sea Bream Shabu is popular. You dip a slice of sea bream in simmering soup, and once it is cooked, you dip it in a tangy ponzu sauce or sesame sauce.
Hamburger is a household dish all over the world, but in Sasebo, we insist that it is homemade. Some shops bake their own buns, and the burger is grilled after the order is taken. It is priced around 300 yen to 500 yen. Hamburger was introduced to Sasebo in the 1950's by the American Navy handing down its recipe. It is now famous throughout Japan as Sasebo Burger.
Lemon Stake is the Japanese version of the stake eaten by the American Navy officers. The beef is thinner than the normal stake, and it is lightly seasoned with soy based seasonings. The flavor of the fresh lemon added at the end brings out the flavors of the stake. It is priced around 1,000 yen to 2,500 yen.
A military port was established in 1889 in Sasebo. Heihachiro Togo who was serving as the Commanding Admiral at the time was captivated by beef stew while studying in Britain, and introduced it to Sasebo. This beef stew is the recreation of that dish based on the recipe from that time. You can try it in hotel restaurants and eateries, and it is priced around 700 yen to 2,000 yen.
Like the beef stew, this is another old navy food that has been recreated. Zenzai is a traditional sweet dish made of stewed aduki beans and sugar, and it is said that it was eaten by sailors to relieve fatigue and to celebrate a safe return home. Sometimes it contains “mochi”, a traditional Japanese rice cake. It is priced around 300 yen to 700 yen.
The Japanese people's favorite Ramen differs greatly throughout Japan from the way the soup is made to its flavor. Tonkotsu soup (made from black pig) is the mainstream in Kyushu where Sasebo is, but in Sasebo, Agodashi Ramen made with the soup of flying fish is popular. It is a soy based soup with a very light flavor. It is priced around 600 yen.
Oura Catholic Church
Established 1865, this church is officially known as "Oura Catholic Church, The Church of 26 Martyrs." It was built by the French priest Bernard Petitjean of Fier who had been dispatched by the Foreign Missionary Church of Paris to dedicate prayers to the 26 saints martyred on Nishizaka hill. For this reason, the church faces Nishizaka. Representative of Europe in mediaeval times, the church was constructed in the Gothic style and is Japan's oldest existing wooden church. It was designated a National Treasure in 1933. French stained glass was installed in the interior some 100 years ago, but most of this was seriously damaged in the atomic bomb blast. It has since been restored with some pieces of other stained glass from that period. The prayer space collects the beautiful light that infuses the church's interior. Oura Catholic Church became famous worldwide as the church that discovered the "hidden followers" who had survived the religious persecution.
- Location: 5-3 Minami-yamate-machi
- Hours: 08:00-18:00
- Open 7 days a week throughout the year.
- Entrance Fee: Adults: ¥300, Aged 12-17: ¥300, Aged 6-11: ¥200
- Website (in Japanese)
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