Karatsu is a small town, quite rural, but rural rich. We could see a huge difference between Shikoku and Kyushu islands in terms of wealth. Our first stop was the Former Karatsu Bank building. Its construction was overseen by Kingo Tatsuno, who was a native of Karatsu, and the former Karatsu Bank is his only work remaining in his hometown. Kingo Tatsuno was an architect known for designing such buildings as Tokyo Station and the Bank of Japan. The former Karatsu Bank was designed by one of his apprentices, Minoru Tanaka. Built-in 1912 in the Queen Anne style, its elegant design is a symbol of the prosperity brought by the Karatsu coal mines. This is a counter originally used as a teller’s window:
The building from the outside:
The Karatsu Castle was built on a small hill facing the ocean as well as the Matsuura River. We climbed to the top or course to enjoy the view and the ocean breeze.
The castle from afar:
We took a long walk in the pine grove that was planted 400 years ago with the intention to stop the wind. Very good walk, with occasional views to the sea:
The windy seashore:
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