Karatsu Castle and views!

One of the perks of the Yuri On Ice Pilgrimage is that Karatsu is legit a stunning place to visit. This castle was amazing. It's up on a hill right by the seaside, and inside it is four stories of stuff.

Two of the stories you can't take photos or videos in because it has a whole heap of original artifacts and history on the area, including incredible samurai armour (even cooler than the samurai museum), swords, knives, and large muscat guns, a range of China and porcelain wares, scrolls and letters, and a heap of info on the cultural history of Karatsu.

The fourth floor is where all the Yuri on Ice stuff is, plus stuff for the "romancing" campaign going on right now for the region to encourage tourism, and then the top has an outdoor observatory that gives you 360 views of the whole area. And the view is stunning!

Plus, the grounds themselves were well laid out, and I can imagine during their blossom season (the plums have well and truly blossomed in the south so the trees are bare) it would be super beautiful.Read more