Ureshino Onsen — Hot Springs & Green Tea

Ureshino sits 36 km southwest of Saga City and is known for two things: alkaline hot springs prized for softening skin, and green tea grown on the surrounding hillside terraces. The town is reached by JR Kamome limited express from Saga Station to Takeo-Onsen (about 20 min), then a connecting bus to Ureshino Onsen (about 30 min), or by a direct JR Bus Kyushu highway bus from Saga Station (about 1 hr). A day here typically starts at Siebold-no-Yu, the public bathhouse named after the 19th-century Dutch physician who documented the springs, followed by a walk along the Ureshino River past the town's ryokan district. Late morning suits a visit to one of the tea plantations on the outskirts, where Ureshino-cha, one of Kyushu's oldest tea varieties, can be sampled and purchased directly from growers. Lunch in town often features tea-infused dishes, including green-tea soba and tea-marinated pork, a local specialty called Ureshino-yu-dofu-adjacent cuisine built around the region's tea and hot spring water. Afternoons are best spent at one of the ryokan offering day-use bathing (higaeri-nyuyoku), since most properties allow non-staying guests to use their baths for a few hours for a modest fee. The tea terraces color into a deep green through most of the year, but October and November bring the added draw of autumn foliage across the surrounding hills, making it the most photogenic season. Because bus connections from Takeo-Onsen run less frequently in the evening, visitors relying on public transport should plan the return trip before early evening.