Saga Airport

Saga City

An international airport that also connects with Shanghai and Seoul!

Saga Airport is located in the south of Saga Prefecture. In 2016, it gained the new official nickname Kyushu Saga International Airport. As can be guessed from the “International" part, the airport connects Saga with international flights to neighboring Asian cities such as Shanghai and Seoul. Domestic flights operate only to and from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, although in autumn and spring (only) some flights go to and from Narita Airport. It takes about 90 minutes to fly between Tokyo and Saga.

Look out for the airport “concierge” pepper robots.

The compact Saga Airport is also a great place to gather travel information. Talk to a dedicated “concierge” pepper robot (introduced from 2016) for information about the crafts and specialties of Saga. A pepper robot is located on each of the first and second floors. These robot “concierges” convey tourist information via voice and touch panel, and offer a variety of content in a playful manner. If you have time at Saga Airport, you should definitely try talking to a pepper robot.

For gourmet souvenirs, try some Saga specialty sweets.

If you want souvenirs with the taste of Saga, the local specialty sweets are highly recommended. Ogi yokan is an old-fashioned bean jelly coated with a thin layer of sugar, with a distinctive crunchy texture. Saga nishiki is a compromise between Eastern and Western-style sweets, in which the steamed confection known as ukishima (“floating island”) is sandwiched between layers of Baumkuchen. A Karatsu local favorite is the shoro manju bun: super-smooth bean jam covered with an outer layer of castella sponge. The airport is often your last chance to find souvenirs. Take a stroll around and explore all the shops.