Saga

Saga is located in the northern Kyushu region, facing the Genkai Sea to the north and the Ariake Sea to the south. The Saga Plain in the east is an agricultural zone where fertile alluvial soil from the Chikugo River system spreads, and crop rotation of paddy rice, wheat, and soybeans is practiced. Around Karatsu City in the west, greenhouse Strawberry cultivation utilizing the warm maritime climate of the Genkai Sea is prominent. The Strawberry varieties Sagahonoka and its successor Ichigosan, bred by Saga, are representative brand varieties characterized by large size and high sugar content. Kashima City and Tara Town along the coast of the Ariake Sea have one of Japan's leading tidal flats with a maximum tidal range of 6m, and nori (seaweed) aquaculture in the Ariake Sea ranks 1st nationally in production. Nutrient supply from the tidal range supports the growth of high-quality nori. Furthermore, the Ariake Sea is known as a production area for Takezaki kani (mozukugani crab) and Takezaki kaki (oyster), and the ecosystem of the tidal flats produces these special products. Saga Gyu (beef) is a brand of beef raised by farmers throughout the prefecture, with meat quality grade standards strictly set. Onion is a major vegetable crop of the Saga Plain, ranking high nationally in production volume, and is shipped in large quantities during the spring harvest season.

Source: MAFF Crop Statistics (Reiwa 5 / 2023), JMA historical weather data

A structural characteristic of Saga's agriculture and fisheries is that the northern and southern seas nurture different industries. The Genkai Sea in the north brings a warm maritime climate suitable for greenhouse Strawberry cultivation, and the Ariake Sea in the south has an extreme tidal range in its flats that produces a group of special products like nori, crabs, and oysters, which are difficult to replicate in other production areas. The reason the Ariake Sea's nori ranks 1st nationally in production is due to the unique environment where the tidal range exceeding 6m exposes the nori nets to the air twice a day, allowing them to intake phytoplankton. On the other hand, the Strawberry industry, which aims for differentiation through the development of original varieties such as Ichigosan and Sagahonoka, is the result of continuous variety improvement through cooperation between agricultural experiment stations and producing farmers. The underlying strength of Saga's agriculture and fisheries is its industrial design that maximizes the characteristics of the northern and southern seas, despite being a small prefecture.