Takeo City Library

Takeo in Saga Prefecture packs considerable depth into a small city. A 3,000-year-old camphor tree at Takeo Shrine, with a 20-meter circumference, contains a small shrine inside its hollow trunk. The hot spring history stretches back 1,300 years, and the ornate Romon Gate at the public baths entrance was designed by Tatsuno Kingo, the architect behind Tokyo Station. The redesigned Takeo City Library, developed in partnership with Tsutaya Books, has become an architectural destination in its own right: a beautifully lit public library, bookstore, and cafe in a single open space. Takeo also serves as a convenient base for visiting Arita and Imari, the heartland of Japanese porcelain.