10 Yrs of “Romancing Saga” Marked with Japanese Arita Wares; Special Exhibition Held for Saga Pref., Square Enix Project

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:36 JST, January 16, 2025

A special exhibition is being held at a museum in Saga to commemorate the 10th anniversary of “Romancing Saga,” a joint project between Saga Prefecture and major game company Square Enix Co.

On display are Arita ware pieces inspired by one of the company’s video game series and past special items.

The prefecture and the Tokyo-based company began the project in 2014 to work together to promote the prefecture. The project is named after popular role-playing video game series “SaGa.”

Various initiatives have been implemented under the project so far. For example, a themed Romancing Saga (Roma-Saga) train ran on the JR Karatsu and JR Chikuhi lines in the prefecture, and there were manhole cover designs featuring the series’ characters installed around hot spring areas, including Takeo and Furuyu.

The exhibition’s main features are three Arita ware pieces inspired by the SaGa series. Characters drawn by the series’ illustrators, including Tomomi Kobayashi, are replicated on a large platter, an octagonal platter and a vase.

The ware pieces were produced at Kouraku kiln in Arita in the prefecture. Hiroko Yamaguchi, a traditional craftswoman, painted the designs surrounding the characters on the wares, harmoniously blending the world of SaGa with traditional technique.

The exhibition also displays original illustrations and development materials for the series as well as a giant model of the Roma-Saga train, allowing visitors to look back at the project’s 10-year history.

The special exhibition is being held at the Saga Prefectural Museum through Jan. 19. Admission is free.