Unzen Golf Course
In 1913, Kuraba Tomisaburō (1870–1945) worked with Nagasaki Prefecture to create the Unzen Golf Links—Japan’s first public golf course and the second-oldest course in the country. Through this public-private partnership, they acquired the land and built the course’s first clubhouse. This unique living piece of Unzen’s history has been in operation for more than a hundred years.
Unzen was a summer tourist destination in the early twentieth century for Westerners living in Shanghai and other parts of China. The course was built for these tourists, who came to Unzen’s cooler climate seeking relief from the hot, humid summers of southern China.
Today’s clubhouse, built in 1995, has a small museum on the second floor. There are exhibits detailing the course’s history, including old photographs, antique golf clubs, trophies, and more. Though now privately run, the course is still open to the public and welcomes visitors from across Japan and around the world.