Visit Kyushu
The Official Kyushu Travel Guide

Sasebo flourished first as a former base for the Japanese Navy, and after WW2, as a U.S. Naval base, where American music, food, fashion, and various other cultures flourished. The Sasebo Burger is one of these cultural products, and is said to have been first created around 1950 from a recipe directly from the U.S. Navy base, making Sasebo the "birthplace of the hamburger" in Japan. There are more than 25 Sasebo burger shops in the city, and it is recommended to try out the different types of burgers at various stores while sightseeing in Sasebo.