Welcome to Nagasaki

Nagasaki City over two days#Day 1 #Day 2

1. From Fukuoka to Nagasaki

(Train) JR Hakata Station 9:00 --> JR Nagasaki Station 10:57
or
(Bus) Hakata Kotsu Center 8:49 --> Nagasaki Kenei Bus Terminal 11:12

2. Dejima: The Site of the Former Dutch Trading Post

11:10 - 12:20

Japan's window on the world during the isolation period.
Dejima was an artificial island of 13,000m² built by 25 wealthy merchants of Nagasaki in 1636 by order of the Tokugawa Shogunate. It was constructed first as a compound for Portuguese traders. After the official expulsion of the Portuguese, however, the Dutch were forced to move their trading post from Hirado to Dejima. During the long period of national seclusion (1641-1859), Dejima was the only door open to the outside world and gave Nagasaki the status of Japan's sole international trading port. Dejima played an important role in the development of culture, industry, and science in Japan by serving as a gateway for Western civilization. Many ardent Japanese students traveled to Nagasaki to study Rangaku ("Dutch learning", i.e., Western science) including medicine, chemistry, weaponry, navigation, and astronomy.

access:Dejima tram stop

The Dejima Theater:
Make sure to drop by the theater for an extremely good explanatory video on the history behind Dejima. 12 minutes long, it is available in Japanese, English, Dutch, Chinese and Korean.

3. Champon and Saraudon Lunch in Chinatown

12:25 - 13:10

Champon is one of Nagasaki's typical dishes. It is said that the founder of the Chinese restaurant Shikairo, Mr. Chen Ping Shun, cooked this delicious and nutritious food for Chinese students in Nagasaki in the late 19th century. It is served in broth with a variety of meat, shellfish and vegetables on top.
Another delicious alternative is Sara-udon, an equally nutricious and inexpensive dish with crisp noodles and topping in a thick sauce. Both dishes are very popular among people in Nagasaki.

Did you know?
The word Champon is derived from chapon which, in Chinese, means "Have you eaten yet?"

4. Oura Catholic Church

13:35 - 13:50

Completed in 1865 under the supervision of the French priest Bernard Petitjean, Oura Catholic Church was designated as a National Treasure in 1933 for its value as Japan's oldest Gothic-style church.
The white marble statue of the Holy Mother at the entrance was built in commemoration of the dramatic discovery of the "Hidden Christians." On March 17, 1865, a group of peasants from Urakami came to the church and professed their faith to Father Petitjean, thus revealing that Christianity had survived through the centuries of persecution.

access:Ouratenshudo-shita tram stop

Did you know?
The Italian Opera Madame Butterfly was inspired from the Glover House in Nagasaki.

5. Glover Garden

14:00 - 15:15

Perched on Minamiyamate hillside overlooking the harbor in Glover Garden,it is Nagasaki's foremost tourist attraction. Following the end of national seclusion in 1859, Nagasaki was opened to free trade with foreign countries and merchants of various nationalities flocked to the city. The successful merchants built Western-style mansions, some of which still stand at the original sites and convey the romantic atmosphere of the 19th century.
Glover House, built in 1863, is the oldest remaining colonial style building in Japan and has been designated as an Important Cultural Asset. As the house and its surroundings are reminiscent of Puccini's opera, it is also known as the "Madame Butterfly House."
Thomas Glover, born near Aberdeen, Scotland, came to Nagasaki in 1859 at the age of 21 and spent the rest of his life in Japan. He contributed to the modernization of Japan in shipbuilding, coal mining and many other fields. In 1908 he was awarded the Second Class Order of the Rising Sun by the Meiji Imperial Government.

access:Ouratenshudo-shita tram stop

On your way out of the Glover Garden, why not have some castella?
This light sweet sponge cake has been baked since the 16th century. The name is said to come from the old Spanish place named "Castile." The recipe was introduced by the Portuguese, and today Castella is still Nagasaki's favorite confection.

6. Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum Hypocenter Park Peace Park	15:45 - 17:15
Atomic Bomb Museum The atomic bomb museum was built to show the world the horror of the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki and the need to eliminate all nuclear weapons. Hypocenter Park A memorial monolith marks the exact point below the center of the atomic bomb explosion, which occurred at 11:02AM, August 9, 1945. The monolith is always decorated with flowers and paper cranes donated by citizens and travelers, and the park is planted with hundreds of cherry trees, azalea and hydrangea bushes.
Peace Park (Peace Statue) The Peace Statue was constructed in 1955 by donations from all over the world, and is highly symbolic. The right hand pointing skyward warns about the threat of the atomic bomb. The left hand stretching out horizontally symbolizes world peace. The gently closed eyes represent a prayer for the repose of the souls of all atomic bomb victims. access:Matsuyama-machi tram stop

7. Shippoku Dinner

Shippoku, which comes from the Chinese word meaning "dinner table", is a course of mixed dishes of Japanese, Chinese and Western origin served at a red round table. This unique local cuisine was nurtured during the city's four century-long encounter with Chinese and Western culture. Although varying according to the season, the menu includes ohire (clear fish soup), sashimi (raw fish), vinegared, cooked, fried and boiled vegetables and meat, and at the end umewan (sweet red bean soup with a salted cherry blossom).

If you are pressed with time or money, you can get a mini-shippoku course. Look at our suggestions in the "Restaurants" page.

8. Amazing night view from Mount Inasa

Being a harbor city surrounded by mountains, one of the things Nagasaki is most famous for is definitely its night view from 333-meter-high Mount Inasa. You can take a No.3 bus to Ropeway Mae, and from there hop on a cable car all the way to the top. Another alternative is to take a taxi all the way to the top (about \1500 from Nagasaki Station).

9. Stay at your hotel
Have a look at our "hotel suggestions" page.

DAY 2

10.A walk through Tera-machi (Temple Street)
	Exploring Tera-machi, Nagasaki's famous temple street, is quite an experience in itself. Sofukuji and Kofukuji are the best known, but it is also very interesting to stroll around the compounds of the smaller temples and cemeteries on the hillside above the temples. The area is also known by the shops selling Buddhist altar fittings.

How to get to Temple Street
Take a No.1 streetcar to Nishihamano-machi. Enjoy walking through Hamano-machi and Kankodori Arcades and browsing in the stores. At the end of sheltered Hamano-machi Arcade, turn to the left and walk down Kajiya-machi street. Check with a map, and explore to your heart's content!

On your way to the Spectacles Bridge, check out the Antique shops.

11. Megane-bashi (Spectacles Bridge)

Built in 1634 by a Chinese monk, this bridge is the oldest stone bridge in Japan and has received its nickname "Spectacles Bridge" because its two arches and their reflection in the water create the image of a pair of glasses.
On July 23, 1982 a disastrous flash flood washed away six of the ten historic stone bridges over Nakashima River. Megane-bashi was badly damaged, but fortunately almost all the original stones were retrieved and the bridge was restored to its original appearance.

How to get there:
From the temple street walk down toward the Nakashima River traversed by old stone bridges including Megane-bashi (Spectacles Bridge). (10 min walk)

12. Suwa Shrine
	Founded in 1634 in the midst of government efforts to stamp out Christianity in Nagasaki, this is now the most important Shinto Shrine in Nagasaki and the site of its famous autumn festival "Kunchi". Kunchi is known as one of Japan's three great festivals and is unique in that it features performances that vividly reflect Nagasaki's history of international exchange.

How to get there:
Walk along the river upstream where it curves, and cross the street through the underground path to the left. The big Torii Gate of Suwa Shrine stands there.

alternate access:Suwajinja-mae tram stop

13. Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture

Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture is one of only a handful of museums in Japan that has 'overseas exchange' as a theme. The museum holds around 48,000 precious exhibits, including historical documents and arts and crafts which narrate the history of Nagasaki's development into the sole window open to foreign countries during the period of national isolation.

access: 10 min. walk from Sakura-machi Tram stop

14. The Twenty-Six Martyrs Hill

The story of the 26 martyrs begins in the 16th century. Although he had tolerated Christianity even after the ban issued in 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi became suspicious of missionaries as possible agents for European intervention in Japan. Twenty-six Christians, including six foreign missionaries and three children, were arrested in Kyoto and Osaka and forced to walk through the snow to Nagasaki. After an 800km journey, they were crucified on Nishizaka hill on February 5, 1597. This was to serve as a warning to the large Christian population of Nagasaki.
In 1862, these 26 martyrs were canonized by Pope Pius IX. On the centennial of their canonization, a church, a museum and bronze monument were constructed at the site of the martyrdom. The museum displays documents and items related to the activities and struggles of the persecuted Christians.

access:Nagasakieki-mae tram stop

Did you know?
Pope John Paul II paid his respects to the 26 martyrs and named the site of the martyrdom "Blessed Hill" when he visited Nagasaki in 1981.

15. Train back to Hakata (Fukuoka Prefecture)
Leaving from Nagasaki Station, comfortable trains will take you back to Hakata (Fukuoka Prefecture) in less than two hours. Here is the late afternoon and evening schedule (as of Apr.2008):

Departure from Nagasaki
16:25
17:25
17:46
18:25
18:46
19:25
20:25
21:30

Arrival in Hakata
18:17
19:18
19:53
20:17
20:55
21:20
22:17
23:15