Today, Nagasaki has few reminders of the terrible events of World War II. The city is more often remembered when it comes to cruise ships that regularly call at the local port.
During the era of isolation, Nagasaki was the only port through which trade with the Chinese and Dutch was conducted. The latter also lived on the embankment island of Dejima near the city. In Nagasaki itself, the combination of Japanese and European features in the architecture is immediately striking. There is also a beautiful park, and Mount Inasa offers stunning views of the surrounding area.
Excursion: "Nagasaki: the revitalized city"
Tour time: 10.00-18.00
- Nagasaki Peace Park - A memorial park built to commemorate the victims of the American atomic bombing of the city on August 9, 1945. The park has 200 sakura trees. Locals like to come here when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.
- Glover's Garden was founded by Scottish entrepreneur Thomas Blake Glover. This open-air museum showcases the mansions of Europeans who lived in the city in the second half of the 19th century. Glover's own house is the oldest surviving European building in Japan. The park is a cultural heritage site.
- Mount Inasa The 333-meter-high peak is located near the center of Nagasaki. The summit, which can be reached by transportation or cable car, offers a magnificent view of the city. The night view of Nagasaki from Mt. Inasayama ranks among the top three night views, along with views from Hakodate and Rokko (Kobe).
- Oura Church - A Roman Catholic church, also known as the Church of the 26 Japanese Martyrs. The church is recognized as a National Treasure of Japan. It is the oldest active Christian church in the country. On March 17, 1865, a group of peasants from the Urakami area came to the French priest Bernard Petitjean, who served at the Oura Church, with the news that they were Christians, descendants of Japan's first Christians who had secretly kept their faith for centuries despite religious persecution. Soon tens of thousands of secret Japanese Christians were streaming into Nagasaki. Upon learning of this amazing event, Pope Pius IX called it "the miracle of the East." A bronze bas-relief in the courtyard below Oura Church commemorates the event.
Option! Optional visits to other sites in Nagasaki are available.
- Chinatown - Japan's oldest Chinatown, established as early as the 17th century. Nagasaki was then the only major port open to trade in an era when the country was isolated from the outside world.
- Oranda-zaka ("Dutch Slope") - a paved alley on a slope in a residential area of Nagasaki. Western merchants, mostly from the Netherlands, settled here in the second half of the 19th century. Many residences have been restored and are open to the public.
