Nagasaki, Japan
A city with deep historical significance.
When one has a fascination with history and wants to plan a trip to Japan, then Nagasaki is not a place to miss out on!
A historical city such as this has so much to see and learn about, especially since it was one of the unfortunate targets of the atomic bomb in World War II.
As you wander around this beautiful city, you will find so much interesting things that lie in the heart of the city.
Dating back to around the 16th century, Portuguese explorers landed on the land that would be known as Nagasaki today, opening the doors for trade to many countries, especially the Portuguese and the Dutch, which lasted through the 16th to 19th centuries.
You can see influences of early European architecture on Hollander or Dutch Slope, where you walk up to the hillside and you can see several houses that the Dutch used to reside during their time there hence the name.
One of the houses is open to the public, Higashi Yamate 13, where you can enter and have a look at the simple, western-style interiors that match the exteriors. It is free entry so don’t worry about having to purchase a ticket just to look at an old house.
We were quite unfortunate because we didn’t have enough time to go inside the house, but from the outside, it looked fairly simple. These Western houses stuck out like a sore thumb in comparison to Japanese architecture, but this is what makes Nagasaki city different.
Just like most places with European influence, Christianity is introduced to this city.
However, back then, Christianity was banned, and whoever identifies as Christian would be persecuted. Finally, in the 19th century, this suppression was lifted, and Christians were able to openly practice their religion again.
During this time, the Ōura Cathedral was built, and in 2007, it became part of the UNESCO World Heritage list.
This cathedral is within a 15-minute walk from Dutch Slope.
While in the area, you can also head over to the Glover Garden, which used to be the former residence of a Scottish merchant, Thomas Glover.
Another fun fact: Nagasaki is where glassware was first introduced to the Japanese.
The Japanese word for glass, “biidoro,” is derived from the Portuguese word for glass, “vidro”. As glass is significant in history, there is a glassware shop down the street from the Ōura Cathedral called Glass Road 1571.
The selection of glassware, ranging from decor to jewelry to kitchenware, is so beautiful and intricate that I was worried that I might bump into something and break it.
Right beside the shop, there is the Nagasaki Minami Yamate Pudding shop that sells the most unique variations of the Japanese custard pudding, known as “purin”.
I recommend getting their specialty which is the pudding with the stained glass motif.
This pudding had a colorful jellies as the topping rather than the typical caramel pudding; the pudding was so creaming and the consistency was so smooth and paired with the almost tasteless coloured jellies, the textures blended together well.
I also got the common caramel one, but I didn’t like it as much because the caramel sauce tasted bitter, which led me to think they slightly burnt it when preparing it.
By this time, it was noon and we had another place to go before going for lunch so we headed towards Hamamachi Arcade.
At the very end of the arcade and a 10-minute walk, you would find yourself at the Spectacles Bridge (Meganebashi), a popular stone bridge over the Nakashima River.
You can also walk down to the river level and walk over the stepping stones and have cool pictures taken there.
After taking lots of pictures, we headed back to the Hamamachi Arcade to grab some lunch as we were starving from all the walking and summer heat.
We ate at Katsushika, a restaurant that serves tonkatsu (a deep-fried breaded pork cutlet).
I must warn you that the menu is entirely in Japanese so be prepared to whip out Google translate or be spontaneous and choose the recommended dish that is marked with a thumbs-up like I did.
I was not disappointed; it came with tonkatsu served with rice, miso soup, and a salad.
I ordered a small portion and devoured the meal like there wasn’t a next meal.
The pork cutlet was so crispy, and the breading wasn’t too heavy, making it easy to indulge. The salad was a nice refresher for my palate as I switched to it every now and then from the meat, and the miso soup was the cherry on top to help wash down the fried taste.
I was very satisfied with the meal and would love to go back there again.
Being fueled up by the delicious meal, we made our way to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, a must-visit since it is the place where a catastrophic event happened in World War II.
You would have to catch a public transport to get here as it is quite far from the Hamamachi Arcade.
The entrance fee is 200 yen (£1) for adults which is a reasonable price and definitely worth the visit.
In the museum, there are so many artifacts that have been unearthed from that devastating day. A clock was found to show the time the bombing happened; it immediately stopped working when it landed, literally freezing the moment.
There were so many pictures of the casualties, from the charred people to skeletons of buildings, a heartbreaking sight but an important one to know so that it would never happen to another again.
They also have a replica of the “Fat Man” (the name of the atomic bomb) displayed in there and you can see why it was named so because it was so large, it was unbelievable.
There were stories, poems, and interviews of survivors documenting their horrific experiences and painful memories of losing their loved ones.
I do not know how to fully describe what I felt as I read about the event and the effects it left on the people; I was just dumbfounded, and my heart ached for the innocent civilians.
Once you reach the end of the exhibition, you would see story that Studio Ghibli would base the storyline off in the movie Grave of the Fireflies, which I recommend.
When leaving the museum building, there are directions that would lead to Hypocenter Park, which commemorates the atomic bombing.
There is a black pillar monument that marks the epicenter of the explosion.
Just a few feet away, you will also be able to see the remains of the Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed by the explosion. There is a set of stairs nearby, which leads down to a sealed window that preserves some debris caused by the blast.
As you go back up and walk 10 minutes upward a hill, you will arrive at Peace Park. There stands a huge Zeus-like statue, symbolizing hope and a memorial for peace.
It was a good way to end the atomic bomb tour, sending you off with the hope that another atomic bomb wouldn’t drop again.
After the museum, we headed towards another city to have dinner and continue our summer holiday in beautiful Japan.
Written by Althea Scully