Nagasaki 3-Day Itinerary: Day Three

Read Day 1 here - Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Museum, Mount Inasa

Read Day 2 here - Gunkanjima, Chinatown, Glover Garden, Nagasaki Seaside Park

Read Day 3 here - Spectacle Bridge, Former HSBC Building, one legged torii

After the last two days of sunny weather, it rained today but our travel plans weren�t too affected by it. We stayed in Peace Town which is close by to Urakami Cathedral so we went there first. I believe the inside is reserved for worshipers so we only looked from the outside. We purchased the one day tram pass again for 500 yen and headed to Megane bashi (Spectable Bridge ???) by alighting at Kokaido-mae station (???). There were many large koi fish (?) in the water under the bridge and pigeons flying around.

Urakami Cathedral

Many koi fish by Spectacle Bridge

Spectacle Bridge aka Megane bashi

It began to rain soon after we left Megane bashi and it didn�t stop even by the time we flew out of Nagasaki the next morning. We took the tram to Suwajinja-mae station to visit Suwajinja (????) which had a nice view of the houses on the hills and some cherry blossom trees.

Entrance to Suwajinja

Suwajinja

View from Suwajinja

Following Suwajinja and to take a break from the rain, we went to Nagasaki Station and there was a mini fair in the atrium. I got a croissant taiyaki with apple filling which was so buttery. I recommend trying croissant taiyaki in addition to traditional taiyakis when visiting Japan.

Ferris wheel on top of Cocowalk

We moved from Nagasaki Station to a shopping mall called Cocowalk. There was a ferris wheel on top of the mall which we went to see but didn�t ride since the visibility wasn�t as great as on a sunny day.

Dejima Museum

Hollander Slope

On our way to the Former HSBC Nagasaki Branch (???????????) building for the museum, we passed by Dejima Museum and one of the steep Dutch Slopes. I believe I read on a tourism pamphlet that they�re called Dutch Slopes because Dutch foreigners were often seen walking in that area back in the day.

Former HSBC building

Inside the museum

The museum inside the HSBC building featured Sun Yat Sen, Soong Ching Ling and Umeya Shokichi. It was actually pretty interesting to watch the videos and learn about the history behind the different landmarks we visited such as the Glover Residence and that Shanghai and Nagasaki were major trading partners. Glover was one of the founders of the Japan Brewing Company which is present day Kirin Beer.

Toruko Rice

The souvenir shop road to Glover Garden was behind the museum and we took a brief look again. We had a meal of toruko rice (Turkish Rice) at Lekker which consisted of curry fried rice, tomato sauce spaghetti and tonkatsu on top. It is a Nagasaki dish which showed the mix of cultures in the city but after I tried it, I know I would have preferred to eat each item separately.

Confucius Temple

We saw the Confucius Temple and Museum from the outside. It is said to be the only temple of its kind built by Chinese people outside of China. Then we followed Google Maps through a residential area to find Sofuji (???). It was nice to see a non-touristy part of the city and was a pleasant walk even in the rain. The temple was empty and seemed to be closed but we were able to walk around anyways.

Sofuji

Walking up to the one legged torii

Fallen remnants of the one legged torii

Our last landmark of the day was to the one legged torii (?????) which is a part of Sanno Shrine (????). It is a short walk from Daigakubyoin-mae station (????). We saw it on our first night but not clearly so we decided to go back. The torii gate of Sanno Shrine was half destroyed by the atomic bomb one kilometer away. 

Original state of the one legged torii

Only one leg of the gate remained standing and the remnants were placed on the ground behind the gate. In the old photos, everything around the one legged torii was destroyed to rubble except for the one leg and the broken stairs leading up to it. Now it is completely surrounded by tightly packed residences and it is good that they kept this part of history.

Please read this plaque.

Walking in from the gate was a landmark that I was even more impacted by. We stumbled upon it since it wasn�t on our tourist map but it should be. It was a tree that was burnt and split in half by the bomb but somehow came back to life and grew. It is very tall now and there is a rope with hanging zigzag paper stripes called shide (??) between the two halves. Standing in the rain between the halves, I could feel life. These trees were a symbol of resilience and being able to recover after being struck down.

It was amazing to me to be able to see this and to read the story on the plaque. I�m glad Nagasaki�s landmarks all had English translations on their plaques so I could understand more. 

Overall I had an amazing, albeit short, trip to Nagasaki and would definitely love to visit again. It is a beautiful city with unique architecture unlike anywhere else in Japan. 

Read Day 1 here - Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Museum, Mount Inasa

Read Day 2 here - Gunkanjima, Chinatown, Glover Garden, Nagasaki Seaside Park

Read Day 3 here - Spectacle Bridge, Former HSBC Building, one legged torii

Nagasaki 3-Day Itinerary: Day Two

Read Day 1 here - Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Museum, Mount Inasa

Read Day 2 here - Gunkanjima, Chinatown, Glover Garden, Nagasaki Seaside Park

Read Day 3 here - Spectacle Bridge, Former HSBC Building, one legged torii

In the morning, we purchased a one day tram pass for 500 yen. They are not sold on the trams but are available at hotels and the tourism centre according to the poster we saw. We bought ours from the underground parking lot office next to Matsuyama-machi station (???).

We booked a tour for Gunkanjima (Battleship Island ???) online a few weeks before our Nagasaki trip. Make sure to do so because spots fill up quickly! Its official name is Hashima Island but it is well known as Gunkanjima for its appearance. The boat tour company told us to meet at their office by Dejima Port (??) between 8:10 to 8:40am for the 9:10am tour. It cost 3900 yen total which included the 300 yen admission fee required by the local government when landing on the island.

Dejima Port

Ticket for Gunkanjima

The weather was superb with blue skies and sun so we were lucky because in poor weather the boat won�t land on the island due to rocky seas. On the website it warns that when the wind velocity is over 5 metres, wave height is above 0.5 metres or when visibility is below 500 metres that the boat won�t land. On this particular day, our boat ride was very smooth and I didn�t even feel floaty when I stepped onto land again.

On the boat

Takashima Island

The boat stopped at Takashima Island (??) before Gunkanjima for us to see a museum about the history of the mining island. Mitsubishi (??) bought the island for its coal and mining was active until 1974 when the company closed down the mines. Over 5000 people lived on this small island and they had everything from a pool to schools. They only didn�t have parks and cemeteries due to the space limitation. The population density was 9 folds that of Tokyo at the time. When the mines were closed everyone left the island, leaving it a desolate place. The harsh weather and typhoons further damaged the empty buildings to the rubble of today. The island was important to the industrialization of Japan by providing coal.

Souvenirs sold at Takashima Island

Model of Gunkanjima

Demonstrating the mining past of Gunkanjima

Gunkanjima really looked like a battleship from afar and when we got on the island we were only allowed to walk a small part of the perimeter due to safety in case the buildings collapse some more. It was so beautiful in a broken kind of way. I stared at the crumbling concrete apartment buildings and wondered what life was like there. There was one man sitting on the edge of the stone wall surrounding the island and the guide told us that he received special permission from the city to fish there.

Finally Gunkanjima is in sight!

Exploring Gunkanjima

Exploring Gunkanjima

We got back to land around noon and we took the tram to Chinatown which is one of the three biggest ones in Japan alongside Kobe (??) and Yokohama (??). We had the famous butaman (????) which is a steamed bun with a slice of fatty pork belly sandwiched in the middle. We also ate chanpon (?????) in Chinatown which is a Nagasaki dish of noodle soup but I wasn�t a fan of the one we had with its strong MSG taste.

Nagasaki Chinatown

Butaman

Eating Chanpon

We went to Glover Garden next which was on a hill with escalators to transport visitors. It was made up of some of the oldest western style houses in Nagasaki and Japan. The houses were built and owned by some of the most influential foreigners in Nagasaki after Japan reopened to the world. Walking around there felt like we weren�t in Japan anymore because the structures were so different. The view was absolutely gorgeous overlooking the port into the sea. There were cherry blossom trees, flowers and well kept bushes everywhere. It was such a charming place and I wish we had more time to slowly explore.

Souvenir street on the way to Glover Garden

Outdoor escalator at Glover Garden

Glover Garden

View from Glover Garden

Following Glover Garden, we went to Nagasaki Seaside Park for hanami (???) where we had a picnic under the cherry blossom trees and admired the scenery while we ate. The park was very pretty with many cherry blossom trees and green grass by the glittering sea. It was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. I felt lucky to have come at such a good time.

Nagasaki Seaside Park

Hanami under cherry blossom trees

In the evening, we went to Nagasaki Station to take the free shuttle bus for Fukunoyu Onsen. The outdoor onsen portion overlooked the city�s night view and there was even a cherry blossom tree by the glass partition. The facility played mellow music and I felt so grateful for the beauty I got to experience on this trip. Plus it was soothing to the limbs after all the walking we did and the best way to end the day. 

Nagasaki Port nearby the seaside park

Nagasaki Station

Read Day 1 here - Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Museum, Mount Inasa

Read Day 2 here - Gunkanjima, Chinatown, Glover Garden, Nagasaki Seaside Park

Read Day 3 here - Spectacle Bridge, Former HSBC Building, one legged torii

Nagasaki 3-Day Itinerary: Day One

Read Day 1 here - Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Museum, Mount Inasa

Read Day 2 here - Gunkanjima, Chinatown, Glover Garden, Nagasaki Seaside Park

Read Day 3 here - Spectacle Bridge, Former HSBC Building, one legged torii

Nagasaki (??) has become one of the favourite places that I have visited in Japan so far. Taking an afternoon flight from Kobe Airport, we landed in Nagasaki Airport by 2pm. We took the bus to the city because there were no trains and bought round trip tickets for the airport bus for 1600 yen. Otherwise it would cost 900 yen one way.

Park upon descending at Matsuyama-machi

About an hour later the bus arrived at Matsuyama-machi station (???) and we alighted in front of the Peace Park. The spring weather was great and there were many gorgeous cherry blossom trees in the park. Hiroshima Peace Park was a grander display with its large park, whereas Nagasaki�s smaller Peace Park had a more intimate feeling of quietly paying respect to those who passed away. Nagasaki Peace Park had many flowers and groomed greenery making it beautiful. There were also escalators to the park because it is hilly in this city.

We gazed at the statues in the park before going to the Atomic Bomb Museum (200 yen entrance fee). The museum was smaller than the one in Hiroshima but I found it to be just as impacting. Each place had its own way of dealing with the aftermath and I was glad to have been able to visit both Hiroshima (??) and Nagasaki.

Nagasaki Atomic Bomb museum

Atomic bomb destruction

After dropping off our luggage at our friend�s place, we went for dinner at an Indian restaurant. For tourists who are visiting Japan, it may seem strange that we didn�t eat Japanese food on our first night in Nagasaki. But since we all live in Japan, we have access to Japanese food and the Nagasaki famous dishes can wait for the next two days. Actually the Indian restaurant was quite good and I especially liked my mango lassi.

Escalator to the Peace Park. One of many outdoor escalators in Nagasaki.

Peace Park

Dinner

We walked along Urakami River (???) to the base of the ropeway up to Mount Inasa (???).  Trams are the main public transportation device here and you can opt to alight at Takaramachi Station (??) then walk 5 mins to the base of the ropeway.

Urakami River

Ropeway up to Mount Inasa

The ropeway cost 1230 yen round trip but I printed a coupon online on their website which brought the price down to 1100 yen. One print out was good for the group, so don�t waste paper! The ride was smooth and quick. It was noticeably chillier at the top but the view was, of course, splendid. Nagasaki�s night view is top three in Japan alongside Kobe�s (??) and Hakodate�s (??). It is also top three in the world with Hong Kong�s and Monaco�s night views.

Famous Nagasaki night view

There were many lights on the hills from the various houses and light reflected off the water from the port. It is as if each house was a twinkling star on the hills. Now I have seen two of the best night views in the world and only have Monaco left! Though �best� is quite debatable, Nagasaki�s was certainly worthwhile. 

Read Day 1 here - Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Museum, Mount Inasa

Read Day 2 here - Gunkanjima, Chinatown, Glover Garden, Nagasaki Seaside Park

Read Day 3 here - Spectacle Bridge, Former HSBC Building, one legged torii