The Traveler’s Guide to the Nagasaki Area: 2020 Edition

Nagasaki is located in the far western corner of the Japanese archipelago, and you travel there via plane to Nagasaki Airport. From the airport, it’s a 40-minute bus ride into Nagasaki city.

If you’re traveling by bullet train, then take the Limited Express Kamome train from Hakata Station in Fukuoka.

However, Nagasaki is an oddly-shaped prefecture, so consider where you want to go before you decide on a transportation method.

Getting to Nagasaki

Nagasaki(Nagasaki)

Nagasaki Pref

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During the Edo period, Nagasaki was the sole port open to international trade. In the northern part of the city, you’ll find the Nagasaki Peace Park, situated in the historical blast radius of the atomic bomb. The park is divided into several zones, including the Zone of Hopes, the Zone of Prayers, and the Zone of Study. There’s also the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, and you can learn about the somber history of the area.

About 1 km from the Peace Park, or 15 minutes on foot, you’ll find the One-Legged Torii of Sanno Shrine. Half of the torii gate was destroyed in the atomic blast, but one side still remains. Even now, it continues to speak about the violence of the impact of the atomic bomb.

Nagasaki Peace Park

Nagasaki Peace Park

Atomic Bomb Museum

Peace Park

Nagasaki Pref

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Hotel Saint Paul Nagasaki

4-16,Hirano-cho Nagasaki

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Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum

4.5

2014 Reviews

Nagasaki Pref. Nagasakishi Hiranomachi 7-8

0958441231

[Apr./Sep.--Mar.] 8:30-17:30…

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Hotel Saint Paul Nagasaki

4-16,Hirano-cho Nagasaki

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As Nagasaki was the only port open to the West, it’s a city with a deep history surrounding Christianity.

Right next to the Hypocenter Cenotaph is the Urakami Cathedral Ruins, a structure that once boasted a unique blending of East and West. Just 500 meters away the Urakami Cathedral was completely destroyed in the atomic blast. Part of the building was transported here, where it was recreated in 1959. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region.

Urakami Cathedral

Urakami Cathedral

4.0

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Nagasaki Pref. Nagasakishi Motomachi 1-79

0958441777

Main Sunday Mass [Saturday] …

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Gunkanjima is a small island 18 km out of Nagasaki Port. The island measures only 160 meters from east to west and 480 meters north to south, and its formal name is Hashima. Back in its heyday, it had the highest population density in the world! You won’t believe that during its coal mining period, this tiny island housed over 5,000 people.

Since its designation as a World Heritage Site, tours providing access to the island have been very popular. Even if conditions prevent the ferry from landing on Gunkanjima, don’t give up yet. There’s the Gunkanjima Digital Museum near Oura Cathedral stop on the Nagasaki Electric Tramway. Built-in 2015, the museum has interactive exhibits utilizing VR (virtual reality) and MR (mixed reality), which let you experience Gunkanjima like you’re really there! Don a pair of high-tech hololens goggles to get a fun and informative lesson on what life was like on the island back during the coal mining days.

Gunkanjima

Gunkanjima Digital Museum

Gunkanjima Island

Nagasaki Pref. Nagasakishi Takashimamachi Hashima

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Dejima was the only place during Sakoku (the isolation of Japan) where people could interact with foreign culture. The wall stretching along the river is a remnant of the Dejima of old. The river served as a separation between Dejima, where the Dutch merchants lived, and the rest of Japan, and it was treated as a foreign country. Now Dejima is connected to the mainland by reclaimed land, but you can still see rows of buildings that recall Dejima’s unique history.

Dejima

Dejima

Dejima

Nagasaki Pref

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Nagasaki is home to the only Chinese-style Confucius shrine in Japan, as well as Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown, one of the country’s three largest Chinatowns. The area’s history began at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate when many Chinese migrated to Shinchi.

The Nagasaki Lantern Festival is held on the Lunar New Year, which is usually sometime in February. After sundown, Chinatown is illuminated by over 15,000 lanterns. The entire area comes alive with the lanterns’ ethereal light, making for a wonderful night to remember.

Confucius Shrine

Nagasaki Lantern Festival at Chinatown

Nagasaki Confucian Shrine and Historical Museum of China

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Nagasaki Pref. Nagasakishi Ouramachi 10-36

0958244022

9:30-18:00(Last entry17:30)

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FAV LUX NAGASAKI

3-10 Matsugaemachi, Nagasaki

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Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown

Nagasaki Pref. Nagasakishi Shinchimachi

[Saturday birth shop/miscell…

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Hotel JAL City Nagasaki

13-10 Shinchi-machi Nagasaki

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The nighttime landscape of Nagasaki is known as the “10 Million Dollar View,” and in 2012 it was designated as one of The World’s New Top Three Night Views. A popular destination to see the gorgeous stretch of city night lights is the Mt. Inasa Observation Platform, accessible by ropeway. From the all-glass ropeway cars to the 360-degree view observation deck, it’s a breathtaking sight to behold.

Mount Inasa

Mount Inasa

Mt. Inasa

Nagasaki Pref. Nagasakishi Inasamachi

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The Former Glover House was the home of Thomas Blake Glover, a Scottish merchant who was active during the late shogunate era and early Meiji Restoration period. The house is one of three Western-style residences in Japan that’s designated as an Important Cultural Property. It also earns the special distinction as a World Heritage Site, garnering it a fair amount of attention as one of Nagasaki’s most famous tourist spots.

The house and garden are immaculately kept, and visitors can wander through the open-air museum to get a sense of what the wealthy merchants lived like in the era. Not to be forgotten are the garden’s excellent views of the harbor and city beyond. It’s one of Nagasaki’s can’t-miss tourist sites.

Glover Garden

Glover Garden

Glover Garden (Former Glover House)

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Nagasaki Pref. Nagasakishi Minamiyamatemachi 8-1

0958228223

8:00-18:00 (Admission until …

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SETRE Glovers House Nagasaki

2-28 Minamiyamatemachi Nagasaki

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There’s an island in Nagasaki Prefecture that remained open all the way until 2001, long after Gunkanjima had closed. That island’s name is Ikeshima. The remains of apartments and thermal power stations leftover from the island’s glory days are now important Industrial Heritage artifacts.

You can access the tourist island via a ferry from Oseto Port, which takes around 40 minutes. It’s a small island that’s only 4 km around, so renting a bike is the preferred mode of transportation.

Tours that let you ride in a minecart and simulate what it would be like to operate coal mining equipment are always popular.

Ikeshima

Ikeshima Island

Nagasaki Nagasaki-shi

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Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium breeds the most penguins in the world, and it also has a great variety of penguins. There are only penguins here, but the Aquarium offers a unique experience to watch them swim freely. “With Penguins on the Beach” is the seafront part of the Nature Zone where you can see penguins right up close as they wander and swim around. It’s a rare chance to experience their delightfulness firsthand.

Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium

Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium

Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium

Nagasaki Pref. Nagasakishi Shukumachi 3-16

0958383131

9:00-17:00

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Huis Ten Bosch is a theme park modeled after Holland during the Middle Ages. Inside you’ll find tons of fun to be had, including an Adventure Park and Thriller City. It’s a park for all ages.

There are three hotels directly managed by the park, and one of them is located inside the park, letting you enjoy the amusements at your leisure. Huis Ten Bosch is an amusement park known for its beauty, offering special illuminations and seasonal flowers.

Huis Ten Bosch

Huis Ten Bosch

Huis Ten Bosch

Palace Huis Ten Bosch

Nagasaki Pref. Saseboshi Huis Ten Bosch Town 1-1

0570064110

9:00-21:00(Last entry20:00)…

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Nagasaki Huis Ten Bosch Ticket

¥5,600

Update date：2024/04/27

Hotel Nikko Huis Ten Bosch

6, Huis Ten Bosch-cho Sasebo Nagasaki

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The Gotō Islands were once the settlement for the “Hidden Christians” of Japan, during the time when the country outlawed Christianity. On the islands, there are several churches that have been designated as World Heritage Sites as part of Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region.

The Gotō Islands consist of 140 islands, both large and small about 100 km to the west of Nagasaki and Kyushu. Expect an environment full of gorgeous sea views and natural vistas sure to please. The starting point for your journey to the islands is Nagasaki Port, where you’ll take the ferry to Fukue Port in the Gotō Islands. It takes around 3 hours to get there on the ferry, but the jetfoil will get you there in about an hour and a half if you prefer to get there a little quicker.

Gotō Islands

Read more:Churches of the Goto Islands

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兵庫県姫路市南町5 モルティ姫路

0792228887

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Unzen Onsen is a hot spring nestled 700 meters high in the mountains of Japan’s first national park. The name Unzen Jigoku, or Unzen Hell, comes from the acrid smell of sulfur and the constant shroud of water vapor that encompasses the area. Now a collection of inns and hotels surround Unzen Jigoku to form a massive hot spring district. You can ride the Unzen Ropeway for magnificent sky views of the scenery, almost like you’re walking on air.

Unzen Jigoku

Unzen Jigoku

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Nagasaki Pref. Unzenshi Obamachounzen 320

0957733434

Open 24 hours

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North of Sasebo, in the 25 km of the sea until you arrive at Hirado, lies the Rias Coast and a complex assortment of 208 islands. These colorful scatterings of land are called the Kujūku Islands, and they make for breathtaking natural scenes. Only 4 of the islands are inhabited, and almost the entire area was designated as Saikai National Park in 1955. Over 80 percent of the 288.5 km coastal line is preserved as a national park, protecting its natural beauty. The ve/rdant greenery of the islands amid the azure blues of the sea and skies are a wonderful sight, but the sunsets alone are worth the trip.

Kujūku Islands in Sasebo

Kujuku Islands

Nagasaki Pref. Saseboshi

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Hasami is a town that boasts over 400 years of traditional porcelain crafting, called hasamiyaki. Recently, hasamiyaki has gained a lot of attention from young people and international customers for its modern design style and expert use of colors. So while you’re visiting Nagasaki, you can go straight to the source.

In Hasami, you’ll find the Maruhiro store, which is the brand that started the hasamiyaki boom. The town is also home to many stylish galleries/workshops specializing in the town’s famous porcelain ware. It’s the perfect place for a great souvenir or gift.

Hasami in Higashisonogi

Maruhiro

Nagasaki Higashisonogi-gun Hasami Cho Isekigo 255

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It’s not commonly known that there’s an uninhabited island in the northernmost area of Iki. The island’s name is Tatsunoshima, and it’s great for a little private adventure.
You can get there on the ferry from Katsumoto Port, and it’s only about a 10-minute ride over. All you need is 30 to 40 minutes to look around, and you can say you’ve had an uninhabited island exploration in just around 1 hour of your time.

Iki Island

Iki Island

Ikinoshima Island

Iki city, Nagasaki prefecture

0920473700

8:30-17:15

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First up for local flavors is Champon. This noodle dish is made by frying seafood, pork, and vegetables in lard, then boiling the mixture with noodles in a chicken and pork bone broth.
Nagasaki Castella is a sponge cake that speaks of Nagasaki’s international history. It’s based on the Portuguese sweet Pão de Castela but comes in all types of varieties now.
Lastly is Toruko Rice, which is a lovely combination of rice pilaf, pork cutlet, curry sauce, and Neapolitan-style spaghetti all piled on the same plate. You’re welcome.

Champon

Nagasaki Castella

Toruko Rice

Nagasaki Kunchi is a festival held at Suwa Shrine that has roots going back 400 years. There are three major Kunchi festivals: Nagasaki Kunchi, Hakata Okuchi, and Saga Karatsu Kunchi. The festivals are a colorful celebration that incorporate Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese culture. Nagasaki Kunchi is held three days every year from October 7th to 9th, and the entire city erupts with lively performances and impressive floats. If you’re in town, you can’t miss it.

Suwa Shrine

Chinzei Grand Shrine  Suwa Shrine

Nagasaki Pref. Nagasakishi Kaminishiyamamachi 18-15

0958240445

Precincts Free

【URL】https://www.osuwasan.jp/page0200.html

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