Nagasaki

Posted on April 24, 2007 by Marta Bashovski

Among foreigners in Japan, a common traveling complaint is the uniform, drab nature of Japanese cities. Though in some ways, Nagasaki is exactly like every other city on Kyushu, in others it doesn’t feel like Japan at all. There’s a calm in the city, fewer crowds in suits and more wandering around quaint neighbourhoods unraveling layers of history. Simultaneously, and I suppose paradoxically, the city feels more lively and interesting than the other cardboard cutout cities I’ve visited. Landscapes look different in Nagasaki. Of course, the grey concrete is present, seemingly an ominous feature of every Japanese scene, but so are picturesque alley ways and hillsides dotted with tiny homes, ancient trees in the middle of urban backdrops and a constant spirit of multicultural existence and rebuilding. While Nagasaki is full of fantastic hole-in-the-wall cafes, restaurants and bars (if you can find it, check out a café in an alley near Nagasaki station where the owner will serve you tea or coffee in a hand-selected cup from her collection which numbers in the thousands), the “tourist” attractions are rich and interesting and definitely worth a visit even for those who typically eschew such things for a more “authentic” traveling experience.

Being the second city to suffer the effects of WWII atomic bombing, a section of Nagasaki is devoted to a Peace Park with museum and a collection of sculputures. Start from the hypocentre marker for a particularly numbing feeling as you look at panoramic photographs of the destruction, before moving on to the excellently curated museum (the English translations are top-notch, somewhat of a rarity in Kyushu), and finally to the sculpture garden, featuring the Peace Statue created by Nagasaki native Seibu Kitamura. 10 metres tall, the sky blue sculpture has a serene expression that will hopefully calm you a bit after an intense and emotional museum experience. The “Piece Symbols Zone,” featuring peace-themed sculptures presented to the city of Nagasaki by countries and cities around the world is also worth a look. If you can find it (I stumbled upon it by accident), there is a stunning ancient tree encased in scaffolding, a survivor of the atomic bomb attack tucked in between residential complexes near the Peace Park.

You can easily spend the better part of a day in the Peace Park and associated museums and memorials, but to get a grasp of Nagasaki as a place before and after August 9, 1945, take a streetcar south to Dejima and explore Nagasaki’s past as (the only) international port of Japan. Hike around the Dutch slopes, a collection of turn of the century Dutch style houses. The slopes afford exceptionally beautiful views of the already very picturesque city. Visit Sofukuji temple, the Chinese Historical Museum and Confucian temple (technically on Chinese soil!) for a glimpse into the Chinese history of the city. The tiny Chinatown is a good place to eat authentic Chinese food, think about how every Chinatown in the world looks pretty similar, or do the Japanese thing and eat Nagasaki’s specialty dish, chanpon ramen, a ramen dish that features lots of vegetables and seafood (sometimes chicken) in a salty broth. Finally, and most delightful of “touristy” sights for me, Spectacles Bridge, so-called because of the illusion of spectacles created by its reflection in the Nagasaki River. Fight with the tourist (children) for a clear photo opportunity.

In any case, for all you Honshu-centrics, Nagasaki alone is worth the trip south. While you’re here, you might as well check out Miyazaki, Kumamoto and Kagoshima too.