The last major city my mum and I visited in Kyushu was Nagasaki (長崎), the capital of Nagasaki Prefecture. With only a population of about 500,000 people, I found Nagasaki a very pleasant city – not too crowded but yet has all the mod cons like any top tier city in Japan. The city is also very picturesque with its undulating hills and mix of Western and Japanese architecture due to its historical significance as being the only city in Japan that foreigners could trade in before Japan opened its doors once again to foreign trade in 1859.


A view of Nagasaki city from Mount Inasa, a 333-metre tall hill situated west of the city. You can take a cable car to the top and there’s an observation deck there that offers spectacular views of the city on a clear day like this. The hills and bays in the far back of the photo belong to Kumamoto Prefecture.


On the other side of the observation deck you can see the offshore islands and the beautiful bay. Ah, I just love cities that are surrounded by water!


Sushi platter for dinner! I was sushi-ed out by the time I left Japan.


At the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Musesum, thousands of cranes are strung together in a common wish for world peace. While it’s indeed sad that the people of Nagasaki had to endure immense suffering for the sake of having World War II come to an end, hardly anything is said of the atrocities committed by the invading Japanese Army in other parts of Asia. I would say it’s a very skewed picture of World War II that’s presented. Nonetheless, it’s a museum worth going to, if only to remind humanity of the terrible consequences of nuclear warfare and the need to not repeat history.


Glover Garden is a park that has many old, Western-style houses of historical significance. The park sits on a hill that overlooks Nagasaki harbour. The rich Western businessmen who contributed greatly to Nagasaki’s economic prosperity lived in luxurious houses in this area. Visitors are allowed to go into these houses to see what life was like in the 19th century.


I was hungry while walking around, so I picked up a yakitori stick from one of the street stalls. Yummy.
If you’re travelling in Kyushu, I’d say Nagasaki city is definitely worth stopping over for a few days. From Fukuoka, it takes only 1 hour 50 minutes to get there by train. It’s a relatively compact city and it’s easy to walk from one tourist attraction to the next. The narrow streets are also a delight to wander around. There are many historical buildings around the city that offer an insight into Nagasaki’s role as once being the only window to the West in Japan.