2 Day Historic Nagasaki Travel Guide
Nagasaki is a historic port town located on the southern island of Kyushu. In this 2 Day historic Nagasaki travel guide, I have created a fast-paced 2-day itinerary to get a survey view of Nagasaki’s history. This itinerary also provides historical background information from the opening up of trade during the 16th century to the Dutch and Portuguese, to becoming a hotbed of Christianity during the feudal era, and to bearing the grim history of the atomic age.
Nagasaki is a fantastic place to visit if you love history. It is an especially good entryway for those who are interested in learning about Japan’s role in the international world.
Nagasaki travel guide
Basic Information
Nagasaki 長崎
Located on the island of Kyushu 九州
Distance from Tokyo: about 2 hours by plane
Famous Attractions: Nagasaki Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Museum, Oura Cathedral, Glover Gardens, Dejima
City of Stories: A Short History of Nagasaki
In order to appreciate the experience of Nagasaki, it is important to understand its history. It is a town that has not forgotten its roots and proudly displays its stories for visitors to experience. In this short sketch of Nagasaki’s history, I believe one of the key words to understand the stories of the city is defined by the word “international” as the city’s few hundred years of coalescing with the stories of other countries and their cultures has created a kaleidoscope experience for a visitor. Stories come together and collide in order to create a the bigger image of Nagasaki.
Here are some of the stories:
When the Nagasaki port was first opened for trade in 1571, it become an important stop for the Portuguese and, eventually, Dutch traders. It was a key port town in the Age of Exploration during the 16th century.
Traders brought with them food, flora, and fauna, but one of the long-standing imports that they brought with them was Christianity. Nagasaki became a hotbed of Christianity and won over large numbers of the population and their leaders.
However, as the religious fervor began to spread, isolationist policies were increasingly on the rise as the message of Christianity became mixed with the message of colonization. Near the turn of the 17th century, Japan’s most powerful daimyo, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, enforced a nationwide ban on Christianity.
The ban on Christianity forced Christians into hiding. These hidden Christians would become known as kakure kirishitan as they had to devise ways to practice their faith secretly. For example, they had to worship in secret rooms in their homes, masquerade Christian statues as Buddhist ones, and disguise Christian’s hymns as Buddhist chants.
Toyotomi’s ban on Christianity eventually expanded to a violent peak as many churches were destroyed and the most devout Christians martyred. One of the most chilling events being the martyrdom of 26 Christians on Nishizaka hill in Nagasaki in 1627.
Amongst the background of religious persecution, this isolationist period in Japan’s history is known as sakoku and trade was also prohibited across the nation, except in Nagasaki. The only exception to the trade ban was in the man-made island known as Dejima.
Dejima was the headquarters for the Dutch East India Company and the only place in Japan where foreign trade was allowed to take place. It also served as the only gateway to western civilization for two hundred years.
As the bridge to western society, Dejima became a source for western knowledge and attracted people across Japan who wanted to study medicine, science, or military tactics. For example, samurai often went to Dejima to complete Dutch Studies known as rangaku.
Nagasaki began to flourish as a society during the 1900s as there were well-funded amenities such as hospitals and universities to spur modernization. Industrial factories became a key sector of industry for the city and the port also meant that it was an important naval hub.
However, in the wake of World War II, Nagasaki became the second target of the atomic bomb after Hiroshima. On August 9th, 1945 at 11:02am, the American aircraft Bockscar dropped the atomic bomb over the Urakami area of Nagasaki which devastated the city.
Nagasaki is a city of stories.
Of course, every city has a story to tell; however, walking through Nagasaki as a tourist, made me feel the pertinence to transmit the stories to an international audience.
It is a city that knows it cannot be divorced from it stories and therefore, turns them into living histories. When you walk from attraction to attraction – through the sights that make up the tourist economy – the stories blend and blur together.
The experience of visiting Nagasaki as a tourist is to see the stories come alive and echo across the city. Therefore, for this 2 day historic Nagasaki travel guide, I believe your experience will be enriched by understanding Nagasaki’s history before visiting.
Get There
Access from Tokyo
From Tokyo, Nagasaki is best accessed by plane.
The flight takes around two hours. There are several airlines that run flights from Tokyo to Nagasaki from cheaper LCCs to vetted companies.
It is possible to access Nagasaki by train. JR Nagasaki station is not directly accessible by the bullet train (Shinakansen). One must take the bullet train to JR Hakata station in Fukuoka and then change to either a limited express or local train.
Get Around
Nagasaki Airport to Nagasaki City Center
There are no train lines connecting the airport to the city center. The cheapest option is to take the Airport Limousine Bus which costs 1000 yen and takes about 45 – 60 minutes. Buses leave about every 15 minutes. Check the bus schedule going to and from the airport and city center here.
Taxis are another option and they are about 9000 yen for the trip into Nagasaki City Center.
In the City
The most convenient way to travel within Nagasaki City Center is to use the electric tram. There are four tram lines and they run directly north to south and also branch off a bit east to west at some parts. There are tram stops located at almost every sightseeing spot.
It is a 130 yen flat rate for a trip, and a day pass is 500 yen. I recommend getting the day pass as you need exact change to pay for each trip (Suica Cards are not accepted) and it is annoying to dig for coins each time you take the tram.
While the tram is convenient, it gets very busy and crowded during rush hour and also on days when cruise ships are docked in the port. So, be aware of long lines to get on the tram or the possibility of having to stand up and squish against a jam-packed car full of people.
2 Day Itinerary
I have split up the 2 day historic itinerary by area. I arranged the 2 day historic itinerary like this for ease of travel and to see the most things in one day. On the first day, the area north of Nagasaki station is explored, and the second day features the area south of Nagasaki station. You can easily switch the two days around.
The custom Nagasaki Google Map has pins of each sightseeing spot and comments from me.
The map also lists restaurants featuring local Nagasaki cuisine.
Day 1 (North)
1. Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
An in-depth museum that presents events leading up to the atomic bomb, the destructive effects of it, and current campaigns for nuclear disarmament worldwide. There is English all throughout the museum, which makes it an accessible experience for non-Japanese speakers.
2. Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for Atomic Bomb Victims
The Memorial Hall features twelve monolithic pillars which point towards the hypocenter of the atomic bomb. In the middle of it are bound books with the names of victims encased in an austere transparent pillar. The ground floor of the Memorial Hall features a large fountain which symbolizes the struggle for water that those in the direct aftermath of the bomb felt.
3. Atomic Bomb Hypocenter
The hypocenter is the location at which the atomic bomb was dropped. In its present day location, a black monolith stands along with the remains of the Urakami Cathedral to the right.
4. Peace Park
Make sure to start at the bottom of the stairs / escalator when visiting the Peace Park as directly to the right of the stairs, the remains of WWII air raid shelters have been left intact in the hilly mountain side. As you make your way upward, the memorials to the atomic bomb lead you to the grand sculpture of the Peace Statue.
5. Urakami Cathedral
Urakami Cathedral was once the preeminent and most famous Catholic cathedral in Asia. Urakami Cathdral is located only about 500m from the hypocenter of the atomic bomb, which meant that most of it was destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1959 and still stands as an important symbol of Catholicism in Japan.
6. Sanno Shrine
On the steps leading up to Sanno Shrine, a one-legged tori gate sits at the entrance. It is a relic of the effects of the atomic bomb. It is said that during the blast of the bomb, the side of the tori gate facing the bomb shielded the side that remains from crumbling.
7. Mt. Inasa
The night-view from the top of Mt. Inasa is one of the top three night views in Japan. On a clear evening, the view is expansive and breathtaking.
You can drive up to the top of Mt. Inasa to check out the view or you can take the rope way.
There are two options to access the rope way. There is a free shuttle bus that leaves from various stops in Nagasaki city. The free shuttle bus requires a reservation up to 30 minutes before your intended departure time. You can make a reservation here.
If you are unable to make a reservation for the free shuttle bus, you can also take a local bus from Nagasaki station. From Nagasaki station, take either bus 3 or 4 towards Shimo Ohashi (下大橋), Oehara (小江原), or Aikawa (相川) and get off at Ropeway Entrance (ロープウェイ前) bus stop. The fee is 160 yen one way.g.
Day 2 (South)
1. OURA CATHEDRAL
Built in 1864, Oura Church is dedicated to memory of the 26 Christians who were martyred on Nishizaka Hill in 1597. In 2018, Oura Church, along with 11 other sites involving hidden Christians in the Nagasaki region, was given a UNESCO World Heritage title. In my opinion, the 1000 yen entrance fee is a bit steep to view the church itself; however, there are some serviceable exhibits detailing the history of Christianity in Nagasaki.
2. DUTCH SLOPE
Dutch Slope is named after the Dutch traders who were the only foreigners allowed in the country during the isolationist period of Japanese history. This neighbourhood is where many of them chose to live. Dutch Slope is a nice area to take a stroll. There are a lot of old Western style houses and many of them offer free resting areas for tourists. In the Dutch Slope area, you can also find the Old Photograph and Archaeological Museum which is spread out over a few Western houses.
3. CHINATOWN
During Japanese isolationism, along with the Dutch who were given permission to trade, the Chinese were also allowed to trade. Modern day Chinatown was the only place where the Chinese were allowed to live and trade. Now, Chinatown is a tourist attraction with a lot of Chinese restaurants and streets snacks to be bought.
4. DEJIMA
Dejima is the former Dutch trading post on a reclaimed island. As a tourist attraction, Dejima features a lot of reconstructed buildings that house exhibitions about life in Dejima. Dejima feels similar to an experience in an old-timey pilgrim site as staff are dressed up in costumes and old-timey experiences are available for visitors to try. It is also an active excavation site to find artifacts relating to life in Dejima a few hundred years ago.
5. 26 MARTYRS MEMORIAL
Just a five minute walk from JR Nagasaki station, is the site of where the 26 Christians were martyred for their beliefs. The memorial is located within a small park and a small museum telling the history about the hidden Christians is also on site.
Eat
Local Nagasaki cuisine has been internationally influenced. The Dutch and Portuguese introduced a variety of cooking techniques and products that have made its way, not only into Nagasaki cuisine, but also the nationwide menu. For example, tempura has its roots in Portuguese cuisine.
Additionally, the Chinese immigrants in Nagasaki have created an entire menu of Chinese-rooted dishes.
Turco Rice
Turco, in this dish, refers to Turkey; however, there is nothing about this dish that is Turkish. Each shop does it a little different, but the premise is the same. A curried rice, deep fried pork cop and a heaping of Neopolitan spaghetti. A delicious comfort food mash-up.
CHampon and Sara Udon
Champon is a soup noodle dish imported from China. Upon a bed of specially made noodles, vegetables and fish cake float in a thick pork broth. It is similar to ramen, but don’t call it ramen to local Nagasaki natives!
Sara Udon, literally meaning “plate udon” features crispy chow mein noodles smothered in a thicker version of the champon soup.
stay
The JR Kyushu Hotel Nagasaki is located right above JR Nagasaki station. We stayed at JR Kyushu Hotel Nagasaki on our last trip to and thought it was an ultra-convenient hotel to use a base for sightseeing.
Although, not a completely budget hotel, it is reasonably priced and offers clean, spacious rooms. Good for couples and families.
The only downside is that if you are interested in nightlife, the surrounding area the station is not lively.
Casa Noda Hostel was recommended by a friend as a good budget option for Nagasaki.
If I was a solo-traveler, I would definitely try staying here.