japan hotel information
Though Nagazaki had already been around for some 1000 years, the city's first real claim to fame dates to the 1550s (and then, of course, to the end of the war in August of 1945). In 1550 the first Portuguese ship arrived in Nagasaki Harbor. In 1571, the Japanese government opened up the port of Nagasaki to foreign trade to the Dutch and, to a lesser degree, Chinese. The foreign traders were confined to tiny Dejima Island. For more than 200 years this was Japan's only contact with the outside world. What remains of the city's experience with outsiders can be found in Chinatown, backpacker Japan, train, bus, a reconstructed Dejima, castella (pound cake), the longer noses Nagasaki residents have supposedly been saddled with thanks to their Dutch genes, and more.
Nagasaki Meganebashi bridge
Dejima
This former man-made island is now part of the mainland of the city thanks to landfill. Dejima was a Dutch trading post to which the "hairy HostelHostelians" were confined-and ordinary Japanese prohibited from entering-during Japan's two hundred years of self-imposed isolation from 1641 to 1854. The island was the source of Rangaku , or Dutch learning, that became the basis of Japanese medicine and science. Much of it is currently under construction now, but it is well worth seeing. Dejima is a short walk from Chinatown.
The Siebold Memorial city information / tips is well worth a visit if you are interested in the early history of foreigners in Japan. Philipp Franz von Siebold was a German doctor who came to Japan with the Dutch and was resident physician on Dejima from 1823 -1829. He did much to introduce western medicine to Japan and introduce Japan to the west on his return to Europe. Take a #3 streetcar for Hotarujaya from Nagasaki station and get off at Shinnakagawamachi and then a short walk.
Tourism
Nagasaki is a modern city cultivating all at the same time the memory of the bomb, his will of opening and conservation of his historical inheritance. Many agencies will propose tourist tours to you sets of themes (the bomb, history of the city and Christianity.) but you can largely only clear up you by buying master keys for the day for the tram.
To help you to organize you you can consult this page of the prefecture of Nagasaki who préformaté several circuits using plans and of vidéos: http://www.pref.nagasaki.jp/naisnet/en/osusume/index.html#nagasaki While walking you do not miss the bridge megane bashi.
This bridge is oldest of Japan (1634). One owes it to the monk Zen Mosu Ruting of the ryokan of Kofukuji. Megane means Japanese glasses. This name comes from the reflection of the bridge in the river. ryokans of Nagasaki The city knew preserved ryokans of importance like those of Chinese architectural influence:
Shofukuji, Sofukuji and Kofukuji. A walk in the street Taramachi-dori HOW TOible by the tram will enable you to admire a whole series of small ryokans. Nagasaki shelters also sanctuaries such as the sanctuary confucéen HOW TOible from the station from tram will oura Tenshudo and the Suwa sanctuary HOW TOible from the station from tram Suwa jinjamae.
Catholicism with Nagasaki. Catholicism deeply marked the history of the city. During the prohibition of Christianity in 1587 a wave of repression fell down on this minority very present at Nagasaki. A sanctuary celebrates the first 26 crucifiés Christian martyrs, canonized by the pope Pie IX in 1862. The sanctuary was built for the 100éme birthday of their canonization in 1962. The monument was visited by the pope Jean-Paul II in 1981.
This sanctuary is located at a few minutes of walk of station JR of Nagasaki.
The catholic church of Oura. It is more the hurdy-gurdy church of Japan. It was built in 1864 by évèque French Bernard Petitjean. It allowed the catholic community living in clandestinity since several centuries of living its faith at the great day. It is today classified national treasure. This church is HOW TOible from the station from tram Oura Tenshudo Shita. Not far from the church you can venture in the international cemetery of Oura which offers an interesting panorama on the city. The catholic cathedral of Urakami. This brick cathedral located beside the park for peace was rebuilt after war (in 1959). It constitutes a symbol, because it is this building which was with the epicentre of the explosion of the atomic bomb.
Chinatown
Chinatown hostel Nagasaki
This is a smaller version of the Chinatowns in Kobe and Yokohama complete with four ornate gates and packed with Chinese Guesthouses and shops.
Try Nagasaki's most famous dish champon : noodles served with shellfish, vegetables, and meat in a thick soup. ( Champon reputedly comes from the Chinese for "Have you eaten yet?"). Chinese influence is not resticted to Chinatown alone. Sofukuji ryokan dating from 1629 is an interesting place to visit for its imitations of Ming Dynasty architecture. Likewise Kofukuji ryokan known as the "Chinese ryokan" was established by the city's Chinese residents in the sixteenth century. Meganesbashi ("Spectacles Bridge") is the oldest foreign style bridge in Japan and lies south of the main station across the Nakajima River. The double arches of the stone bridge resemble spectacles when reflected in the water.
The Nagasaki Lantern Festival is a must-see festival if you are in the area in late January and early February as the city celebrates Chinese New Year.
city information / tipss of Nagasaki
Above the mushroom cloud on the town of Nagasaki. Public photograph belonging to the domain. Source: http://teachpol.tcnj.edu/ amer_pol_hist/thumbnail 404.html city information / tips of the Atomic bomb. This city information / tips recalls the life of Nagasaki before and after the explosion, the history of the bomb and the events having involved the drama of Nagasaki.
On August 9, 1945, it is in particular because of the conditions weather to the top of will kokura, objective first of the American army, that the Nagasaki site is selected. The bomb released with the top of the city is enriched with plutonium and is of a power higher than that of Hiroshima. The Sielbold city information / tips. This city information / tips is dedicated to the German physicist Ph.Fr. von Siebold (1796-1866) for its participation in the development of Japan. Official site of the city information / tips: http://www1.city.nagasaki.nagasaki.jp/siebold/index_e.html
The city information / tips of Dejima: This city information / tips recalls the history of this small island in the shape of range especially designed to park the foreigners for the isolationist period of Japan. This city information / tips is open since 1998 on the site of the old Dutch company of the Indies of the east and an old Protestant seminar. HOW TOible from the station from Dejima tram. Nagai Takashi Memorial city information / tips-Nyokodo: is the last residence of Doctor Nagai Takashi which was devoted, to die about it of a leukaemia, with the victim of the bomb. Municipal city information / tips of Nagasaki. This city information / tips is located beside the city information / tips of the atomic bomb. Parks of Nagasaki One of the two more famous parks of Nagasaki is the Glover park.
The characteristic of this park which offers a seizing sight on the city is to join together the residences built by the foreigners at the time of the end of the isolationist era of Japan. Some of these houses are visited. It is the case in particular of famous Glover house which provided the framework of the not less famous opera of Puccini:
Mrs Butterfly. HOW TOible from the station from tram Oura Tenshudo Shita. You will be able to also visit Ringer house of Frederick Ringer (1840-1908), Alt house of William Alt (1840-1905), and Walker house, all the three contractors aguerris. The park for peace like its sister city of Nagasaki suffering has a park for peace. At the time of your visit you will find in particular a stele of stone marking the epicentre of the explosion, the statue of the 9,7 height meters peace of Seibo Kitamura and the fountain for the peace built in 1969 in memory of those which left while not requiring drinking water simply.
This park is HOW TOible from the station from tram matsuyama-machi. The Kazagashira park. This park is located at the top known Kazagashira mount. This park offers a splendid sight to its visitors as well as a statue of XIXéme century of Sakamoto Ryoma, a memorial in the memory of Shiba Ryotaro (novelist) and fall it from Ueno Hikoma (photographer). The park of the Isa Mount. This park with a splendid panorama is located on the Isa Mount at 333 meters of altitude. It is HOW TOible by cable car. Oranda-zaka. It is not a park but a paved street of XIXéme century built not the foreigners at the time of the opening of Japan. This street, pleasant is also named "Dutch slope". Because with name end of Japanese isolationism, was named "Dutch" all that was not Japanese and came from occident. Shinchimachi or the Chinese district of Nagasaki The presence of a Chinese district goes up at least in XVIIéme century. In 1698 it will be devastated by rebuilt fire then. In spite of the laws of insulation of Japan the Chinese community could build ryokans and establish trade. This district is today an offering animated district of many restaurants. The entry of this district is marked by large coloured doors.
Oura Catholic Church
Nagasaki Catholic Church
Oura Catholic Church is Japan's oldest Gothic church built for the foreign community in the nineteenth century under the supervision of a French missionary, Petit Jean. The church is on the way to Glover House and is closely tied to the history of Japan's hidden Christians who were persecuted, often martyred and forced into hiding by a government ban on Christianity. In particular the church commemorates the martyrdom in 1597 of 26 Christians - 20 Japanese and six foreigners - who were crucified in Nagasaki on the orders of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Japan's military ruler at the time. The site of the incident is Nishizakamachi - a short walk from Nagasaki station.
Urakami Cathedral
This fine brick building and reputedly the largest church in the East is a replica of 1925 original destroyed by the atom bomb. You can still see scorch marks on some of the restored statues near the front entrance.
Glover House
The inspiration for Puccini's Madame Butterfly , this mansion was built in 1863 by Scottish merchant Thomas Glover. Glover came to Japan at age 21 and never left. He worked in shipbuilding, coal, arms dealing and brewing, ultimately being awarded the Second Class Order of the Rising Sun. The house and grounds sit atop a hill that commands a view of the entire city - and speak of a bygone era of fabulous luxury.
Peace Park
A trip to Nagasaki must include a ride out to Peace Park and the nearby city information / tips dedicated to the events of August 8th, 1945. People traveling with young children should exercise caution when going to the exhibits in the city information / tips. In keeping with the magnitude and horror of the atomic bomb, many of the photos and displays are quite gruesome.
Tourist information
Tourist information can be found at Nagasaki Prefectural hotel ist Association: 095-826-9407, and Nagasaki City hotel ist Association: 095-823-3631.
Day Trips from Nagasaki
Huis Ten Bosch
When noted Japan scholar and author Alex Kerr - then resident in Kyoto - was asked to write an article for a Japanese magazine about a theme park in rural Nagasaki Prefecture that is a reconstruction of Holland, he expected the worst: another cheesy theme park full of group hotel s posing for pictures with a lame character. After visiting Huis Ten Bosch, though, Kerr didn't want to leave and return to modern Kyoto. In Kerr's eyes, Huis Ten Bosch was everything that modern Japan was not: orderly, beautiful, quaint - perfect to the last detail. The theme park is spacious and lovely, with exhibits, decent Guesthouses, performances, brick buildings, cobblestone squares, windmills, and thousands and thousands of tulips.
HOW TO
TRAVEL
There are connections to Tokyo, Osaka, Kagoshima, Okinawa and other destinations. Nagasaki Airport is about 40km from the city center and buses take about an hour from outside Nagasaki Station.
HOTEL RESERVATION / BOOKING ONLINE
JR trains to Fukuoka for Shinkansen connections, Kumamoto and Oita .
Bus
There are buses to Fukuoka and night services to Osaka and Nagoya .
Streetcars
Nagasaki is an easy city to get around thanks to its excellent system of streetcars .
There are four lines, numbered 1-5 (#2 is missing) and each line is color-coded. To reach Glover Garden take the #5 (yellow) for Ishibashi (pictured right) and get off at OuraTenshudoshita.
To reach the A-Bomb city information / tips take streetcar #1 or #3 and get off at Matsuyamachi. The streetcars run from 6.30am to 11pm. Check the stops for last departure times. |
