Nagasaki is a modern city in Japan with a rich history that goes beyond its significance for WWII. Find out more about the best things to do if you have one day in Nagasaki.
History of Nagasaki
Nagasaki is probably best-known worldwide for getting hit by an atomic bomb during World War II. When the bomb dropped, it killed tens of thousands of people and destroyed the city around the hypocenter of the bomb. Those that survived suffered from the radiation in the area. And worst of all: the bomb wasn’t even supposed to be dropped on Nagasaki in the first place.
What both Nagasaki and Hiroshima have in common is that the people living there went through hardship but managed to rebuild well. The memory is still there, both in the heads of the locals and in ours, but life continues. The memorial parks and museums in both cities are must-see sites that make you commemorate the past but also admire human strength and versatility.
Nagasaki is much more than just the target of a bomb. In the 17th century, Nagasaki was the only place in Japan where foreign trade happened. The foreign traders had to stay on Dejima island. Centuries passed before foreigners were allowed to take up residence in other parts of town (like the Dutch Slope).
Nowadays Nagasaki is a modern city with a relaxed atmosphere. You can visit historical sites and memorials, but also modern shopping malls. From Nagasaki, you can do several day trips to see more of the area.
Things to see in Nagasaki
You can easily spend several days in Nagasaki, but even if you don’t have that luxury you can still see the most interesting sites in one day. Read on for the most interesting things to do on that one day in Nagasaki.
Dejima (出島)
Start your day at Dejima, a former Dutch Trading Post in the middle of Nagasaki. This trading post housed Portuguese traders and later also Dutch traders from 1641 onwards to separate them from the rest of society. For some time Dejima Island was the only place of direct trade between Japan and the rest of the world.
Location: 6-1 Dejimamachi, Nagasaki, 850-0862, Japan
Opening hours: 8:00 – 21:00. Tickets are 520 yen.
Chinatown (長崎新地中華街)
Head to Nagasaki’s Chinatown for brunch or lunch. Try Champon (noodles, seafood, pork, and vegetables in white bouillon) and Sara Udon (fried champon).
Location: 10-13 Shinchimachi, Nagasaki, 850-0842, Japan
Dutch Slope (オランダ坂)
Next up is the Dutch Slope. Follow the street up the hill to view the former residences of traders who moved there after Nagasaki opened its port for foreign trade in 1859. For a long time the Dutch were the only Westerners allowed in the country, hence the name Dutch Slope.
Location: 2 Higashiyamatemachi, Nagasaki, 850-0911, Japan
The slope is accessible all day, but if you want to visit the residences then you’ll have to visit between 10:00 and 17:00.
Glover Garden (グラバー園)
From the Dutch Slope, it is only a few minutes’ walk to the ‘elevator’ to Glover Garden. The house within the garden (Glover House, after Thomas Glover, a Scottish merchant who moved to Nagasaki after the port opened) is the oldest Western-style wooden building in Japan.
Location: ８-1 Minamiyamatemachi, Nagasaki, 850-0931, Japan
Opening hours: 8:00 – 18:00 (21:30 in summer and peak season). Tickets are 620 yen.
Oura Catholic Church (大浦天主堂)
Take a stroll through the garden and enjoy the view of Nagasaki harbor from above. After leaving the garden at the bottom you pass by Oura Catholic Church. A church built for the foreign traders around 1864 and one of the oldest surviving Christian churches in Japan.
Location: 5-3 Minamiyamatemachi, Nagasaki, 850-0931, Japan
Opening hours: 8:00 – 18:00. Tickets are 1000 yen.
Atomic Bomb Museum and National Memorial (長崎原爆資料館)
After exploring sites from the 1600s until the 1800s, it is now time to focus on more recent history: the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. In the afternoon you will visit the Atomic Bomb Museum and National Memorial to the victims. The museum is quite impressive and especially the objects that were scavenged from the ruins and the pictures and testimonials of people that survived the bombing make an impact.
Location: 7-8 Hiranomachi, Nagasaki, 852-8117, Japan
Opening hours: 8:30 – 18:30. Tickets are 200 yen.
You can get to the Museum and Memorial by tram.
Urakami Cathedral (浦上天主堂)
On your way from the Atomic Bomb Museum to the Peace Park, you pass the Hypocenter Park with the black column marking the hypocenter of the explosion and the single remaining pillar of the old Urakami Cathedral. You can also visit the new Urakami Cathedral at a ten minutes’ walk from the Peace Park.
Location Hypocenter: 5 Matsuyamamachi, Nagasaki, 852-8118, Japan
Location Urakami Cathedral: 1-79 Motoomachi, Nagasaki, 852-8112, Japan
Opening hours for the cathedral: 9:00 – 17:00. Free admission.
Peace Park (平和公園)
The Peace Park on top of the hill is filled with sculptures commemorating the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The visit to the Atomic Bomb Museum and Memorials leave you with both peaceful and heavy feelings.
Location: 9 Matsuyamamachi, Nagasaki, 852-8118, Japan
On my way back from the peace park to the tram station, I ate at this brilliant little pub called なんばしよっと hidden behind a door that suggests it is a toilet. Be brave and go in for a very good meal with lovely hosts at a low price. This is what they mean by unique and authentic places (though probably more interesting for lunch than for dinner).
Mount Inasa viewpoint (稲佐山)
When evening falls, head to the Fuchi Shrine Ropeway Station to take the cable car to the Mount Inasa viewpoint. From the viewpoint, you have a very good view of the illuminated city of Nagasaki.
Location: 364 Inasamachi, Nagasaki, 852-8011, Japan
The ropeway starts near the Fuchi Shrine. If you get off the tram at the Takaramachi stop, you can walk from there. After your visit to the viewing point, you can walk back to your hotel (or take the tram for a few stops).
Ropeway operating hours: 9:00 – 22:00. Tickets are 1250 yen for a roundtrip.
Other things to do in or near Nagasaki
Shopping at Mirai Nagasaki Cocowalk Mall (みらい長崎ココウォーク )
Take the tram to Mirai Nagasaki Cocowalk Mall for some shopping. I recommend a visit to the bookstore and Nana’s Green Tea cafe in the middle of the bookstore. I visited other branches of this cafe in Miyazaki and Tokyo; their matcha and hojicha flavored chocolates, tea and ice creams taste wonderful.
Location: 1-55 Morimachi, Nagasaki, 852-8104, Japan
Huis ten Bosch (ハウステンボス)
As a Dutch person, I felt very much at home in Nagasaki but going to Huis ten Bosch to see tulips and mills and Dutch houses was a bit too much for me after the Dutch Slope and Dutch Trading Post. Otherwise, Huis ten Bosch (Little Holland) can be a good day trip from Nagasaki. If you want to see the tulips, the mills and the buildings along the canal, then the train can get you there in an hour and a half. Looking at the pictures I’m really impressed by how realistic it looks. You can buy your ticket in advance via Klook!
Location: 1-1 Huis Ten Bosch Machi, Sasebo, Nagasaki 859-3292, Japan
Tickets are 7000 yen for one day. The park is open from 9:00 or 10:00 until 21:00 or 22:00 depending on the season.
Battleship Island (軍艦島)
Battleship Island is an abandoned offshore mining facility about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki that you can visit by joining a tour. On the island, which is also called Hashima Island or Gunkanjima, you can see its abandoned concrete buildings and sea wall. To protect the industrial heritage, this site was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you’ve seen the James Bond film Skyfall, then the island might look familiar to you.
Kujukushima islands (九十九島 )
Go on a sightseeing cruise (in a very nice looking boat) to see the many small islands in the area. If you book the tour in the afternoon, then you can see the beautiful Nagasaki sunset.
Guided city tour
Eating braised pork belly (豚の角煮)
Braised pork belly (Buta kaku ni) is very popular in the Nagasaki area. The pork belly is simmered in a broth of dashi, soy sauce, mirin and other ingredients to get its delicious taste. You can try it at many restaurants in the area, for example at Shippoku Hamakatsu. Try their multi-course dinner with braised pork; it is not a budget meal, though still cheaper than a regular restaurant meal in my country.
Where to stay in Nagasaki
I stayed at S Peria Hotel Nagasaki, which is a budget hotel within walking distance of the train station, Dejima and many other sights in the area. The hotel personnel was friendly and the hotel was exactly as I expected for the price I paid: not too fancy, but comfortable, and at a very practical location. If you’re looking for a budget hotel, I can recommend this one.
If you are looking for more luxury (and Japan’s famous hot spring baths), Hotel Marine World and Nagasaki Nisshokan Hotel are good options.
How to get to Nagasaki
Nagasaki is situated on Kyushu Island in the southern part of Japan. The most interesting part about visiting this part of Japan is the laid-back character of the area. If the weather is nice you can easily mistake parts of Kyushu for a tropical vacation: the vegetation is different from mid and north Japan, fruit is affordable and the must-see places are in the rural areas.
The most common way to get to Nagasaki is probably by train via Fukuoka. This journey takes about two hours and twenty minutes and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass. The train ride from Kagoshima takes about four and a half hours.
Nagasaki also has an airport, so you can fly in from other cities in Japan and some airports in countries nearby.
