Nagasaki Prefecture was the only prefecture in Japan that was allowed to trade with foreign countries during the Edo period (1603-1867), when the country was closed to the rest of the world. The prefecture is dotted with sightseeing spots that offer glimpses of foreign cultures, including Glover Garden.
Visitors can tour historical buildings such as the Oura Tenshudo and Urakami Tenshudo, both built by Christians, and enjoy the breathtaking night view from Mount Inasa. The Shimabara Peninsula in the southern part of the prefecture offers an abundance of hot springs, the result of volcanic activity. Sasebo in the northern part of the prefecture offers a wealth of amusement attractions, including Huis Ten Bosch, famous for its illuminations.
To enjoy sightseeing in Nagasaki Prefecture
Nagasaki Prefecture was the only prefecture in Japan that was allowed to trade with foreign countries during the Edo period (1603-1868), when the country was closed to the rest of the world, and is dotted with tourist spots where visitors can enjoy foreign cultures, such as Glover Garden.
In addition to the Oura Tenshudo and Urakami Tenshudo, built by the Christians, there is also Holland Slope, Megane Bridge, Higashiyamate 12 Bank, and the "Nagasaki Kunchi" festival held every fall, which shows that Nagasaki has inherited the culture of mainland China as well.
The night view from Mt. Inasa, which commands a panoramic view of Nagasaki, a prosperous trading city, is so spectacular that it has been selected as one of the world's top three new night views.
In Nagasaki Prefecture, which is made up of numerous islands, visitors can enjoy the scenic view of the Ninety-nine Islands and the bright red Hirado Bridge over the straits.
On the Shimabara Peninsula in the southern part of the prefecture, you can visit the Mount Unzen Disaster Memorial Hall, where you can experience the power of the eruption of Mount Unzen Fugendake, and you can also heal your fatigue at the Unzen Hot Springs, which benefit from the volcano.
Other points of interest to see include the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, where visitors can learn about the tragedy of the atomic bombing, the Peace Statue, and the A-bombed camphor tree at Sanno Shrine. The area is full of historical spots, including Gunkanjima Island, which has recently been registered as a World Heritage site.
History of Nagasaki
In the Muromachi Period (1333-1573), Portuguese merchant ships arrived in Hirado, and many missionaries, including Francis Xavier, introduced a great deal of Western culture to the area. In the Edo period (1603-1867), the suppression of Christianity intensified, but the Christians remained underground to protect their culture.
Later, during the opening of the country to the outside world in the Meiji era, the government built the Nagasaki Shipyard (later to become the Nagasaki Shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), and Nagasaki and Sasebo developed as military port cities. During the Pacific War, however, the military port of Nagasaki became the target of an air raid and lost everything to a single atomic bomb.
Nevertheless, thanks to the unrelenting efforts of the people of Nagasaki, the city has been able to rebuild and has grown to become one of the leading economic cities in Kyushu, where the Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train route is scheduled to open in 2022.
Nagasaki's Local Gourmet, Food Culture, and Specialties
Nagasaki chanpon, which is made by stir-frying a large amount of seafood, vegetables, and medium-thick noodles in chicken broth, is one of the prefecture's most popular gourmet foods, along with Nagasaki sara udon. Nagasaki also has a well-developed noodle culture, including chanpon unique to the Hirado and Obama regions, local ramen noodles served in a broth made from sardines, Shimabara hand-pulled somen noodles, and Goto udon noodles.
In addition, since many cities flourished as military ports, visitors can enjoy Western-style dishes such as Sasebo burgers, lemon steak, and Turkish rice, as well as banquet menus that combine Western and Eastern cuisine, known as table cuisine.
On the Shimabara Peninsula, you can also enjoy local dishes with a Japanese flavor, such as Gusoni and Kurokubei.
The islands are also surrounded by the sea, so you can enjoy brand-name seafood such as ama-oh (ama-dai), Iki sword (kensaki squid), gon-agi (horse mackerel), nomon-agi (horse mackerel), nigasaki (Nagasaki sardine), and Kujukushima oysters.
As for souvenirs, you can't go wrong with the royal roadside sponge cakes, kankoro mochi (rice cakes), and ichiguchiko (a small incense stick).
The observatory at the top of 333-meter-high Mt. Inasa offers a 10-million-dollar night view.The entire city can be seen and a 360-degree panoramic view can be enjoyed. Along with Mount Hakodate in Hakodate and Mount Maya in Kobe, this is one of the three most beautiful nightscapes in Japan.Along with Monaco and Hong Kong, it has been recognized as one of the world's new top three nightscapes. I...»
Hashima Island, commonly known as "Gunkanjima," was the site of coal mining operations from the 1800s.The island prospered to the extent that a movie theater, hospital, and other facilities were built on the island, as well as reinforced concrete apartments for the workers. However, excavation work ceased when the main energy source was switched to oil, and the island has been uninhabited since th...»
Huis Ten Bosch is a waterfront resort that recreates the streets of 17th century Holland on an expansive site 33 times the size of Tokyo Dome. Huis Ten Bosch means "house in the forest" in Dutch.The town has a 6km-long canal where boats come and go, various amusement and museum facilities, shopping, and a wide variety of restaurants. It is also equipped with a post office, banks, and other facil...»
Kujuku Islands is the generic name for a group of 208 islands scattered along a 25-km stretch of ocean between Hirado and Sasebo, and is said to have the highest density of islands in Japan. The contrast between the rias coast and the blue sea of green islands is magnificent.The city has recognized the "Eight Views of Kujuku Islands" as the main viewing spots where the scenery of Kujuku Islands c...»
The bronze statue was completed in 1955 by the citizens of Nagasaki, who experienced firsthand the devastation of the atomic bombing, as a symbol to pray for lasting peace in the world under the slogan, "Peace comes from Nagasaki", over a period of five years and with donations of 30 million yen. The statue is 9.7 meters high and weighs 30 tons, and was created by Nishimochi Kitamura, a member of...»
Unzen is an international tourist destination, designated as National Park No. 1 and blessed with a variety of natural beauty. In addition to a golf course, tennis courts, and campgrounds, the area is also home to Unzen Hell, known for its sad history of Christianity, and Hakuun no Ike Pond, a popular camping spot. The Unzen Mountain Information Center, located in the center of the hot spring re...»
The Nagasaki Lantern Festival is a major winter coloring event in Nagasaki. About 15,000 lanterns are displayed in the center of the city, including Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown, and the lantern festival is held from the first to the 15th day of the first lunar month. The festival is held from January 1 to 15 according to the lunar calendar.The Nagasaki Lantern Festival will be held from January 1 ...»
Inasa is a 333-meter-high mountain with a panoramic view of Nagasaki City from the observatory at the summit. It is one of the three most famous nightscapes in Japan, along with Mount Hakodate in Hakodate and Mount Maya in Kobe.Along with Monaco and Hong Kong, it has been recognized as one of the world's top three nightscapes. The night view from Mt. Inasa is called the "10 million dollar night ...»
National Treasure and the oldest Catholic church in JapanThe oldest existing Catholic church in Japan, this Gothic-style chalk building was built in 1864.It was built in 1864 and opened to the public the following year.The light from the stained glass windows is divine....»
The former residence of Thomas Glover, an English-phrase Scottish trader.Completed in 1863, it is a fashionable one-story Western-style building in the colonial style (bungalow style). When viewed from above, it is shaped like a four-leaf clover leaf.It has a reception room, bedrooms, and office space. Inside the building, a walking stick and fishing tackle related to Glover are on display....»
Along the cobblestone Holland Slope in Minamiyamate and Higashiyamate in the southern part of Nagasaki City, the former British Consulate and Glover Garden are lined with exotic scenery....»
The park is an open-air museum where 12 kilns from Japan, China, Korea, Turkey, England, and other Eastern and Western countries have been restored and maintained....»
Tachibana Shrine has a vast 36,000-square-meter shrine grounds and the largest torii (gateway) made of granite in Kyushu. At the end of the year, the "world's largest kadomatsu," recognized by the Guinness Book of Records, makes its appearance.The giant kadomatsu, more than 11 meters high, is illuminated until dawn to welcome the new year in a solemn atmosphere....»
The only remaining building in Japan designed by Kikutaro Shimoda, an architect active from the Meiji Era to the early Showa Era. 1904, it is one of the largest Western-style stone buildings in Nagasaki City....»
Kofukuji Temple was founded by the Chinese monk Shin'en. The main hall, Daeung-ho-den, is a national important cultural property. The exotic temple area is a prefectural historic site. Also known as "Akadera," the temple was founded in 1620....»
Designed and guided by the French Father Marmant, and donated by the Catholics of Kuroshima, Kuroshima Tenshudo was completed in 1902. The foundation is made of Kuroshima granite, a specialty of the island, and 400,000 bricks were used for the brick (partly wooden) construction of the main building. It is the second most important cultural property in Nagasaki Prefecture after Oura Tenshudo (Nat...»
Discovered in 1928 and designated as a national natural monument in 1936, this is the only limestone cave in Nagasaki Prefecture. The cave was formed by calcareous deposits caused by erosion after the seafloor was uplifted.The cave is over 1,050 meters long, and is open to the public up to 250 meters. The average temperature inside the caves is 14 degrees Celsius. Beautiful fresh water flows thr...»
The aquarium breeds 9 of the 18 species of penguins that live in the world. The aquarium has successfully bred six of these species, making it the number one in Japan in terms of the number of penguin species kept and bred. In the virtual theater, visitors can view live-action and computer graphics (CG) images through special glasses, simulating the experience of diving underwater....»
Also known as Moridake Castle, it took Shigemasa Matsukura seven years and three months from 1618 to build the castle at Moridake in the center of the Shimabara Peninsula. His son Katsuie was accused of being responsible for the Shimabara Rebellion and had his territory confiscated and condemned. Thereafter, Takanori Tadafusa, Matsudaira Tadafusa, and others became the lord of the castle, and the...»
Built in 1707, Hirado Castle was constructed in the Yamaga style, an unusual castle construction method.The castle exhibits artifacts and cultural assets from the era of the Hirado domain. The castle tower offers a splendid view of the primeval forest of Kurokojima (a natural monument) and the Hirado Bridge....»
Comprehensive park that includes the Monument Area, the Atomic Bomb Dropping Center Area, and Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum Area in the East District, and the "Sports Zone" and "Plaza Zone" in the West District....»
It was the year 1950, not long after the war, that the burger arrived at Sasebo. Local chefs started making this new dish based on recipes shared by US servicemen stationed there at the time. It is no known across Japan, and well known burger shops in Sasebo boast long lines of visitors at the weekends and during holidays, wanting a bite....»
Deep fried thin noodles are toped with a thick sauce full of fresh ingredients. In Nagasaki, people are known to add vinegar or Worcestershire sauce....»
The little town of Obama was in the limelight for a while as Barack Obama ran for US Presidency. The hot spring resort is well known and loved, and so is its speciality, the Obama cham-pon noodles. It easily enters the top 3, along with Nagasaki and Amakusa in terms of delicious cham-pon. Delicious locally caught seafood is used for the rich tasting broth....»
Deep fired pork, pulau rice and spaghetti all on one plate. Only known in Nagasaki until recently, it is now gaining wider recognition and popularity. The deep fried pork could be replaced with chicken or hamburger....»
A curry developed in Omura city to reflect its history and to make it all from local produce. This is the city where the first mission of young men from Japan was sent to the Vatican. Upon their return, they were the first to bring curry spices from India into Japan. The city is known for its ‘sugar road’, or street full of dessert shops, so they decided to develop a ‘spicy’ alternative by creatin...»
A noodle soup dish full of pork, seafood and vegetables. In the mid19th Century, Chinese restaurant owner Heijyun Ching developed this dish for Chinese people in Nagasaki, as something nutritious and affordable. The dish is based on a noodle soup that he grew up with in his native Hokkien province. In order to make the cham-pon more easy to deliver, he evolved a new kind of dish with a thick sauce...»
Run-off water from the famed Unzendake Mountains (One of Japan’s top 100 sources of delicious water) is used to mix stone-ground Japanese flour. Salt used is sea salt from salt beds of Tsushima island, which is full of minerals. In order to bring out the chewiness of the noodles, the dough is rested and pulled over and over again. Finally, the noodles are pulled until they are thin as threads. Due...»
A local specialty of the Shimabara Peninsular, formerly the Shimabara Domain. During the Shimabara Rebellion, rebel leader Amakusa Shiro ordered peasants to keep stores of provisions for the army. Ingredients were gathered from the mountains and sea to make zoni to feed the army during the three month battle....»
This dish has been crowned number 1 in terms of sales from Fukuoka. First, well sieved turban shell guts are blended with a curry spice mix which creates a dish which really packs a flavor punch. Turban shells grow particularly deliciously where the currents are strong. With the Kuroshio currents just outside the bay, you are guaranteed this curry has some of the most delicious turban shell flesh ...»
The Shimabara somen bowl is a modern take on the renowned local somen noodle of the area by numerous local restaurants and chefs. The definition of a Shimabara somen bowl are: 1) It must use Shimabara somen noodles. 2) Other ingredients must be from the Shimabara peninsula, as much as possible. 3) Use the same bowl every time. What is most distinct about this dish is the beautiful bowls they are s...»
This dish is unique because the grilled eels are steamed afterwards. With the smoky caramelized surface still intact, the steaming allows the flesh to plump up and become fluffy. Along the banks of the Honmyo river, where fresh eels used to get caught, numerous restaurants along both banks would serve up this favorite. Each restaurant will have their own very well guarded dipping sauce recipe....»
Snapper is at its tastiest and fattiest from spring to early summer. Take slices of it and marinate in a special sauce and place on rice. Pour over hot green tea for this indulgent dish. The surface of the fish gets cooked slightly and brings out the delicate richness of the fish....»
Shippoku means table, and shippoku-ryori indicates the food on the table. Seated at a round table with no head or foot enjoying food made with local seasonable vegetables. This style of eating is distinctive to Nagasaki, a place where people gather from around the country and world....»
A samurai from the Shikoku region who would visit this area often for work became a great fan of the steamed egg custard. We wished to devise a way to serve this dish for busy people on the go. That is how this set item of steamed egg custard and sushi was born. The steamed sushi is warm of course, and similar dishes can be found in the Kansai region of Japan, and western Japan in general....»
Sliced eggplant are salted. It is fired together with sliced carrots, dried young sardines and fried tofu, which is then flavored with sugar, soy sauce and mirin. The mixture is added to rice, mixed together and served with sliced okra on top. Apart from the eggplant, the other ingredients vary from household to households. Perfect for boosting your appetite in late summer, this dish is a househol...»
For mirin dried fish, syrup, mirin, sugar, MSG and salt, along with other ingredients are mixed together to form a marinade for the fish. The fish are split open and air dried before marinating. Grill the marinated fish for a smoky and highly appetizing flavor. When in Nagasaki prefecture, try the mirin dried fish made from locally caught horse mackerel marinated in a sauce based on the famous loc...»
The name refers to pork belly stewed in a Chinese style and is a must-have in the Shippoku style cooking of Nagasaki. Pork belly is stewed until very tender, and is named after the Chinese poet Touba who is said to have loved this dish very much. It is tender, sweet and very unctuous. Shippoku cooking is an indigenous Nagasaki style of cooking influenced by Chinese and Western style and is usually...»
The surrounding seas of Nagasaki are home to abundant Kingfish. Therefore it is a popular fish in the area, meaning that the default sushi roll (usually tuna in other parts of the country) is kingfish in this area! Tuna flesh is bright red, whereas kingfish is white, so the Nagasaki sushi rolls are marketed as ‘white tuna rolls’ for tourists and visitors. Fresh kingfish has no bad smell, a faint t...»
The Shimabara peninsula is famous for somen noodles, however the Arima-cho area of Shimabara city is well known for this. Seaweed is cooked and melted down to a gelatinous mass which is then shaped into thin noodles. The name derives from onomatopoeia which suggests ‘quickness’ and ‘smoothness on the tongue’. Eat simply with a bit of sauce, but locals add it to soup, salads, croquettes or with egg...»
This dish is named after a man, Rokube, who is believed to have invented this dish to prevent the people of Shimabara peninsula dying of malnutrition in a time of famine. Sweet potato flour is mixed with grated yams to make the noodles, and the broth is flavored with soy sauce and a bit of green onion. Simple country flavors....»
A dish made from dried seaweed which is then boiled with rice husk water and water from boiling soy beans, along with carrot, fish, and sometimes even peanuts. The resulting mix is formed into a moist cake. It is served often at weddings, and the name derives from the seaweed at the core of this dish, which is known as ‘Igisu’....»
The hand pulled udon noodles of the Goshima islands archipelago in Nagasaki are renowned. The noodles boiled in plenty of hot water can be enjoyed with a fish stock flavored with soy sauce. This is a local favorite. The naming comes from some local visitors exclaiming how deliciously sinful this dish was....»