Gaijinpot: 24 Hours In Nagasaki

Above, a Nagasaki streetcar arriving at a station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2007, I went to Kyushu to visit several locales used in Japanese giant monster movies such as Mount Aso, Sasebo and Fukuoka. Along with those places, I went to the city of Nagasaki to see the Peace Museum and park.

The train ride to Nagasaki is very scenic and well worth the trip.

Gaijinpot.com has posted an article on one person's 24-hour visit to Nagasaki. Nagasaki itself wasn't featured in any kaiju movie, but the 1945 atomic bombing of the city did serve as an inspiration of Godzilla.

If one should visit Kyushu, a stop to take in the attractions of Nagasaki should be included in one's itinerary. The main mode of public transportation are the Nagasaki streetcar lines. They will take visitors to most of the city's attractions. Besides that, they're fun to ride.

The article begins with:

Nagasaki is Japan’s most international city. Tokyo is of course more cosmopolitan and the Kansai area definitely has more foreigners but Nagasaki is the only Japanese city that truly feels international. Where the rest of Japan has added and adopted elements of foreign cultures only recently, Nagasaki has been Japan’s international center for hundreds of years. 

This makes it a special place to visit because it is historically unique. It is also a great place to visit because, in my opinion, it is the perfect one-day city. There is plenty to do in Nagasaki, and yet not so much that it will overwhelm you. Of course with more time, you can see all that the city has to offer, but in one (very busy) day you can take in all of Nagasaki’s main attractions and get a taste of the international flavour that the city is so famous for.

To read more, go here.