Nagasaki
長崎県
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What to know about Nagasaki
The attractions of Nagasaki Prefecture tell a multilayered history, from traces of cross-cultural exchange during the Edo period through modern industrial heritage to prayers for peace. Landscapes that feel both nostalgic and refreshingly new, stories of hope born from hardship, resonate with all who visit.
Peace Park and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
The Peace Park, standing near the hypocenter, is home to the Peace Memorial Statue created by Kitamura Seibō. The 9.7-meter-tall bronze sculpture has one arm raised to express peace and the other to signify the threat of nuclear weapons, continuing to pose quiet questions to all who visit. The Atomic Bomb Museum, with its exhibition redesigned in 2019, carefully conveys the history of wartime devastation and the desire for peace through video and artifacts.
Glover Garden and Dejima
Spanning the hillside of Minami-Yamate, Glover Garden features a collection of Western-style buildings, including the Former Glover House, designated an Important Cultural Property. Walking through these architecturally exotic structures brings home just how connected Edo-period Nagasaki was to the wider world. Dejima, meanwhile, is an artificial island built in 1636 that sits in the harbor and continues to undergo restoration. As a trading hub with the Dutch, it remains a place where visitors can sense the weight of history and imagine the thoughts of the Japanese who once passed through this island.
Gunkanjima
Located approximately 18.5 kilometers offshore from Nagasaki Port, Gunkanjima (Hashima Island) thrived as a coal mine from 1890 to 1974. At its peak, the island was home to over 5,000 people, packed with high-rise apartments, schools, and movie theaters that compressed an entire mainland community into one small space. After its closure in 1974, the people quietly departed, and today the remaining structures tell the story of time's passage. A landing tour offers visitors the chance to see firsthand the site that earned UNESCO World Heritage status as an industrial heritage in 2015.
Night View from Inasa Mountain
From Inasa Mountain, at 333 meters in elevation, the night view of Nagasaki's cityscape unfolds in full panorama. Recognized as one of the world's top three new night views, this vista reveals countless lights arrayed along the bay like scattered jewels. A five-minute ropeway ride reaches the summit, where Nagasaki takes on an entirely different, fantastical appearance from its daytime self.
Location
Where is Nagasaki?
Nagasaki Prefecture is located in the northwestern part of the Kyushu region, bordering Saga Prefecture. Facing the East China Sea, it is one of Japan's leading island prefectures with 971 islands including Tsushima, Iki, and the Goto Islands. Due to its proximity to the Korean Peninsula and the Chinese mainland, it has historically flourished as a gateway to continental culture.
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Access
Getting to Nagasaki
Nagasaki Airport is approximately a two-hour flight from Tokyo's Haneda Airport, making it easy to visit from cities throughout Japan. From the airport, local buses reach Nagasaki city center in about 45 minutes. From Osaka, access is even closer at approximately one hour and 15 minutes by air.
The Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, which opened in September 2022, significantly expanded access to Nagasaki. Takeo Onsen Station and Nagasaki Station are connected in about 30 minutes, and the most convenient route from the Hakata area involves taking the limited express Relay Kamome to Takeo Onsen, then transferring to the shinkansen. From Tokyo, the journey involves transfers between the shinkansen, conventional rail, and the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, arriving in approximately six and a half hours.
Within Nagasaki city, four streetcar lines operate with a flat fare of 150 yen. A day pass costs 500 yen and proves invaluable for efficiently visiting tourist sites. The Sasebo and Shimabara areas are accessible by JR rail and local bus.
Travel to the Outlying Islands
Ferries to the Gotō Islands depart from Nagasaki Port. For Iki and Tsushima, ferries or flights from Hakata Port offer convenient options. Transportation between the islands can be affected by seasonal changes and weather conditions, so checking schedules in advance is recommended.
Best Seasons to Visit
From June to July, during the rainy season, heavy rainfall can extend travel times. Summer through autumn brings increased typhoon activity, with island access sometimes restricted, particularly for the outlying islands. Spring and autumn offer the most suitable seasons for visiting.
Local pride
Specialty Products
Nagasaki Prefecture benefits from abundant agricultural and marine products created by its distinctive elongated terrain running north to south. The waters warmed by the Kuroshio Current are known for their rich variety of fish species, with tuna and horse mackerel catches ranking among the nation's highest. With limited flat land, the hilly and mountainous regions have turned the terrain's natural slope to advantage, cultivating vegetables and fruits that supply tables across the nation, particularly loquats in early summer.
The ceramics industry that has continued since the Edo period remains an important local industry in the prefecture today, characterized by a harmonious blend of traditional techniques with contemporary design. The Western food tradition has also fostered a distinctive sweets and noodle culture that shapes the culinary landscape unique to this region.
Food
Crafts & Others
Through the ages
History of Nagasaki
Nagasaki Prefecture held a unique position as the center of Japan's international trade from the Edo period onward. Dejima was constructed in 1636, and in 1641 the Dutch trading post relocated there. For the following 218 years, through this small artificial island, Japan maintained an open window to the world, engaging with European knowledge and culture.
The Christian faith, which began with Xavier's missionary work in the mid-sixteenth century, was prohibited following the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637 and became subject to prolonged persecution. Yet the faith was quietly preserved in mountainous regions and remote islands, with Hidden Christians (Kakure Kirishitan) maintaining their beliefs throughout the Edo period. In 2018, the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region were registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, bringing worldwide recognition to the history of people who protected their faith through hardship.
During the Meiji period, Nagasaki became a driving force in Japan's industrial revolution. Heavy industry centered on shipbuilding flourished, and its achievements were later registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015 as part of the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution. Yet everything changed on August 9, 1945. The atomic bombing resulted in approximately 74,000 deaths by the war's end and destroyed many structures, including Urakami Cathedral. After the war, Nagasaki chose to walk a path as a messenger of peace, and prayers for peace continue quietly there today.
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