August 30, 2009
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Japan (Day 10-12): the rich history of Nagasaki
Apologies for the delay. A lot has happened recently (I’ll get to that later, after I finish these updates). But anyway, let me continue with the next leg of my trip: Nagasaki.
Date: July 6th
Location: Nagasaki
Brought to you by Nagasaki Hotel MontereyI’d been looking forward to going to Nagasaki since I’d first started planning this trip. I wanted to go someplace I’d never been, and considering the rich history of Nagasaki, it was a natural choice.
L and I took the train from Fukuoka to Nagasaki, and then the railcar to our hotel: Nagasaki Hotel Monterey, a gorgeous hotel near the wharf that L somehow managed to get an amazing deal for (less than $40 per person per night).
Nagasaki itself is a really beautiful city. During the isolationist Edo period, Nagasaki was the main international port and Japan’s main link to the outside world. So, you have some historical international influence (Dutch, English, Portuguese, Chinese, etc.) that can still be seen in its food, monuments, churches, and elsewhere.
That first day after we arrived, we visited Dejima and Chinatown. Dejima was an artificial island that was once a Dutch trading outpost, where merchants with the Dutch East India Company would stay while their ships were in harbor. We sort of mis-timed it to where we only had less than an hour to look around the renovated buildings there before leaving, but it was still interesting (see the pictures on the left).
We went to Chinatown for dinner that night, where L and I got sara udon and chanpon (made without pork, by the way). These are the two local Nagasaki specialties, both noodle dishes originating from China, and both very delicious. (See the wikipedia articles on Champon and Sara udon for more.
Lastly, that night we decided to explore the wharf area a little bit. There’s a stunning view of the Megami Bridge from there…
Date: July 7th
Location: Nagasaki
Brought to you by Mitsubishi Group and Suntory Brand Boss CoffeeToday on the agenda was Gunkanjima, the canal area, and the Peace Park. A full day.
Before I came, I saw Gunkanjima featured on an episode of History Channel’s Life After People. Gunkanjima (actual name Hashima) was originally the site of a coal mine operated by Mitsubishi–since the island was so far from the mainland, the people who worked the mine also lived there, and an town emerged on the tiny island. It earned the name “Gunkanjima” (literally “Battleship Island”) due to its high sea walls and outward appearance.
In 1974, the mine was no longer profitable and Mitsubishi closed it. Since it was a barren rock before, there wasn’t any reason to tear down the building. So what you have left is an entire ghost town of abandoned concrete buildings on the 10-mile wide island. And in April 2009, they finally started opening it back up to tourists.
Naturally, this was too great an opportunity to pass up. The second day, L and I took the ferry over to Gunkanjima with a tour. Now, while you can now land on the island, they do caution you that in case of inclement weather you may not be able to land. And sure enough, when we got near the island, we hear the message on the loudspeaker: Our apologies. But due to the strong wind and waves, it is unsafe to land on the island.
All wasn’t lost (they do refund a portion of the ticket in that case). They still took us close enough to the island, and explained the history and function of some of the buildings as we circled it. Here are a few shots of that:
Besides that, we also got a great closer view of the Megami Bridge and Mitsubishi Shipworks from the ferry:
That afternoon, we went around the canal area–as with Kyoto, L not only has a knack for finding the best places to eat, but the best scenery to visit. The canal itself is famous for several ancient bridges on it (some completely or partially destroyed in 1941, and since then renovated of course). One of these is Megane Bridge (literally “Spectacle Bridge”, lower left), so named because the reflection on the water makes it look like a pair of glasses.
Oh, and I finally got a chance to try out the newest flavor of Boss: Rainbow Mountain Blend. After all, Suntory Brand Boss Coffee is the boss of them all since 1982.
There’s also the story of the heartstones… Scattered throughout Nagasaki are a few heart-shaped stones. They say if you find them, you’ll find love.
We found one of them on the canal wall near the Megane Bridge. Still waiting for the effects…
We had lunch near there at a place called Triple X (not what it sounds like–it was a delicious, small cafe–no pictures I’m afraid). And then, we went for coffee at this incredibly cute cafe: Nanban Chaya. Inside decor was amazing, as was the coffee.
So if you’re ever in Nagasaki, I have to recommend both Triple X and Nanban Chaya.
The last place we visited that day was the Peace Park. I’d meant to come here for obvious reasons. At the entrance to the park was a long staircase leading up to the fountain:
In front of the fountain was an inscription. Translated:
I was so unbearably thirsty. Something like oil was floating on top of the water. I wanted water so badly that I drank it, oil and all. – A letter from a girl on that day
A short distance away were the statue and paper cranes.
The peace park was about another 5 minute walk from the epicenter of the bomb itself, marked by a stone pillar, and the statue of the girl who folded a thousand cranes:
Lastly, we visited the museum. No pictures from the inside, I’m afraid. I’d visited the one in Hiroshima five years ago; the museum in Nagasaki was just as powerful.
Date: July 8th
Location: Nagasaki
Brought to you by turtlesAlmost done here! The last day, before we left Nagasaki, we went to Glover Garden, named after Thomas B. Glover, a Scotsman who helped modernize Japanese shipbuilding. The building, gardens, and courtyards are all gorgeous–not to mention its view of the city itself.
There were some heartstones here, too. Two of them. Still waiting for the effects…
Plus, in the fountains, they kept koi, turtles, and… dragonflies?
After we were done with Glover Garden, we visited a Confucian Shrine and Chinese Cultural Museum nearby. It was on land owned and maintained by the PRC government, so we were technically on Chinese soil. Besides the shrine (which is still in use), the museum has tons of ancient artifacts since early Chinese history.
After that, we went to the train station and headed back to Kyoto. It was quite long (two hours train ride, plus another three hours for me, and another hour or two flight for L). But it gave me some time to decompress after what was probably the most packed part of my trip. KF
