Nagasaki Hidden Gems
12 spots
Oura Catholic Church — Japan's Oldest Surviving Church
Built in 1864 by French missionary Father Petitjean, Oura Church is the oldest surviving Christian church in Japan and a…
Nagasaki Champon at Shikairo — The Original Recipe Since 1899
Champon — thick wheat noodles in a milky pork-bone and chicken broth loaded with seafood and vegetables — was invented i…
Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) — Abandoned Concrete Dystopia
Hashima Island, universally known as Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) for its silhouette resembling a warship, is a 6.3-he…
Nagasaki Peace Park & Atomic Bomb Museum
At 11:02 on August 9, 1945, a plutonium bomb detonated 500 meters above the Urakami Valley, instantly killing an estimat…
Glover Garden — Western Mansions on the Hillside
Glover Garden preserves nine Western-style mansions from Nagasaki's treaty port era (1859–1899), clustered on a terraced…
Nagasaki Chinatown — Oldest in Japan
Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown is Japan's oldest Chinatown, established in the 1690s when the Tokugawa shogunate designated…
Megane-bashi (Spectacles Bridge) — Japan's Oldest Stone Arch
Megane-bashi ('Spectacles Bridge') is a double-arched stone bridge built in 1634 by the Chinese monk Mokusunyoujo — the…
Sofukuji Temple — Zen Buddhism Meets Chinese Architecture
Sofukuji is a Chinese-style Zen temple established in 1629 by Chinese residents of Nagasaki, built in the Ming Dynasty a…
Mount Inasa Night View — One of Japan's Three Best
Mount Inasa (333m) overlooks Nagasaki from the west, providing a 360-degree panorama that includes the harbor, city cent…
Dejima — The Only Window to the West for 200 Years
Dejima was an artificial fan-shaped island built in 1636 to confine Portuguese traders, and later (1641–1859) served as…
Nagasaki Castella Cake — Portuguese Sweet Perfected in Japan
Castella (カステラ) is a sponge cake introduced to Nagasaki by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. The Japanese versio…
Nagasaki Ropeway Night View to Mt. Inasa
The Nagasaki Ropeway, rebuilt in 2020 with new larger cabins, is the definitive way to experience the Mt. Inasa night vi…