Nagasaki, Japan

European Influences and Timeless Reminders

Nagasaki has undergone many changes over the centuries, transforming itself from a small fishing village to a vibrant, modern city where East meets West. And where the past is ever-present.

Nagasaki first began welcoming explorers to its shores in the 16th-century, when the Portuguese started establishing trade routes with Japan. It then went on to became an important trade center for China and the Netherlands, and was also one of the few ports open to foreign traders during the Edo Period (1603-1868).

These outside influences are evident everywhere, from the narrow streets of Nagasaki’s Chinatown, to its Dutch-inspired theme park Huis Ten Bosch, to Glover Garden—an open-air museum that features the oldest Western-style wooden building in Japan. It also offers excellent views of Nagasaki, as does Mount Inasa, where you can rise 1,100 feet above Nagasaki on a cable car for wonderful vistas of the city, surrounding countryside, and nearby islands.

Of course, as the last city in the world to experience a nuclear attack, Nagasaki is synonymous with the atomic bomb. An essential part of any visit here is going to the Atomic Bomb Museum and the nearby Peace Park, where a simple, black monolith marks the epicenter of the explosion.