3 Days in Nagasaki, Japan
Nagasaki is a city in the South of Japan and it’s famous because it was the second city that was devastated by a nuclear bomb in WWII.
The city used to be a Dutch trading post during the isolationist period in Japan, where the Dutch (along with the Chinese) were the only foreigners allowed into Japan, which was a fun fact to me since I’m Dutch!
I think Nagasaki is an underrated city to visit in Japan, but I loved my stay there and I’d recommend going there for a more ‘off the beaten track’ experience!
Check out my tips on things to do, see and eat below.
Quicklinks to fun activities and tours in Nagasaki
Things To Do & See
Go to the observatory and see the most stunning sunset and city views
The best thing I did was going to the observatory in Nagasaki and staying for a few hours to watch what I consider the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen in my life (so far at least)!
You can take the Fuchi Shrine cable car to the Mt Inasa Overlook observatory, which is a quick ride up. I would recommend coming maybe an hour before sunset, because the line to the top can get quite long right before sunset.
The view from here at night has been named one of the top 3 best city night views in the world! So definitely worth a visit.
Atomic Bomb site, Peace Park & Museum
Nagasaki was devastated by an atomic bomb in 1945, right after the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Most of the city was obliterated and it killed almost a quarter of a million people.
Visiting the atomic bomb site had a sobering effect on me - I couldn’t help but feel emotional while visiting the site and the Peace park, and I think most people visiting were feeling the same way. While I generally believe that humanity is good, this must have been one of the darkest moments in the history of mankind.
There is also the Atomic Bomb Museum nearby, where the history of what happened is explained in more detail with artifacts and photos.
You can also book a local guide tour who can explain you all the interesting historic facts about this topic.
Check out China Town
Nagasaki is also famous for their China Town - other than the Dutch, Chinese traders were the only ones allowed in Nagasaki during Japan’s isolationist period. So you can find some amazing Chinese food in this district and it’s fun to walk around and of course, see the China Town Gate.
Sofuku-ji Temple
One of the main temples to visit in Nagasaki is the Sofuku-ji Temple, a Buddhist temple in the South part of the city. It is a bit of a hike up several flights of stairs. Because the temple sits on a hill, you also get to have a nice view over the city.
Hint: If you walk up the stairs on the right of the main temple, you’ll find some hidden red Tori gates.
If you want to know more details about the temples, you can also opt to do a shrine and temple tour, which even includes a tea ceremony.
Stroll around Glover Garden
Clover Garden is a open-air museum and garden that lies on top of a hill in the South of Nagasaki. You are also rewarded with a stunning view over Nagasaki, and especially during sunset, it’s a gorgeous place to be. Next to the gardens, there are a few Western syle houses, and you can see how the former foreign traders used to live in Nagasaki.
Tickets are only around 4 euros.
Visit Dejima, the former Dutch Trading Post
You can visit this replica of the former Dutch Trading Post that used to sit on Dejima island, a man made island just off of the Nagasaki coast. The restored buildings offer a unique and fascinating look into this interesting part of history and the Dutch-Japanese trade relationship back in the 17th century.
Stroll around the Nagasaki Seaside Park
The Seaside park in Nagasaki is a beautiful park next to the bay of the city. I enjoyed strolling around the park, watching the people walking their dogs and the children playing on the fields. I also watched the sunset from here which was so peaceful and serene.
Day trip to Huis Ten Bosch
Especially fascinating to me was when I found out that the Japanese built a replica of a Dutch city close by Nagasaki, called Huis Ten Bosch. It is basically a theme park where you can see replica’s of famous Dutch buildings such as the Rijksmuseum. You can also stay the night, for example at the Okura hotel or even the Miffy/Nijtje Hotel!
It takes around 1.5 hours by train to get to Huis Ten Bosch by public transport from Nagasaki.
You can get your tickets to Huis Ten Bosch via Klook.
Where To Eat
Breakfast & Specialty Coffee
Kariomons Coffee Nagasaki - My favourite specialty coffee spot that I found in Nagasaki!
bread A espresso - a very popular bakery that also serves specialty coffee.
Puha Coffee stand - I had an excellent filter coffee here, and it’s a really cozy spot too
June Coffee - Specialty coffee and delicious cakes and pastries
Japanese Food
Wakatakemaru Hamamachi, Sushi - a conveyor belt sushi place with excellent sushi. It was fun seeing my food come to me on a miniature shinkansen!
Menya Always, Ramen - a quaint and authentic ramen restaurant
Katsushika, Katsu - For juicy tonkotsu come here
Where To Stay
I stayed in Nagasaki in a hotel called “Tabi and..” which I thought was a great hotel! The rooms were big and cozy, the bed was really comfy and the staff was exceptionally friendly. The Japanese breakfast was great and also included in the room rate, and served in the local restaurant downstairs.
Other great hotels to stay at in Nagasaki include:
When To Go
Nagasaki is a great place to visit all year round but I would say spring and autumn are the best times to go. Autumns are still really nice and warm (and it’s also off-season) and in spring, you can find the spring blossoms.
Summer might be a bit too hot, especially because the city is even further south in Japan than other big cities.
Events in Nagasaki throughout the year:
Jan/Feb - Lantern festival
September - Lobster season
Beginning October - Nagasaki Kunchi, a traditional festival in Nagasaki
How To Get There
Nagasaki is located all the way in the South of Japan, in the Kyushu region, which is about 2 hours by train from Fukuoka.
You can easily get there by Shinkansen from Fukuoka, though there’s also an airport, to which you can fly from Tokyo, Osaka and other airports in Japan.
You can check the Kyushi pass which includes Shinkansen tickets here on Klook.
How To Get Around
You can get around Nagasaki with buses as well as trams, the latter being a cool experience because the trams they operate are quite old and I loved riding through the city in this really old tram. You can also use your credit card to get on and get off!
The city is not extremely big, so you can also walk around fairly easily as it is a walkable city.
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