Five reasons to visit Nagasaki: a 10 million dollar view, a James Bond island, castella and champon, and the Peace Park
Best known for being the site of the second and last nuclear weapon detonated as a weapon, Nagasaki is filled with Unesco sites, beautiful scenery, interesting islands and quirky dishes
Nagasaki in Kyushu, southern Japan is famous for what happened during the second world war at 11.02 am on August 9, 1945, but while the accounts of how its citizens coped with the nuclear fallout are astonishing, this city of 1.4 million residents has a far bigger story to tell.
Its centre is full of busy izakayas and restaurants that hint at its long international outlook, with a lively Chinatown and many Chinese temples as well as the colonial Dutch Slope area, and even a reconstructed European trading port.
If its quirky food you’re after, don’t miss the Fujian-influenced champon noodles (a tasty ramen made with pork broth, vegetables and seafood) or castella. Originally brought to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century, this refined and super-soft sponge cake melts in your mouth – and is on sale everywhere you look. You can buy tickets to see the decaying Battleship Island, an intriguing and controversial offshore tourist attraction.
With Unesco World Heritage sites everywhere you go, you’ve not seen Japan until you’ve been to Nagasaki.
At Mount Inasa on the city’s western side it’s possible to ascend an observation platform (for free) and see the “10 million dollar view”. It’s hard to beat; to the left is the Urakami River and valley sides that to some extent prevented the atomic bomb’s lethal blast from spreading to a major part of the city. Below is the bustling city centre which lights up as dusk falls, with the Mount Unzen volcano in the background, while to the right is the long, narrow Nagasaki harbour stretching out towards the East China Sea.