Nagasaki: Cultural Crossroads of Japan
Welcome! Today we are on the train from Fukuoka to Nagsaki. It’s cloudy out. Maybe it will rain. Let’s go! This is where the old train line used to be. Now it’s a walkway with flowers. These flowers brighten up the day. YouMe is a shopping mall near the ferry terminal No shopping today, we have a full schedule! These are some cool boats! Very clean and quiet, with restaurants nearby. This looks good. Electronic menus are nice! But this isn’t in English. Luckily we have pictures! Let’s sit outside and enjoy the sea breeze. The sides are self-serve which is nice! Tuna and salmon bowl. With raw egg! Cheers! Let’s continue our walk along the water. Many tug boats are docked at the wharf. Tomozuru is named after a sunken torpedo boat. Manazaru is a town in Kanagawa. Very lush and calming park! The benches are designed to look like boulders. Nice place to relax. The water views are beautiful! Many families are enjoying this park. We’ve made it to Glover Street, the entrance to Minami Yamate-machi. This hill is known as Glover Slope that leads to Prayer Hill. It’s quite steep! This looks nice. It is the Inori (Prayer) Hill Children’s Book Museum. They’ve done a great job with the garden of this historic house. Like being in a fairytale! At the top of the hill is the Oura Cathedral. This is said to be the oldest church in Japan. The stained glass windows were imported from France! For 66 years this was the only western-style building designated as a national treasure. This is a very popular place to visit. The architecture here is very unique for Japan. Let’s continue up another hill. Escalators! A miracle. Much better. How many hills could there possibly be. What a view! This is enclosed with beautiful arches. Sorry fish we do not have any food. This is the former house of Thomas Blake Glover, a highly influential Scottish merchant and ship builder. His company would later become Mitsubishi! This is the oldest standing western-style house in Japan. Built in a British colonial style with Japanese craftsmanship. Have you ever seen a house like this in Japan? Beautiful wrap around porch. I wonder if this is the original color. Glover built this house in his 20s and was a very successful businessman. It was used for business meetings as well. Glover would look out at the ship building docks below for hours on end. The rooms are very different from traditional Japanese style. After some time you forget that you are on the other side of the world! The views are great from the top of the hill. Very nice home, Mr. Glover! There is a cafe here. They sell tea and coffee, small bites, and ice cream! But we have no time to stop. This is the Mitsubishi Dockworker house Foreign workers would stay here while working on ships. This area also has old-fashioned costume rentals, but we didn’t see anyone wearing them today. Look at this beautiful pink house! This building was originally located next to Oura Cathedral and built in 1915. Robert Neill Walker was English and ran a successful shipping company. He later went on to create a soft drink, cider, and ginger ale factory, before moving to Canada. His brother also started a brewing company which went on to become Kirin Brewery. Robert Walker’s son, Robert Jr, was of English and Japanese descent. He continued his father’s business and later purchased this house. During WWII, he would be forced to shut down his business by the Japanese government. Robert Jr was working on his home when him and his wife, English-Japanese Mabel Shigeko Walker, witnessed the atomic bomb explosion. After Robert Jr’s death, Shigeko donated this home to the city of Nagasaki. This is the house of Frederick Ringer. a tea trader who was involved in many industries. He worked with Glover’s son, Tomisaburo Kuraba, to start industrial fishing in Japan. What a great place to relax and take in the history. This old school is known as the Steele Academy. Its architecture is unique as it was designed by an American missionary and resembles a church. The school is named after Dr. Steele, director of the Dutch Reformed Church in America. The school provided an English education for 45 years. It went on to become a theological seminary, before later becoming a junior high school. Nearby there is a museum for Nagasaki traditional performing arts. The floats are used as part of Kunchi Matsuri, the Nagasaki Autumn Festival. The festival is held over 3 days in early October and features parades, performances, and unique food! Oh look they even have a Dutch ship! The festival includes a Dragon Dance, brought by Nagasaki’s Chinese residents. Other dances include a drum dance, and a Dutch dance featuring Pierrot the clown. We have been seeing these everywhere. What are they? This is a monument to early bowling in Japan! Let’s keep moving. Nagasaki is famous for its street cars! This is a busy stop, be careful. We are almost there. This is it. This is where the bomb was dropped. This was the largest cathedral in the Asia-Pacific region. This is all that remains. The destruction is preserved here. Such a sad monument. Mother and child. The fountain is in the shape of wings. Representing the dove of peace and the crane of Nagasaki. The park is filled with monuments. The peace bell rings once a year on August 9 at the exact moment of the bomb. The upward hand signifies the danger from above. The outward hand wishing for peace. Eyes closed in prayer. One foot crossed in meditation, the other ready to take a stand. The water in remembrance of the unquenchable thirst experienced by the victims. Looks like we’ve made a friend. A touching moment after the memorial. A reminder of how life returns. Let’s start heading back. We have time before our train, let’s find some food. We’re looking for specific local dishes. As you’ve seen, Nagasaki has many cultural influences. We will have Champon, a stir fry noodle soup rooted in Fujian Chinese cuisine. And we will have Sara Udon, crispy fried noodles covered by a thick sauce. Similar to Chow Mein! Looks so good!! Isn’t she beautiful? Shinkanzen is the perfect end to the day. We have it all to ourselves! Goodbye! Ω©(^βΏ^)ΫΆ
Turn on subtitles for commentary.
π A Day in Nagasaki: Exploring Culture, History & Harbor Views π―π΅
Join us on a moving and memorable day trip to Nagasaki, where we explore the cityβs historic port, charming architecture, and powerful peace memorials. This journey blends Japanese history, local flavors, and quiet reflection as we take in everything this city has to offerβall in just one day.
π Highlights from this video include:
β
A scenic train ride to Nagasaki, Japan’s cultural crossroads
β
A fresh tuna bowl lunch at Dejima Wharf, overlooking the harbor
β
A walk through the lush Nagasaki Seaside Park, where locals enjoy nature
β
Exploring Minami Yamate-machi, home to beautifully preserved Western-style houses
β
Visiting Oura Cathedral, Japanβs oldest surviving Christian church
β
Discovering Glover Garden, a stunning collection of historic homes with panoramic views of Nagasaki
β
Riding the iconic Nagasaki streetcars across town
ποΈ Nagasaki Peace Park:
β
Visiting the atomic bomb hypocenter, marked by a solemn black pillar
β
Seeing remnants of Urakami Cathedral, the largest cathedral in the Asia-Pacific region
β
Standing before the Fountain of Peace, Peace Bell, and Peace Statue as rain begins to fall
β
A quiet moment shared with a friendly cat, offering comfort amidst the emotion
π Ending the day with local Nagasaki cuisine:
β
Sampling regional specialties: Champon noodles and Sara Udon
β
Returning on the shinkansen with full hearts and new perspectives
π₯ If you love Japanese travel, historical landmarks, and meaningful experiences, this Nagasaki travel vlog is for you.
π Like, comment, and subscribe for more journeys across Japanβs most soulful destinations.
π Have you been to Nagasaki? What part of the city left the biggest impression on you? Tell us below!
#Nagasaki #JapanTravel #PeacePark #GloverGarden #OuraCathedral #NagasakiFood #Champon #SaraUdon #JapaneseHistory #NagasakiTrain #StreetPhotography #NagasakiVlog #Dejima #AtomicBombMemorial
AloJapan.com