Tours

There are many places to see and explore in Nagasaki, and a tour is the perfect way for travelers to see as much as possible in a short timeframe.  A stop at the Nagasaki Tourist Information Center as soon as you get off the train at Nagasaki Station in Daikoku-machi is a great idea, which can get you going as soon as you get into town.

Glover Garden

Offering fantastic views of Nagasaki City to the North, the 30,000-square foot Glover Garden, home of the oldest wooden building of Western design in Japan, is a beautiful place to start any tour of Southern Nagasaki, particularly in the Winter during the Glover Garden Winter Festival, when the property is dressed in lights, making it an exceptionally romantic destination. While there, you can get something to eat at the Glover Garden Tea House, the first Western-style restaurant to open in Japan in the early-1900s. From there, continue on to the historic Dutch Slope, whose path, lined with ivy-covered stone and concrete walls, offers picturesque scenery throughout this historic area.

Hanamanomachi Arcade

Hamanomachi Arcade, Nagasaki Prefecture's largest shopping arcade, is great place to start any tour of Nagasaki, with a wide variety of stores and restaurants to choose from, and many attractions nearby. Try the nearby Kyabetsu izikaya for cheap, delicious food and something to drink. Then, for even more shopping and eating, head south to the famous Shianbashi Gourmet Street, which is buzzing with activitiy well into the night.  Looking for the finest in traditional Japanese cuisine? Check out Kagetsu, which has been operating since 1642.

Also nearby is the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, a visit to which is an essential part of any trip to Nagasaki.

Temple Row

Temple Row gives visitors the opportunity to become exposed to a huge amount of Nagasaki's cultural and spiritual life all in one place.  Located in the part of the city known as Tera-machi or Temple Town, and comprised of eight different temples all located along one path, including Kofuku-ji, the oldest Chinese-style temple in Japan, this row is as scenic as it is spiritual.  There are many more religious sites in this area as well, such as Fukusai-ji, with its 18-meter/59-foot tall statue of the Buddha sitting on the back of a turtle, and the much revered Suwa-jinja Shrine, which is host to the yearly Nagasaki Kunchi Festival. Also nearby is the Spectacles Bridge, one of many bridges that cross over the Nakajima River, which runs paralell to Temple Row.

Nagasaki Bay

Those with limited time and a penchant for oceanic vistas, may enjoy a jaunt to Iojima. Located ten kilometers from southern Nagasaki Bay, this island has a highly recommended hotel, the Renaissance Nagasaki Iojima, and other attractions, including fine beaches, and the unmanned Iojima Lighthouse, from which spectacular views are possible. Ferries from Nagasaki run to the island regularly.

Nagasaki Prefecture is actually home to a few hundred islands, though many of them are uninhabited. One of the more famous islands (or island clusters in this case) is Gotah. The name Gotah literally means five islands, and is renowned for its waterside scenery, as well as historic churches and buildings, unforgettable lodgings and onsen (hot springs).

Northeast of Gotah are two islands of special historic significance: Hirado and Ikitsuki. Not only are they historic but particularly scenic as well. Hirado was once a Dutch trading post, and vestiges of that cross-cultural history still persist in the charming town found there. Cross a bridge to the west, and you are on Ikitsuki, a small, incredibly rural island (expect beast-drawn carts) that records the tragic period of Christian persecution in Japan.

Even farther north, to the northernmost part of the prefecture, in fact, lie the two islands of Tsushima and Iki. Both are popular resort islands famous for their seafood and decent lodgings. Many people in the area remark that summer is the time to go to these two islands, but they really provide an appropriate getaway any time.

Walking Tours

Dejima History Course for Grownups (+81 95 821 7200/ http://www1.city.nagasaki.nagasaki.jp/dejima/index.html)
Nagasaki Saruku (+81 95 823 3631/ http://www.sarukuhaku.com/e/index.html)
Curious Ku Nagasaki (+81 95 811 0369/ http://www.saruku.info/)
Nagasaki Prefectural Tourist Federation (+81 95 826 9407/ http://www.nagasaki-tabinet.com/course/)

Guided Tours

JAPANiCAN (+81 35 796 5759/ http://www.japanican.com/index.aspx)
Big Step (+81 80 3954 5015/ http://bigstep.seesaa.net/)