Nagasaki is perched on Kyushu Island’s serene coastline. The city offers a compelling blend of historical allure and contemporary vibrancy. Steeped in a rich tapestry of cultural heritage, this city invites exploration of its iconic landmarks and poignant sites. It is synonymous with a key moment during WWII, after suffering an Allied nuclear attack in August 1945. There are many sites here in Nagasaki memorializing that time. We made a conscious decision to skip those excursions because we had signed up for one in Hiroshima, which is an upcoming port in a few days time.
Nagasaki has a rich history outside of that tragedy, in that, for hundreds of years it was the only major entrance port for foreign countries during Japan’s period of national isolation and unfortunately, the reason for the bombing during the war. Nagasaki was the center of Portuguese and Dutch influence from the 16th to the 19th centuries. We learned about that by visiting Glover Garden, original home of Thomas B. Glover. Through Glover’s trading businesses and other business ventures, he contributed much to Japan’s modernization. Interestingly, this family also brokered a deal that lead to the making of Kirin beer by the Japan Brewery Company Limited. Their original and stunning home was where we spent the majority of our day today. We had a very fun experience putting on virtual glasses and seeing/hearing about the history of the area and harbor. The video was 15 minutes and was in 360 degree views. Really entertaining to see the harbor, city and eventually his home from the 1500’s forward to today at various timeframes.
We arrived to pouring rain and decided that our own excursion today would be a wet walk through the area around the Nagasaki harbor. The Oura Cathedral is one of many Catholic churches here in Nagasaki that goes back to the time of early traders. Western buildings are abundant from these early European influences. Glover Garden was not far from the port and we thoroughly enjoyed our morning of exploration. After touring the grounds, we eventually sat down to enjoy some tea at the tea house in the Glover Gardens. On our way back to the ship we scouted out a restaurant and had a delicious lunch of champon noodles and gyoza. While we usually have an excursion planned in advance, given the weather, this was a perfect day to wander on our own and enjoy the area around the harbor. We gave ourselves a pat on the back for choosing to forgo an excursion. Several of our fellow passengers returned from their island excursions having had no luck in getting there because of weather conditions in/on the harbor. All in all, we had a delightful day.
