Nagasaki
This picturesque port city is located on the northwest coast of Kyushu, enjoying a warm, subtropical climate and an enviable position on a large natural harbor. Once a fishing village, then a bustling hub of international trade, Nagasaki is best known for its role in WWII as the second city to be targeted for a nuclear strike. Though much of the city was destroyed, today it is a flourishing cosmopolitan hub, rich in history and culture.
Thanks to centuries of trade with Portugal, Nagasaki is home to an enclave of Christianity, with Catholic and Protestant churches on the tourist itinerary. It also features a pocket of European architecture - Glover Garden - another holdover from its trading days. Naturally, the city boasts its own stunning collection of temples and shrines, and adds the anomalous Hashima Island - an abandoned former mining outpost - to its list of things to see. It goes without saying that a trip to Nagasaki is not complete without paying tribute to its past, with a trip to one of the many war memorials located around the city.
Experiences
A handpicked selection of experiences endorsed by our experts. If you can’t see what you’re looking for, let us know, as our extensive network of local contacts can open many doors.
Dejima
Visit the singular point of trade for Nagasaki during the “isolationist” Edo period, when contact with foreigners was banned. This fan-shaped artificial island was where Dutch merchants were contained while trading goods. Full restoration of the site is still underway.
Hashima Island
Hop on a boat out to this abandoned island, established in 1887 as part of Nagasaki’s undersea coal-mining operations. Once the most densely populated place on Earth, the island – also known as Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) – is now completely deserted, and enjoys protection as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
Learn about the dropping of the atomic bomb in Nagasaki, about life before the bomb and the devastation of its aftermath. The museum also covers the history of nuclear armament, and aims to impress visitors with a visceral sense of the impact of nuclear warfare.
Nagasaki Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims
Pay tribute to the victims of the atomic bomb at this commemorative monument. The memorial hall includes memoirs and photographs; as well as a library, information corners, research rooms and an illuminated glass monument.
Shinchi Chinatown
Take a trip to Chinatown – one of Japan’s largest – where Nagasaki’s Chinese population was confined during the restrictive Edo period. Today, the area is home to a vibrant shopping strip festooned with lanterns, and home to countless restaurants.
Suwa Shrine
Stroll the tranquil grounds of Suwa Shrine, the principle Shinto shrine in Nagasaki. Built on a mountainside, it comprises 227 steps to its main buildings and two “stop lions” to which visitors can pray if they wish to cease a bad habit. The shrine was originally built to combat conversion to Christianity in the Edo period, and today hosts many of the city’s festivals.
Japan Regions
Explore in-depth information, experiences and highlights by navigating to specific regions using the links below on the right.
Hokkaido
Kyushu
Honshu
Southern Islands
Shikoku
Tohoku
- Akita
- Aomori
- Fukuoka
- Fukushima
- Hakone
- Hiroshima
- Iwate
- Iya Valley
- Izu Peninsula
- Kagoshima
- Kamakura
- Kanazawa
- Karuizawa
- Kirishima
- Kobe
- Kotohira & Takamatsu
- Kumamoto
- Kyoto
- Lake Shikotsu
- Lake Toya
- Matsuyama & Imabari
- Mie
- Miyagi
- Muroto
- Nagasaki
- Naoshima & Seto Inland Sea Islands
- Nara
- Nikko
- Niseko
- Okinawa
- Osaka
- Sapporo
- Tokyo
- Yakushima Island
- Yamagata
- Yokohama
Multi-Country Specialists
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Why Remote Lands?
Exclusively Asia
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, in the continent that our north American founders Catherine and Jay have adored and explored for decades, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
Travelogues
An Asia-focused magazine brought to you by Remote Lands - a platform for adventure, luxury, and authenticity from experts and explorers around the continent.
When to See Japan’s Cherry Blossoms and Where to Stay
- Author
- Travelogues
The Japan Meteorological Corporation released the 2018 cherry blossom forecast recently, and there’s not much time left to book your flower-laden trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Southern Comforts
- Author
- Travelogues
Kyushu and Shikoku offer charismatic cities, a wealth of spiritual intrigue, and some of Japan’s most heartbreakingly beautiful nature.
Hokkaido: Japan’s Natural Playground
- Author
- Jay Tindall
Remote Lands clients should consider Hokkaido, which is a lovely part of Japan. While Japan works to recover from its nuclear issues and the tsunami, showing the resilience of her people, Hokkaido looms as a northern respite.
What Others Say
Here is a small selection of the kind words our clients have said about us recently.
A Family from Europe
Catherine and her team...were able to put together a trip with exactly the kind of experiences we were dreaming of.
A couple from Florida - Aman Jet Expedition, Spring 2016
As the trip progressed strangers became friends. Particularly special was the effortlessness: perfect logistics, never having to worry about anything, and, of course, the charming and thoughtful way you organised everything.
A couple from Guangzhou, China - Aman Jet Expedition 2017
We will still remember every beautiful and remarkable moment you created for us during the trip for years to come.
