Location: Nagasaki
Top Things to do in Nagasaki
What to do and see in Nagasaki, Kyushu-Okinawa: The Best Budget-friendly Things to do
Nagasaki (長崎市, Nagasaki-shi, Japanese: [naɡaꜜsaki]) ( listen (help·info)) is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. The city's name, 長崎, means "Long Cape" in Japanese. Nagasaki became a centre of colonial Portuguese and Dutch influence in the 16th through 19th centuries, and Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki have been proposed for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Part of Nagasaki was home to a major Imperial Japanese Navy base during the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War.
Restaurants in Nagasaki
1. Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,992 reviews
Jarring, horrific reminders of the devastation caused by the August 9, 1945 bombing of Nagasaki fill this historic and educational museum, which traces events preceding the bombing, the resulting destruction and the city’s restoration.
Reviewed By Rumples - Tucson, United States
A friend and I visited this moving museum on a weekday morning in early October. We had come to see how Nagasaki portrayed the effects of the Aug. 9, 1945, atomic bomb drop on the city. The curators have chosen to tell a story, presenting Nagasaki before the bomb fell; immediately after the explosion; and today. They weave explanations of historical details within the story and show what happened through photos, videos, artifacts and much more. The conclusion focuses on the need for peace and the end of nuclear weapons, made abundantly clear by the bomb's destruction of the city and the killing of at least 74,000 people. Those, who survived, would often have to endure physical ailments from the radiation and psychological trauma. As soon as I entered the exhibition hall, I felt uneasy, looking at a giant black-and- white photo of Nagasaki as it appeared before the bomb fell. That's because I knew what would be ahead for the thriving city. A recovered wall clock frozen at 11:02 a.m. soon appeared, marking the exact time that the horrors began. Displays feature English descriptions and include photos of the atomic wasteland that Nagasaki became, along with stories of that fateful day from survivors, including heroic rescue work. Artifacts damaged from the flash of heat range from a 14-year-old girl's lunch box with rice charred from the fire to six green glass bottles melted at the top and stuck together, which were found in a store's ruins. A helmet with the remains of a skull inside is one of the more grisly items. I found information on the bomb itself to be especially interesting. A life-size model of the one used on Nagasaki is displayed and called "Fat Man," because of its appearance. A video shows the military loading Fat Man and transporting it to the plane for the mission. There is also a photo taken from the plane that shows the mushroom cloud rising into the sky after the blast. We went through the relatively small museum in about 1 hour. It cost 200 Y (about $1.89 U.S.) to enter. A corridor leads from the museum to the adjacent Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims. There is no fee to enter the Memorial Hall. Both are located near ground zero for the blast and the Nagasaki Peace Park. To reach the museum, we took the blue line to the Matsuyamamachi tram stop and then walked for about 4 minutes.
2. 26 Martyrs Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 178 reviews
Reviewed By Luvingmywine
This was enlightening and educational on what happened when Christianity was banned from Japan. To maximize your experience, i recommend watching the movie "Silence" before hand to grasp an insight into the why and what happened during the persecution era. Even if you are not Catholic or Christian, it is still an interesting part of Nagasaki's history.
3. Nagasaki Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 269 reviews
Reviewed By Karenyong - Singapore, Singapore
This place is very serene, got lost a little in the underground while walking but every different corner presents the way how nagasaki has went thur after the bombing occurred. They shown it in different forms of 3D videos, pictures, portraits, artefacts, computer images and also paper cranes made by school kids to ensure World Peace. Was not expected to spend so much time here but when you walk thur all this and reading them, almost took me up an hour+. And yes, i agree that this place does more than what you feel like its a memorial hall for the victims. I felt more peace after walking through the memorial hall seeing so much.
4. Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 218 reviews
Reviewed By shannonl161 - Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium's main feature is its penguins of course . The aquarium keeps eight species of penguins, including lovable Little Penguins but its highlight being the King Penguin, which can grow to nearly 1 metre in height. It's pretty funny to see my youngest stand beside one of these King Penguins and to be challenged by its height and weight I presume as well! Another highlight of the Aquarium is to see the penguins in their natural setting swimming freely in the Bay whereby an area has been isolated by using nets and the penguins are released into this part of the ocean to be observed by visitors. You can watch them behave naturally swimming in the water at high speed to catch feed thrown by the staff, which is a scene rarely observed elsewhere in the Aquarium world. The cute little guys will come right up to you, waddle past and even take food from your hand. The is about as close as I have ever come to a real Penguin so yes it was an experience to remember and cherish with my children.
5. Mt. Inasa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,458 reviews
Reviewed By ArsenalPC - Sydney, Australia
Amazing view of nagasaki City at night. Get here by coach, 5min walk from Mt Inasa ropeway station or Taxi. Entrance is free at the observatory. Plenty of people at night but he lookout platform is quite spacious. Highly recommend if your in nagasaki This view is only second to Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. You don't realise how big Nagasaki is until you come up here. Definitely come here at night instead of daytime
6. Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 191 reviews
Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture is one of the few museums in Japan dedicated to the history of international exchange. The Museum holds approximately 81,000 objects in its precious collection, including historical documents, art and craftworks that tell the story of Nagasaki, the sole window open to foreign countries during the period of Japan’s national isolation. In addition, part of the Nagasaki Magistrate's Office (a local agency of the central government in the Edo period) has been faithfully reconstructed based on historical materials, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of feudal Japan. The exhibits are displayed to ensure an instructive and enjoyable experience. Come and spend meaningful time learning about the history and culture of Nagasaki.
Reviewed By meikemccaw
I visited the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture during my tour with Huber Tomodachi Guide. My guides were so friendly and kind and knew a lot about Nagasaki history! They taught me a lot and brought me to this museum. Since we went on the weekend, we were able to enjoy a historical play that was free with the regular admission ticket (which is fairly priced). The play was in Japanese, yet I still found it very entertaining and educational despite my lack of Japanese language ability. The staff here work hard to help you make the most of your experience which I appreciate a lot. There is so much valuable information in this museum about Nagasaki's rich and diverse past! I highly recommend!
7. Nabekanmuriyama Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 117 reviews
Reviewed By ram3008 - Fukuoka, Japan
Great view at night standing from highest you can see Nagasaki view by night . It's so gorgeous, lighting and lively
8. Nagasaki Shipyard Museum
9. Inasayama Observation Deck
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 332 reviews
Reviewed By manucanuck - Hong Kong, China
Took the tram and got off at takaramachi stop, from here it’s an easy 15 minutes walk to the cable car station. The roundtrip fare of the cable car is Jpn$1230, it runs every 20 minutes. Went on in late September at around 6, beautiful sunset and it was quite windy, temperature was around 20 ish and it definitely got colder into the night. But it’s worth the wait, beautiful view of the entire city, lucky to spot hashima island also!
10. Nagasaki Electric Tramway
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,009 reviews
Reviewed By TWHK - Hong Kong, China
If you have to travel around Nagasaki city by public transport, it is the best choice to get around Buy the one day pass and you can go to nearly everywhere you have to visit in the city.
