Nagasaki (Japan)

Nagasaki is the capital and biggest port city on Kyushu Island, Japan. It became the seat of Portuguese and Dutch influence during the 16th-19th centuries, and the Christian Sites in the city have been proposed for inscription on UNESCO World Heritage List. During the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War, part of Nagasaki sheltered a major Imperial Japanese Navy base. The name of the city means "long cape". As of January 1, 2009 Nagasaki has an estimated population of 446,000 and a population density of 1,100 inhabitants per km2. Its total area is 406 km2.

After in 1638 the Portuguese were thrown out of Japan, the Dutch were the only foreigners that had the permission to remain on Dejima Island (currently connected to the city). On August 9, 1945, three days after Hiroshima was ruined, a US Army Air Force plane released a nuclear bomb (Fat Man) on Nagasaki City. About 30% of the city was destroyed, 66,000 people were injured or killed. A curious fact is that the bomb was initially planned for dropping over Kitakyushu, but the drop was cancelled due to weather (clouds) and heavy smoke from a previous day bombing.

In Hypocenter Park, a black monolith stands to mark the epicenter of the explosion. A charred section of the Urakami Cathedral has also been saved. In Peace Park, a Buddha-like Statue of Peace holds out hand out in an appeal to cease the madness of war. The Atomic Bomb Museum depicts Nagasaki before and after the explosion.

Other places of interest include reconstructed Fukusai-ji (Nagasaki Kannon) Temple in Nishizaka District, nearby Shofuku-ji Temple and earlier, more elegant, structure which survived the 1945 blast. Worth visiting are also Spectacles Bridge and Glover Gardens that contain 4 of Nagasaki's earliest and prettiest stately homes of the 20th century. Acclaimed as the oldest Western-style structures in Japan, the park is named after Thomas Glover, a Scotsman whose home is the oldest and who played a central role in the introduction of Industrial Revolution to Japan.

During season 2018, Port Nagasaki handled 267 cruise ship calls, of which 262 were international ships from 21 different companies. Berth bookings for 2019 dropped to 250, mainly due to decreased Chinese passenger shipping traffic. In 2020, Port Nagasaki will celebrate its 450th anniversary.

Nagasaki cruise terminal