Top 23 things to do in Nagasaki according to tripadvisor

Would you like to know what to do when visiting Nagasaki? Well, below is a list of 23 things to do while you're there. While only some are famous, we can guarantee that all of them are worth doing, so pick a few and create your own Nagasaki itinerary.

Places like Huis Ten Bosch and the Shimabara area are good choices for day/overnight trips from Nagasaki as they're a bit far from the city.

Gunkanjima (Battleship Island)

This island was created for the coal miners to live on. Families led a very crammed life on the island with a population density of more than 9 times that of Tokyo. The island was deserted and the buildings abandoned 30 years ago, after the coal mining period was over.

Mt. Inasa

You can view the beautiful nightscape of Nagasaki Harbor from Mt.Inasa’s observation deck. It is one of the top 3 best night views in Japan and also the world. The highlight is the vast 360-degree panoramic view.

Glover Garden

Together with the nation’s patriots, Thomas Glover contributed to Japan’s industrial field and accomplished the modernization of Japan. Glover Garden was the residence of foreign traders active during the 1860s. You can see a panoramic view of Nagasaki Harbor from the garden.

Nagasaki Peace Park

Nagasaki became a target of the atomic bomb during the Second World War. Nagasaki Peace Park continues to relate the tragic conditions after the bombing and the importance of world peace to future generations.

Dejima

The Edo shogunate feared the spread and colonization of the Christian missionaries. For 200 years, Dejima was the only open port allowed to trade with Holland when Japan was cut off from the rest of the world.

Meganebashi (Spectacles) Bridge

This bridge was built by monks and shopkeepers during the era when Christianity was banned. The stone bridges built over the Nakashima River including the Meganebashi Bridge retains a glimmer of the past.

Kazusa Dolphin Watching

A popular cruise where you can encounter a pod of over 300 bottlenose dolphins, between the Shimabara Peninsula and the Amakusa Islands.

Oura Church

Underground followers of Christ were discovered here after the 250 years that Christianity was prohibited. It was a miracle in religious history.

Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium

There are plenty of highlights including Japan’s largest penguin pool, a penguin petting beach on Tachibana Bay, the King Penguin Parade, and a virtual theater where you can see the pictures you draw swim across the screen.

Nagasaki Dutch Slope

Stone-paved streets lined with old European-style houses, there are remnants of former residences on Dutch Slope. Stroll on the slopes filled with an exotic air where many foreigners once lived.

Huis Ten Bosch

The flowers in full bloom all year round and the world class display of 13 million lights at night is breathtaking. This is an amusement park resort that is proud to be the No. 1 tourist spot in the Kyushu area.

Shimabara Peninsula

The entire area has been designated as a geopark which is a beautiful and vast natural treasure house created from volcanic activity. Shimabara is famous for being the setting for a tragic war as well as the site for onsen of wonderful quality.

Kofukuji Temple

Kofukuji is the first Chinese temple to be built in Japan in the international city of Nagasaki which developed as a trading port. Having escaped from damage from the atomic bomb, it is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property which displays its appearance back then to the present day.

Nagasaki Chinatown

Chinatown has a history shaped in Nagasaki which developed as a trading port. Original Nagasaki dishes such as champon and saraudon were born here. The highlight is the Lunar New Year Lantern Festival.

Confucius Shrine Museum

A building which continues to relate the Chinese culture remaining in Nagasaki which flourished as the nation’s sole trading port during Japan’s isolationist period. While in Japan, you can learn about the history and the national treasures of China.

Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort

A resort park with an aquarium to meet the popular dolphins and where you can thoroughly enjoy the waters around Kujukushima via a wide variety of transportation ranging from large ships and small boats to sea kayaks.

Sofuku-ji Temple

Built with the help of local Chinese merchants in Nagasaki which flourished as a trading port, Soufuku-ji is a Chinese-style temple that has enshrined the god of the sea to ensure safety for sea voyages. It is also a temple where you can feel the rich history of Chinese culture.

Shimabara Onsen

There are tourist sites everywhere which can only be found in this place famous for its springs such as its wells and canals along with establishments to sample the spring water and residences along the water which can all be easily strolled through.

Unzen Onsen

At the onsen village which has been a beloved resort area since ancient times, there are many highlights such as the Unzen Jigoku where you can feel that up close feeling of a volcano and the grand view enjoyed from the ropeway.

Mt. Unzen Disaster Memorial Hall Gamadasu Hall

A hands-on learning facility for adults and children to easily find out about the volcanic activity on Shimabara which lasted from 1990 to 1996, its damaging effects and the recovery.

Shimabara Castle

Shimabara Castle was once a grand structure whose rectangular perimeter measured 4km with a surrounding wall. The restored five-story keep is a symbol of Shimabara.

Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum

The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum relates the history of the city when it was hit by the atomic bomb during the Second World War. Along with photographs showing Nagasaki before and after the bombing, there are displays relating stories regarding the bombing including materials that had actually been irradiated, the history behind the development of nuclear weapons, and wishes for peace.

Nagasaki Hypocenter Park

A monument is currently erected at the hypocenter of the atomic blast on August 9th 1945. You can view ground that was irradiated and the remains of the destroyed Urakami Cathedral in their original state from that day. The park is a favorite place in spring to relax as 500 cherry trees blossom.

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