Nagasaki Chinatown was born at the end of the Edo Era
Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown is one of the three big Chinatowns in Japan, standing alongside Yokohama and Kobe. There are brilliant chuukamon gates at the entrances in all four directions, and 250m into the area, there is a cozy crossroads where about 40 Chinese restaurants are located. The origins of Chinatown came from many Chinese people moving to this area due to the abandonment of Chinese settlements at the end of the Edo Era which had been built on reclaimed land for storehouses for trade products from China during the middle of that era.
The famous champon of Chinatown
A popular item in Chinatown is champon. A noodle dish from Fujian Province given a Japanese spin, the birthplace is said to be the restaurant Shikairou which was founded in 1899. It is a rich soup with thick noodles and plenty of vegetables and seafood on top. There are also other popular Nagasaki Chinatown dishes such as saraudon which is crispy deep-fried noodles topped with a thick champon sauce, and tonpourou (Dongpo Pork) which is gently simmered pork sandwiched into fluffy pao bread.
The Lantern Festival, a reminder of winter’s end
The Nagasaki Lantern Festival started in earnest from 2004. It was originally an event held by local Chinatown residents to celebrate the Chinese New Year, and currently it is a seasonal reminder that winter is ending. Annually, the Lunar New Year lasts 15 days from around the middle of February, and in the central areas of the city such as Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown and the Hamanomachi Arcade, approximately 15000 Chinese lanterns decorate the streets. Starting from the main venue of Minato Park, every place that celebrates the event has huge lantern-like works of art modeled after the zodiac and historical figures from China. During this time, lively events such as parades, shows by Chinese folk art groups, Chinese lion dances, dragon dances and kokyu musical performances are held.