How to spend top weekend in Nagasaki - ideas on extraordinary attractions and sites

Travel to the Volcano Unzen

The scenic Shimabara Peninsula is located in the southwest of Kyushu. There is a weakly active volcano called Unzen there. Its height is 1486 meters. You will be able to climb it during your vacation in Nagasaki.

You can travel part of the route to the place where the first observation platform is located by using the Unzen Nita cable car. It is open from 9 am to 5 pm only in good weather. Departure takes place at an interval of 8 minutes. You will have to walk the rest of the way to the top, where there is another observation platform. You can enjoy a wonderful view of the neighboring mountains, Tachibana Bay, and the Ariake Sea from any of the 2 platforms.

Voyage on a Small Ship

You can start your Nagasaki sightseeing with port. You can board a small boat at the Ohata Port Terminal. You will go for a walk along the bay to see the big tankers. They are located at the Mitsubishi shipyard. American forces tried to destroy it in 1945. You can also see the Dejima dam. It united the Dutch settlements located on the island of the same name with the mainland of Japan. The duration of the voyage will be 50 minutes. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Trip to the Uninhabited Island

Hashima Island, otherwise known as Gunkanjima, is similar to a large cruiser in its appearance. Coal was extracted in its underwater mines. But the entire local population moved to the mainland in 1976. You can book a guided tour of this uninhabited island from one of Nagasaki's tour operators. It will last for 1 hour. You can listen to the guide's story about port, the history of the city, and the industrialization of the whole country, watch a film and slides about Gunkanjima, and get an unforgettable impression of the concrete ruins of buildings during this time. You can explore the island from all sides while onboard the boat. You will go around it in a circle. You can even land on its shore in good weather conditions.

Visit the Subtropical Botanical Garden

The Subtropical Botanical Garden is located in the northern part of Nagasaki. You can visit it any day of the week. 2 thousand species of plants grow on its territory. They were brought to Japan from other countries that have a subtropical climate. If you come here you can see greenhouses, visit several exhibition halls, ride around the park on a miniature train, and relax on the banks of numerous reservoirs. You will also have the opportunity to visit the highest points of the botanical garden to enjoy a beautiful view of the East China Sea coast. You can also walk over the suspension bridge. It passes through the trunk of an old tree.

Evening Ascent to the Top of Inasa

There is mount Inasa in Nagasaki. It has a height of 333 meters. You will have the opportunity to climb to its top in the evening hours, using a cable car or a car. You will spend only a quarter of an hour on the trip. You can visit a small zoo and stand on the observation deck once on the mountain. It is connected to the funicular station by a passageway illuminated by led lights. The image of the dragon appears on it every half hour. A great panoramic view of the city port and Nagasaki opens from it. It is especially beautiful when the electric lights are lit.

Climb to the Temple of Suwa-Jinja Shrine

Mount Tamazono-san is located in the northern part of Nagasaki. The Suwa-Jinja Temple was built on top of it by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1614. Adherents of Shinto worship in it. Various events are also held here. For example, this is the Doll Festival on March 3, the Kunti Festival on October 9, a prayer service for people who died as a result of dropping an atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9. You can climb the stairs with 277 steps to visit the temple.