Nagasaki: A Day of Peace, Reflection, and Sparkling Views
Reflecting on Peace
The two-hour drive from Fukuoka was efficiently broken up by a necessary stop at the Kinryu Westbound Rest Stop. (Though, in a moment of travel greed, the hotdog I indulged in somewhat spoiled our later lunch!) The drive, which was one of the longest of our holiday, cost nearly 4000¥ in tolls and featured numerous tunnel crossings.
We parked the car at the convenient Heiwa parking lot (620¥ for the day) and began our exploration at the Peace Park.
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| 2000¥ for these 2 made-to-order set meals! |
Lunch was a delightful, late experience at Nanbashiyotta, a tiny, excellent mum-and-pop shop. We enjoyed a sumptuous, freshly-made meal for a steal (1000¥ per person), appreciating their insistence on cooking everything from scratch, even past 1 PM.
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After lunch, we visited the Peace Museum (400¥ entrance). The exhibits were purely documentative and presented in a very neutral manner, but we felt they could be more impactful with interactive elements. Our visit continued to the rest of the park, taking us to the Hypocenter and viewing the commemorative art installations. It was moving to see sculptures contributed by many nations, a global attempt to understand and cope with the tragedy of August 9th, 1945.
Sunset from Mt. Inasa
We checked into the nearby Global View Hotel, settling into a large room with a dining table and a view of Mt. Inasa.
For the evening, we chose to walk across the river to the Mt. Inasa Ropeway station. The ride up the hill (1250¥ return) offered spectacular anticipation. At 5:30 PM, the sun dramatically sank into the sea, silhouetting the Okino Islands. As twilight deepened, Nagasaki and the wharf below transformed into a glittering scene, bejewelled with the lights of cars and buildings—a truly mesmerizing spectacle from the observation deck.
A Sweet Ending
We made our way back down and walked toward Nagasaki Station for dinner (a delightful seafood izakaya 6000¥ with a token 'otoshi' of 300¥ per person. While there, I indulged in a box of Castella cake (750¥) from a famous shop for the next morning's breakfast—an understandable travel extravagance!
Back at the hotel, we completed our nightly Japanese ritual with a raid on Family Mart, where we somehow ended up selecting our usual go-to dessert.
From the solemn quiet of the Peace Park to the brilliant spectacle of the night view, Nagasaki showed us a day of profound contrasts and enduring beauty.