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Nagasaki
For over two centuries , Nagasaki was Japan ’ s only window on the outside world . During the Sakoku period ( 1639 to 1853 ), the nation closed its borders and Nagasaki served as its sole port for foreign trade . However , these days it ’ s better known for being the target for the U . S .’ s second nuclear bomb dropped on the country during the Second World War .
Starting from the Nagasaki Peace Park in Urakami , it ’ s possible to visit several memorial sites dedicated to the bombing on foot , including Nagasaki ’ s ground zero , Hypocenter Park . Next to this , the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum explores the timeline of sociopolitical events before and after the bombing , as well as the development of the nuclear weapon . It also shines a light on Nagasaki before the bomb , and its slow progress toward reconstruction afterward .
Elsewhere , take a cable-car ride up 1,100 feet for sweeping city views atop Mount Inasa . If you ’ d rather keep your feet on the ground , take a trip to Teramachi Street at the foot of Mount Kazagashira for an unconventional collection of 14 temples and two shrines , among which Sofukuji and Kofukuji Temples are the most revered . A short walk from here is Suwa Shrine , the major Shinto shrine in Nagasaki , built in the 1600s on a tree-covered hilltop . Walk the 270 steps to the top for sweeping views over the city . The shrine comes alive every October during the Kunchi Matsuri , the city ’ s main festival . fall 2024 • 63