March 24th

Nagasaki

Our Last Day in Japan ☹

By the time we woke up we were already docked in Nagasaki, and we were thrilled to see that it was a bright, sunny day. Finally, a day with no rain.

The cruise terminal was buzzing with vendors by the time we got there. There were also crew and passengers making good use of the free wifi. We noted that there was an ATM machine, and a currency exchange. Brian went to the tourist information desk to get a map and buy our day ticket for the tram which cost 500 Yen. I checked out the vendors, and found a lady selling pretty silk scarves, so I of course had to buy several. I also went in search of chocolates, but all they had was green tea Kit Kat, so I decided to give that a miss.

Then we headed off to the tram stop to catch the tram to the Glover Garden. As it turned out it would have been easier to walk straight to the garden than go by tram.

As you walk up the hill to the garden you come across the Oura Catholic Church, which is the “oldest extant Christian building in Japan”. It is dedicated to the 26 Christian martyrs who were executed in 1597.

While we were taking photos of the church, we were told about a Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine that were nearby, so we decided to take a look. They were situated at the end of a narrow alley that was in the middle of a cemetery. The shrine was not particularly beautiful, but it was very peaceful. We were the only people there, and it was a pleasure to explore it when there weren’t hoards of other visitors, and to just enjoy the sense of calm. The temple was also very peaceful. It was interesting to see the church, shrine, and temple right next to each other.

There was also a sign showing that this was a place for refuge. Not for religious or political reasons, but for volcano debris, landslides, tsunamis, floods, and earthquakes, all of which could happen in this vicinity. It made me realize how safe we are from natural disasters in our little corner of Idaho. It was also poignant to reflect that this would not have been a safe place of refuge from the bomb that forever changed the face of Nagasaki.

We carried on up the hill to the Glover Garden. Thomas Blake Glover was a Scotsman who was involved in the idustrialization of Nagasaki, and helped start the Kirin Brewery. He seemed like an amazingly accomplished man, with many talents. He also built a beautiful home and gardens and we really enjoyed walking around, and seeing the cheery trees which were now in full blossom. The house is on a hill overlooking the harbor, so we also got a great view of Queen Victoria.

After spending several hours exploring the gardens and other houses on the site, we walked down the hill again to the Confucian Temple. As understated as the Shinto shrine had been, this temple was over the top with bright colors, strange looking creatures, and rows of solemn white statues.

We then took the tram to the Nagasaki Peace Park. As with the Hiroshima Peace Park, visiting here is a very moving experience. Nagasaki was not the first choice to drop the bomb, but due to weather conditions they were selected, and the city and its inhabitants were destroyed. It is hard to imagine what happened here, even after looking at the photos of the devastation. We spent a long time looking at the fountain, the sculptures, the statues, and the memorials. There is so much to take in.

We would have liked to stay longer, but needed to get back to the ship, so we took the tram back to the cruise terminal. As this was our last port in Japan, we had to go through immigration in the terminal building before going back on the ship.

Everyone had to go through immigration before the ship could leave, and we were delayed for an hour waiting for this to happen. Eventually we waved goodbye to the bagpipe band who had been serenading us, and slipped away into the night.

I felt sad to be saying goodbye to Japan. Our few days here have exceeded any expectations I had for our visit. I am so happy we were able to have this wonderful experience.