Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [545]
Nagasaki Prefectural Convention & Visitors Bureau (Map; 828-7875; 8th fl,14-10 Motofuna-machi; 9am-5.30pm, closed 27 Dec–3 Jan) Has detailed information on the city and prefecture and helpful English-speaking staff.
Nagasaki Tourist Information Centre (Map; www.at-nagasaki.jp/foreign/english; 823-3631; 1st fl, JR Nagasaki Station; 8am-8pm) Can assist with finding accommodation and has a swag of brochures and maps in English.
TRAVEL AGENCIES
Joy Road Nagasak (Map; 822-4813; JR Nagasaki Station; 10am-5.30pm) Handles domestic travel and hotel arrangements.
Sights
URAKAMI
Urakami, the hypocentre of the atomic explosion, is a prosperous, peaceful suburb with shops, eateries and even a couple of love hotels just a few steps from the hypocentre. Nuclear ruin seems comfortably far away.
The Atomic Bomb Hypocentre Park (Map) has a smooth, black stone column marking the point above which the bomb exploded. Nearby are bomb-blasted relics, including a section of the wall of the Urakami Cathedral. The nearest tram stop is Matsuyama-cho.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum (Map; 844-1231; www1.city.nagasaki.nagasaki.jp/na-bomb/museum/museume01.html; 7-8 Hirano-machi; admission ¥200, audioguide rental ¥150; 8.30am-5pm; closed 29-31 Dec) An essential experience for visitors to Nagasaki, this sombre place graphically recounts the city’s destruction and loss of human life. The exhibits also cover Japan’s 15 years of military prewar aggression, chronicle the postbombing struggle for nuclear disarmament and conclude with a frightening illustration of which nations still bear nuclear arms.
Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims (Map; 814-0055; www.peace-nagasaki.go.jp; 7-8 Hirano-machi; admission free; 8.30am-5.30pm Sep-Apr, to 6.30pm May-Aug, to 8pm 7-9 Aug, closed 29-31 Dec) Adjacent to the Atomic Bomb Museum and completed in 2003, this deeply symbolic memorial for those whose lives were lost from the effects of the blast is a profoundly moving place. It is best approached by quietly reading the carved inscriptions and walking around the sculpted water basin above before entering the hall below. Be prepared for tears.
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THE ATOMIC EXPLOSION
When USAF B-29 bomber Bock’s Car set off from the Marianas to drop a second atomic bomb on Japan, the target was Kokura on Kyūshū’s northeastern coast. Due to poor visibility, the crew diverted to the secondary target, Nagasaki. It was 9 August 1945.
The B-29 arrived over Nagasaki at 10.58am amid heavy cloud. When a momentary gap appeared and the Mitsubishi Arms Factory was sighted, the 4.57-tonne ‘Fat Man’ bomb, with an explosive power equivalent to 21.3 kilotonnes of TNT (almost twice that of Hiroshima’s ‘Little Boy’), was released on the people of Nagasaki.
The bomb missed its intended target and exploded at 11.02am, at an altitude of 500m, almost directly above the largest Catholic church in Asia (Urakami Cathedral; below). In an instant, it annihilated the suburb of Urakami and 75,000 of Nagasaki’s 240,000 people. Most victims were women, children and senior citizens, as well as 13,000 conscripted Korean labourers and 200 allied POWs. Another 75,000 people were horribly injured and it is estimated that as many people again have died as a result of the blast. Everything within a 1km radius of the explosion was destroyed and after the fires burned out, a third of the city was gone.
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Nagasaki Museum of History & Folklore (Map; 847-9245; 7-8 Hirano-machi; admission free; 9am-4.30pm, closed Mon) Antique items relating to daily life are exhibited in this museum within the Nagasaki Peace Hall building. A hands-on room allows children of all ages to play around.
Heiwa-kōen (; Peace Park), north of the hypocentre, is presided over by the Nagasaki Peace Statue (Map) and includes the Peace Symbol Zone, an unusual sculpture garden with contributions from around the world. On 9 August, a rowdy antinuclear protest is held within earshot of the more respectful official memorial ceremony for those lost to the bomb.
Urakami Cathedral (Map; ; 844-1777;