Nagasaki has a fine situation, a long inlet from the sea providing a safe harbour and a protective surround of hills.  No wonder it appealed to the Portugese navigators exploring the world in the 16th century.  The Japanese built an artificial island, Dejima, to act as a trading centre and living space for them.  When they expelled the Portugese the Dutch became the only western nation tolerated as traders until Japan opened up to the wider world in the second half of the 19th century.

One of my reasons for visiting Nagasaki was its historical role in relations with the west.  For anyone from Scotland the name of Thomas Blake Glover from Fraserburgh rings out.  He's particularly associated with the development of Mitsubishi.  His home in Nagasaki is a national monument and the homes of other Europeans important in the modernisation of Japan have been relocated to what is called the Glover Garden which is a brilliant place to visit.

A European house in the Glover Garden

Glover's House

 

Kids sporting Glover era dresses

The other fascinating historical place to visit is the trading island of Dejima.  It's no longer an island but the entire complex has been restored as a museum.  There is so much to see and learn.  I hadn't known for example that Japan was the world's leading copper exporter in the 18th century.  I don't suppose many Zambian Copperbelt (ex)residents do know. 

General view of some Dejima buildings

 

 

 

 

Model of Dejima

The copper story

I don't know anything about the historical significance of the paddle steamer in the next picture.  It may not have any but I couldn't get any nearer to investigate.  But I liked its look.

The main reason for anyone to visit Nagasaki is of course its status as one of the only two cities to have been attacked with an atomic bomb.  You don't hear as much about it as you do of Hiroshima.  Roughly twice as many died in the Hiroshima bombing and it has the doubtful honour of having been the first so maybe that's the answer.

Like Hiroshima Nagasaki has its peace park which is maybe a little lower key. than Hiroshima's  That could be why I missed the tram stop and found myself wandering the long way round a baseball stadium then a football/rugby ground until I found the place.  Even then it was only part because a road runs between the commemorative area and the place which was the epicentre of the bombing.  Not that in the context of a nuclear explosion laying waste to 43 sq.miles such a distinction makes much sense.

Commemorative statue enjoining peace

 

 

The remains of a prison that stood there before the bombing

Peace fountain

Yesterday was ice-cream weather and I enjoyed a cone but today the weather was foul.  I went to the pictures.  Called The Amateur it was a reasonably enjoyable story about a CIA computer cryptology nerd whose wife is murdered in a terror attack.  He blackmails some top level CIA managers into facilitating his pursuit of the baddies by threatening to expose their own baddy activities.  It follows the sort of course you'd expect and you marvel throughout at what you can do with a smartphone and some everyday chemicals.