Nagasaki

Thursday, Oct 15, Nagasaki, Japan
Gary lived in Japan for three years and I spent a summer there but neither of us had been to the southern island of Kyushu, so our stop in Nagasaki was a real treat. We purchased one day tram passes for 5000 yen each. While waiting for the tram, we met a young couple also from Arlington. It turns out that we live within blocks of his parents. (Small World) First stop was the Peace Park where we enjoyed viewing all the various sculptures that different countries donated in memory of the Aug 9, 1945 bombing. There were hundreds of Japanese students having class pictures taken in front of the Statue of Peace. They found it very amusing that we all wanted to take pictures of them too. We then walked to the Atomic Bomb Hypocenter followed by the Atomic Bomb Museum. Regardless of your political opinion on World War II, the images portrayed in the museum can’t help but tug at your emotions. We then caught another tram, followed by a bus and hiked thru a tori gate, past a preschool and up to a shrine and the beginning of the Ropeway that takes you up Mt. Inasa. Unfortunately, we had not exchanged enough money to go on the ropeway and still have enough for the bus back, so we worked our way back to the tram and on to Suwa Shrine. As with most shrines there are hundreds of steps to climb so we really got our exercise today. We then took a tram to the stop for the site of the 26 Martyrs but found this to be a very challenging hike up hill. This site also stands for suffering and pain. 26 Christians were crucified because they refused to stop participating in Christianity. Working our way back toward the ship we walked thru a shopping area and to the Glover Gardens. Named after Thomas Blake Glover, who came from Scotland to Nagasaki in 1863, the grounds and gardens show the strong influence that Europe had on Nagasaki thru shipbuilding, coal mining and tea trade. Glover is also known as the father of Japanese beer and the Kirin Beer logo shares Glover’s famous moustache. I watched young Japanese girls pay to dress in colonial western dress and have their picture taken at one of the many mansions in the Glover Gardens. The day was filled with surprise treats. We stopped to purchase an ice cream cone from an elderly lady on the street and when she scooped it up, she turned the ice cream into a beautiful rose. Each scoop became another pedal on the flower. Once back on the ship we were then offered the biggest treat of the day. The ship we are on, the Diamond Princess, was built in Nagasaki and completed in 2004, so when it comes back home it is very much celebrated. The Deputy Mayor of Nagasaki came on the ship and there was a ceremony where the ship and city officials exchanged gifts. We were then treated to a recital by a group of 4 – 6 year old preschoolers. They sang “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes followed by some more traditional Japanese dances including a flower dance and a traditional drum dance. It was the end to a perfect day.