Nagasaki — East meets West
NAGASAKI EXCLUSIVE JOURNEY

Nagasaki — East meets West

A city where Japanese, Chinese, and European traditions and history intertwine

  • Duration: 8 hours (starting at 10:00)
  • Price: On request
  • Departure: Departure and arrival at Nagasaki hotel

Overview

Nagasaki is one of Japan’s most distinctive cities. Surrounded by gentle hills and a picturesque bay, for centuries this city has served as Japan’s “window” to the world. Here, Japanese, Chinese, and European cultures blend together, creating a unique atmosphere.

 

Modern Nagasaki is a city with a special energy, where history and maritime beauty, international heritage, memories of 20th-century tragedies, and an enigmatic tranquility coexist in harmony.

 

Itinerary: hotel in Nagasaki → Glover Garden → stroll through Nagasaki’s European quarter → Obaku-shu Sofukuji Temple → Megane Bridge → Confucius Temple → Peace Park → hotel in Nagasaki

Key Features

  1. Glover Garden — A group of 19th-century foreign merchants' residences stands on a hill overlooking the harbor. The former Glover Residence, built in 1863 for the Scottish merchant, is the oldest wooden Western-style building in Japan.
  2. Sofukuji — Obaku school — The temple was founded in 1629. The Ryugu-mon Gate, painted in scarlet and preserving the architectural style of the Ming dynasty, along with the vibrant atmosphere of the National Treasure main hall.
  3. Meganebashi — The oldest stone arch bridge in Japan, built in 1634 by a Chinese monk. The bridge is recognized as an Important Cultural Property of Japan and is among the three most famous bridges in the country.
  4. Confucius Sanctuary — Built in 1893 with the support of the Qing dynasty, this is the only Confucius mausoleum outside China, created by the Chinese community in Nagasaki. In the adjacent museum, you can see valuable cultural artifacts.
  5. Nagasaki Peace Park — The most moving place in the city, conveying the events of the atomic bombing on August 9, 1945. The Peace Statue, created by Seibo Kitamura, symbolizes both the threat of nuclear weapons and a prayer for eternal peace.
  6. Lunch — Enjoy Nagasaki’s local cuisine, prepared with regional ingredients and fresh seafood. Nagasaki Shippoku combines Japanese, Chinese, and European dishes, featuring meat ingredients, including game.

Itinerary

Day 1 — Nagasaki ---- The city where East meets West

  • 10:00 Hotel Nagasaki
    After meeting your guide, a private car will pick you up from the hotel. In the fresh morning air with a sea breeze, you will head to your first attraction.
  • 10:30 Glover Garden
    On a hill overlooking the harbor, discover residences once inhabited by 19th-century English merchants. Here, sites such as the Former Glover House—the oldest wooden Western-style building in Japan—have been preserved, offering a glimpse into the lives of those who supported Nagasaki’s international trade. This is a place where you can sense how Japan connected with the world during the Meiji era, while enjoying some of the most beautiful natural landscapes.
  • 11:30 A Stroll Through the European Nagasaki
    Take a leisurely stroll through the Oranda-zaka district and the former foreign settlement. Old stone pavements, foreign cemeteries, and cafés housed in restored Western-style homes—the atmosphere of Nagasaki during the Meiji and Taisho eras, when the city was connected to the West, is still felt in its appearance.
  • 12:30 Obaku School, Sofukuji Temple
    Passing through the crimson Ryugu Gate, you enter a Ming Dynasty world within Japan. Both the nationally recognized treasure Daiyuho-den and Daiichiho-mon were created in China, delivered to Nagasaki, and assembled here—remarkable structures of great rarity. Take your time to admire the Ming architectural style, seldom seen even in modern China.
  • 13:30 Lunch
    Enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of Nagasaki’s finest selected restaurants. Savor local cuisine with an emphasis on fresh seafood, experience Nagasaki’s unique flavors born at the crossroads of Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese traditions, or indulge in modern Japanese dishes—all tailored to your preferences.
  • 15:00 Meganebashi Bridge
    Descend to the banks of the Nakashima River and visit the oldest stone arch bridge in Japan. From the top of the bridge, admire the reflection of the two arches in the water—they form the shape of "spectacles." Hidden in the stone walls at the end of the bridge are twenty "heart-shaped stones," which are said to bring good luck to those who find them.
  • 15:30 Confucius Temple
    A corner of China in Nagasaki, adorned with cinnabar and gold. This is the only Confucian temple outside China built by the Chinese community. The inner courtyard, decorated with 72 statues of disciples, evokes the atmosphere of an ancestral temple in mainland China. The adjacent museum displays rare exhibits provided by the Palace Museum in Beijing.
  • 16:30 Peace Park
    One of the most memorable places on the tour. In front of the Peace Statue, completed in 1955, your guide will explain the meaning of each element envisioned by the sculptor. This is a moment for reflection on the journey not only of Nagasaki, but of the entire world.
  • 18:00 Hotel in Nagasaki
    Return to the hotel.

THREE PRAYERS

Three Prayers — Voices Intertwined in the Sky of Nagasaki

As you walk along the slopes of Nagasaki, the forms of prayer shift and transform.

Passing through the scarlet gates of Ryugyu, you enter Sofukuji, where the atmosphere of Ming-era China lingers. Chinese immigrants who crossed the sea recreated Fujian here. Climbing higher, you reach the Confucian Temple, built with the support of the Qing dynasty. It is the only temple outside China constructed by the Chinese diaspora itself.

Beyond the hill rises the Statue of Peace. The right hand, carved by Seibo Kitamura, points to the sky; the left extends horizontally. A warning against threat, a prayer for eternal peace. 

Nagasaki cannot be confined to a single religion or a single history. This is a city that never rejected what arrived from the sea, but welcomed it and made it its own.
That is why prayers here are always in the plural.

The wind drifting through the harbor still quietly mingles these voices today.

Additional options

 

  • Hot springs with a view of the bay
  • Helicopter tour over the bay 
  • Dejima Island
  • Museum of History and Culture 
  • Sunset cruise on the bay 
  • Historic sites of the Hidden Christians
  • Gunkan Island

Practical Information

Start time / Duration
10:00 / 8 hours
Included in the price
- Transfer by private car
- Accompaniment by a professional guide
- Entrance tickets

*Please note: meals and additional options are not included in the tour price.