After our brief morning visit to Fukuoka, we headed to the
town of Nagasaki, best known for being the unfortunate target of the second
atomic bomb dropped during World War 2.
As there is currently no Shinkansen service to Nagasaki, we
rode on the Kamome limited express train. The train compartment was spacious
with 2×2 leather seating and resembled more like an airline cabin, complete
with small overhead bins to store your luggage.
Local Seaside Liner
Train
We arrived in Nagasaki 45 minutes before our scheduled tour
to Hashima Island, an abandoned coal mine facility built in 1915. Rumor
has it that the island was the behind the inspiration of the deserted urban
island featured in Skyfall and Inception.
Three main boat companies offer a guided tour of the island.
Space is limited and cruises on the weekend frequently sell out. We ended up
taking the Gukanjima cruise, which was the only cruise line that had seats
available.
On the way out we were treated to a beautiful view of
Nagasaki Bay, including the Megami Ohashi Bridge, which reminded me of the
Golden Gate Bridge.
Unfortunately, the weather was a bit rough, and the high
wave swells resulted meant we were unable to land on the island, which apparently
happens quite often.
We ended up sailing around the island a couple of times,
allowing us to grab a few pictures before heading back.
While we were slightly disappointed on not being able to
walk on the island itself, this meant we an additional hour to tour around
Nagasaki before the catching the last train to Okayama.
After our tour, we headed to Nagasaki Peace Park, built to
commemorate the horrible tragedy that struck this port city over 70 years
ago.
Compared to the atomic peace park in Hiroshima, the Nagasaki
Peace Park is significantly smaller but also receives a fraction of tourists,
allowing you to freely roam around the park without having to wade through a
vast crowd.
Ground Zero Monolith
Alongside the ground zero monolith, a row of Sakura trees
was in full blossom, symbolizing hope can grow out of even the most tragic of
circumstances.
Nearby, an unexcavated portion of the rubble is displayed.
While our trip to visit Nagasaki was short, seeing such
beautiful Sakura blossoms where once a zone of complete destruction laid was a
poignant moment of our trip.
