Steve Weagant

I'm interested in both cities but probably have time for one. I am interested in the peace parks and riding trams. I've heard Nagasaki has teams, and its location intrigues me as being off the beaten path. Which would you recommend?

Thank you for assistance.

abmj-jr

Nagasaki >>>>>>>>> Hiroshima. Not even close.

The problem, of course, is getting there. Nagasaki is clear down on Kyushu and even when you get there, it is several more hours by train from Hakata (Fukuoka.) Being a bit of a train testu, I used my Rail Pass to go all way from Nara in one day and then, on the return, stopped at Fukuoka for several days to see the rest of Kyushu after Nagasaki. The run back to KIX from Fukuoka wasn't too bad on my departure day. I would recommend at least 2 and better yet 3 days for Nagasaki.

Steve Weagant

I'm interested in that train ride down to Nagasaki.

ksandness

It depends on what you're interested in.

I haven't been to Nagasaki in a long time (I hope to remedy that on my next trip), but I remember it as being a great place for anyone interested in Japanese history, because it was the only port open to the outside world for nearly 250 years, with the Dutch having exclusive trading privileges, and before that, it was the headquarters for the Portuguese Jesuit missionaries. Nagasaki still has the highest perThere's also a strong Chinese influence.

It's a more visually interesting city than Hiroshima, being built on hills like San Francisco, and the people are friendlier (in the sense of being open to interactions with strangers) than in other parts of Japan.

It's atom bomb museum is not as large or as well-touristed as the one in Hiroshima, but one fascinating fact is that the hilly terrain sheltered parts of the city from severe damage. (A modern bomb, alas, would have flattened the hills).

You can take a Shinkansen to Hakata (Fukuoka's main station) and local express trains to Nagasaki. Supposedly there will eventually be a Shinkansen to Nagasaki, but I don't know when that will happen.

abmj-jr

The shinkansen as far as Hakata is pretty much like any other Hikari or Sakura "bullet train." Some interesting scenery but it goes by pretty fast. For me, it is a good chance to enjoy an eki-ben lunch box and catch up on writing for my e-mail/photo blog. It'll take a little over 2-1/2 hours from Shin-Osaka Station. If you'd be leaving from Kyoto, you'd have to take a train to Shin-Osaka and change there.

From Hakata to Nagasaki, you would take the Limited Express Kamome, which will take just under 2 hours. That run down the western edge of Kyushu is much more scenic.

Once in Nagasaki, the best way to get around is the tram system. Get a pass and route map from the Information Center at the station or from your hotel. Most will have it.

There are many, many interesting and historic sites in Nagasaki so I'd recommend some research, or better yet a guide book. There is much to see and it is spread all around the city. I liked the atom bomb museum better than the one at Hiroshima. It is underground, under a glass geodesic dome, which is pretty cool, and is very complete if somewhat compact.

jpdx

I am smitten with Nagasaki -- such friendly people, an incredibly scenic city, and a lot to do! In terms of A-bomb stuff, I found Hiroshima more memorable overall, although IMO the Nagasaki museum is more impressive.

If you have time to explore the surroundings, parts of Kyushu are beautiful; Mt Inasa has amazing nighttime views, Battleship island is fun, and Huis ten Bosh provides a glimpse at bubble-era Japan madness.

My only gripe is with getting there; I'm not much of a train buff, but I enjoy the Shinkansen as it speeds along. Sadly, it's mostly tunnels east of Osaka, so the trip gets monotonous. And the Kamome Limited Express from Hakata to Nagasaki is a slow, bouncy affair. I'd fly (peach to/from Osaka or JL ... well worth 4.5k Avios to/from Tokyo).

NewbieRunner

During the recent Japan Do in Fukuoka (the FUK Do) I organised a long day trip to Nagasaki. Here is my description of the trip before the event and Moomba posted some good photos of the day trip including several in the Peace Park in the Trip Reports forum.

Limited Express Kamome from Hakata to Nagasaki runs every 30 minutes during the day and takes a little under two hours. Nagasaki Airport is about 35-45 minutes by bus from the city.

abmj-jr

Ahh, but for the rail aficionados among us that is part of the charm. Less than 2 hours, wide windows, some nice scenery. What's not to love?

evergrn

I too like Nagasaki more when comparing the cities themselves, although Hiroshima is right by Miyajima which is a very significant attraction. Hiroshima is just another city asides from the peace park, but it does have a pleasant layout and vibe and its long shopping arcade street is great to walk on as you head from the Peace Park towards Okonomimura. Nagasaki has a pretty stunning hilly landscape dropping down to the sea, and it's a really unique city that blends Western/Chineses/Japnese architecture and history. But the city itself is pretty compact and you can see just about everything within a day. I love Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, whereas I feel like Nagasaki's famous foods (kasutera, champon) are nothing special. There's a lot more shopping in Hiroshima, although Cocowalk is a good place in Nagasaki... maybe that's not that important. Miyajima is a pretty mesmerizing place to visit and should be combined with a visit to Hiroshima... to me, it's one of the crown jewels of Jpn attractions. Nagasaki does not have a nearby attraction that would rival Miyajima in importance, although there's a lot of pleasant day trips (Shimabara/Unzen, Kujukushima, Haus ten Bos, to name a few).

Hiroshima has the more famous peace park with the iconic Atomic Dome next to it.

Both cities have peace park and trams.

ppp909

I pretty much agree with evergrn. Hiroshima has a lot going for it, and okonomiyaki and Miyajima are two of them. The peace park's a nicer place to be too, although the monuments in Nagasaki are cool.

Nagasaki takes a lot longer to get to, but it's definitely worth a visit. Hiroshima is on the way and you could probably do the main sights in a day, but it would be a push.

shinjukuflyer

I haven't been to Nagasaki but I can comment on what I liked about Hiroshima. I thought it was a beautiful small city. It's on a river delta so there are lots of bridges on river crossings, which makes for nice scenery. You can take boat rides, or walk along the pathways next to the river. If you're lucky maybe catch a music performance or night illumination/art show, though I suspect this might be a seasonal thing.

Being around the Peace Park/Atomic Dome/Museum at least for me was quite overwhelming, having the river nearby had a bit of a soothing effect.

And also echo evergrn's comment, Miyajima is very pretty. I only had time for a half day there, but people recommend staying on the island overnight.

AlwaysAisle

When it comes to trains with characters and personalities, JR Kyusyu does it best out of all other JR companies. JR Kyusyu Trains Although I think many private rail companies in Japan do better than JR. I really do think after all these years JR still cannot rid of old government entity days. Limited Express Kamome uses 885 Series train which was one of original “unique train” JR Kyushu made.

Nagasaki is a nice place, definitely recommend that. Nagasaki has a street car (PDF file) which take you around the city. As other have mentioned, maybe only drawback of Nagasaki is distance and time take to get there especially if you are traveling by train.

But Hiroshima is nice place also, you will not regret if you choose to visit Hiroshima. A lot of pretty small islands in Seto Inland Sea, Miyajima as one of most famous. Can easily take a train inland and have a view of mountain side, which I did, took train to Sandankyou (today Kabe line terminate at Kabe and does not go all the way to Sandankyo which is a picturesque gorge) and Geibi Line to Shiwaguchi. Riding along country side on local train. Don’t forget, Hiroshima has a street car, too!

If you are going to be in Osaka/Kyoto area then as a train geek recommendation will be Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum in Kyoto.

NewbieRunner

Indeed! The Kamome Limited Express trains have leather seats both in the standard class and Green Car. On our day trip to Nagasaki some FTers discovered upgrading opportunities to what was otherwise an empty Green Car (First Class) for 1,570 yen!





There was a good view of the driver's cab at the front of the Green Car when travelling towards Nagasaki (photo courtesy of serfty)


and areas between carriages were nicely decorated


and where you can use your mobile phones without disturbing other passengers.

Steve Weagant

those pics seal it. Nagasaki will get done.

mt-i

Food-wise, I strongly recommend trying out shippoku ryōri in Nagasaki. It's up there with other great Japanese culinary traditions like Kaga ryōri, and in a different class from "b-kyū gourmet" like champon or even Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki (and I say that as a fan of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki).