During my first year here, in October 2013, a couple of friends and I seized the opportunity to visit Nagasaki over the course of a 3-day weekend. We took the passenger-only ferry from Reihoku over, and initially sat inside. It was an odd sensation; bobbing up and down amidst waves that you couldn’t see. Then we hopped on the bus and rode into town to start our adventure!

First we stopped at the Peace Park, taking in all the sculptures and artwork dedicated to the area throughout the years. Then we stopped by the Atomic Bomb Museum, walking and stopping through at various smaller parks and outdoor sights along the way. For example – shrines – of which there is no shortage in Nagasaki. There was an incredibly large set of old trees framing the front of a shrine I don’t remember the name of, so we stopped in briefly, then continued on our way to food at Amu Plaza, choosing to dine on the Indian food that’s all-too-rare in Amakusa.

After satiating our appetite and perhaps doing a little shopping, we headed to Mt. Inasa Ropeway, the bottom of which is located inside of Fuchi Shrine. We were good in our timing insofar as we went around 5 PM and ended up staying until sunset/dusk. Apparently Nagasaki ranks #5 on some lists of the best night views in Japan. It was really beautiful and totally worth stopping by. But if you decide to go get there early! There’s so many cameramen who set up to capture the sunset that it’s a little ridiculous. Inside there also happened to be a cool concert going on showcasing some various artists, mostly incorporating some traditional element into their performances.

After enjoying all we could for the first day, we set out to find a restaurant called Bronco, located in Nagasaki’s street arcade. I had read online that it was a Mexican and steak restaurant, thus my urge to go, but it turns out it is an exclusively steak restaurant. Though at first I was a little disappointed, it was a very good meal, and it proved worth the visit regardless of my initial impression from online. The shop is quite small and narrow, so it’s a bit awkward, and the food is tasty once you get your hands on it. It was a busy night there, it seemed.

A first for me with this trip was the unique experience of what I like to call Cybac’in’ it. Cybac is a particular net cafe franchise, where you can rent a space for 12 hours for a very cheap price. If you’re picky you can even purchase a shower or anything else on the menu you might need. The idea is that you browse the internet or use the computer during this space of time, but it the cheapest, though not necessarily most comfortable, alternative to paying for a hotel room! There’s no reservations though, so you have to be willing to live in the moment and be flexible regarding which space you stay in (a 1 person, 2 person, or family room).

That’s the end of Day 1! I have a lot in the backlog for now, so keep an eye out for Day 2, coming soon.