Introduction
There was a singing group called Uchiyamada Hiroshi and the Cool Five who specialized in blues (when am I talking about? Can anyone keep up with the conversation?), and their signature song was the hit “In Nagasaki, today again, I met the rainy day,” which is still sung by someone in karaoke bars to this day. You might think that the vocalist is Uchiyamada Hiroshi, but it’s actually Maekawa Kiyoshi, a member of the Cool Five, which makes things a little confusing. However, it would be more interesting to say that Maekawa Kiyoshi was once married to Fuji Keiko, and that Utada Hikaru was born after Fuji Keiko (whose real surname was Utada) remarried. So does Nagasaki really have a lot of rain? (It seems that the climate is heavily influenced by the continent, but statistically it doesn’t rain much.)
I thought that if I met the rainy day again today in Nagasaki, it would be a good story to tell about it in a souvenir, but it would ruin my sightseeing, so I went out, but I met the snowy day. What’s more, a heavy snow and low temperature warning was issued. However, when I finally decided to go to Nagasaki to see the Lantern Festival, the plan of which had been postponed for three years, I was faced with a terrible experience due to heavy snowfall.
In the storm, the lanterns hanging from the streets swayed violently in the strong winds, and it was so cold that I couldn’t stay outside for long. The ropeway service was suspended to see Nagasaki’s famous night view, I wanted to see Gunkanjima Island in the distance but gave up because of zero visibility due to the wind and snow, the daffodils that should have been decorating the foreground photogenic of Gunkanjima in the distance were sparse due to the low temperatures for days on end, and the road to Unzen Onsen(Hotspring) was closed, so I fully experienced the harshness of the weather influenced by the continent.
However, there was a good thing. This time of year, Chinese New Year is coming, and with easy access from the mainland, tourists from Asia flock here every year, but due to the heavy snow and low temperature warnings, we didn’t encounter any crowds at all. We had expected that overtourism would render the Lantern Festival venue unable to function, but there were no signs of this happening, and the stall owners seemed to have a bit of free time on their hands.
Detail
1st day (Nagasaki Lantern Festival)
Patience until darkness for cool lantern photos
Nagasaki city is easily accessible from the airport by express bus and tram, which runs throughout the city, but hotel prices in the city nearly double during the festival. The Nagasaki Lantern Festival is reminiscent of Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, but if you want to take some photogenic shots you’ll have to wait until dark enough.
Delicious Chinese Food
“Cham-Pon” is a must to try to eat in Shinchi Chinatown. If the restaurant is crowded, it’s hard to give up on takeout.
2nd day(Nagasaki Exotic Downtown)
Nagasaki, a city of slopes
Many people have posted their impressions of the slopes on social media. A wonderful view awaits at the top of the slope. Young people live at the bottom of the slope or suburbs to avoid the inconvenience, and only the elderly are left at the top of the slope. It’s hard work, but it’s good for their health. There is a similar story in South America, in the Andes Mountains. On the other hand, the town has many slopes and is bowl-shaped, making for a beautiful night view. However, it is inconvenient to live there, so the number of vacant houses is increasing, and there are concerns that the night view will become hollow in the future.
Delicious Fresh Fish Dishes
You can eat fresh fish dishes anywhere, whether it’s at a train station (Uomaruasa restaurant), an airport, or a fish shop downtown. A wide variety of ingredients are delivered from the fishing grounds of the East China Sea.
3rd day(Shimabara Peninsula Geopark）
Relaxing on the Shimabara Peninsula
None of these places are major tourist destinations, but they are sure to be memorable if you stop by. Access is via the Shimabara Railway from Isahaya, but it is more efficient to use a car.
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