Photos by: Philip Galvin

Narratioin by: Yoko Galvin

 

1. Nagasaki    Travel Tip: Take a place from Narita or take multiple Bullet trains from Tokyo

 

Nagasaki is located on the Island of Kyushu (southern island of Japan).  It is the only city where foreign traders were allowed to enter under the control of the Tokugawa clan (1603 - 1868).  Portuguese brought the Catholic religion to Japan (which was later banned by Tokugawa clan). So, there are many Catholics in Nagasaki. The most famous church is called Oura Catholic Church (大浦天主堂).  

 

                                                       Oura Catholic Church

              

 Glover Garden

It is a park on the hill side of Nagasaki city which has the oldest Western-style house in Japan. There are former foreign residents and related buildings, and you will find beautiful gardens in various places. Here, the western merchants settled down after the end of Japan’s era of Seclusion(鎖国) in the second half of the 19^th century. It is the most famous tourist attraction in Nagasaki.

 

The most famous house was built by Thomas Glover. He was a Scottish merchant who moved to Nagasaki after the opening of its port to foreign trade in 1859 (Tokugawa era).

 

                                                 Glover House

      

                                       Views from Glover Garden

 

 Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Site

 

Nagasaki is also known as the second atomic bombing site during the WWII.

   

                          Nagasaki Peace Statue

 

   

             Ground zero in Nagasaki

   

Urakami Cathedral

    

                Dragon Display                                    Fishing Boat Display

 

 

2. Miyajima/Isukushima (宮島／厳島) Travel Tip: Take a JR Sanyo Line to Miyajima-guchi Station from JR Hiroshima Station.

      

It is a small island in Hiroshia Bay which is in western Japan. As soon as the ferry approaches the island, you will see the giant orange Great Tori Gate. The gate partially submerges at high tide. The gate is the entrance to the Itsukushima Shrine which was built in 12^th century. (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

 

 

   

 

        

 

   

 

      

                                                                                                                       Noh Stage　（能舞台）  

    

                                                                                              

    

 

   

 

  

                                   Whole View of Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社全景)

 

3. Hiroshima Travel Tjip: Take a shinkansen (Bullet train) from Tokyo

 

 

                                     The A-Bomb Dome (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

The first atomic bomb dropped which killed thousands ofpeople in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

 

　                       Monument at Peace Memorial Park

 

Quick historical references of Japan related to the photos in this document: 660 BC Jimmu Tenno becomes the first emperor of Japan according to myth 794 Capital was set up in Heiankyo (now Kyoto) 1185 Japan’s medieval era begins (See Kamakura) 1192 Yoritomo Minamoto becomes the first Shogun (See Kamakura) 1543 Portuguese sailors reached Japan (See Nagasaki) 1585 Hideyoshi Toyotomi ruled Japan between 1585 and 1592 (See Osaka) 1600 Sekigahara Civil War (between Toyotomi and Tokugawa) 1603 Tokugawa clan began to reign Japan (See Tokyo and Kyoto) 1639 Foreign traders except Dutch were forced to Leave Japan.(See Nagasaki) 1867 Emperor Mutsuhito regained the power over shoguns (See Tokyo) 1945 Atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima (See Hiroshima and Nagasaki)