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Nagasaki’s Chinatown
If you’ve been to a decent Chinatown, whether that be somewhere in Asia or California, you’re not going to be all that thrilled with the Chinatown in Nagasaki. People seem to rave about it, yet it was just another Chinatown to me. Perhaps, I didn’t care for the “upscale” authentic Chinese food and modern buildings infused with Chinese architecture and decor. That or the fact there was no special event going on which made the Chinatown area look rather bland, save for its neon entrance sign.
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Nagasaki’s Megane Bridge aka Spectacles Bridge
There’s a popular bridge in Nagasaki, called Megane Bridge or Spectacles Bridge. While it may seem like just another bridge, there’s a reason why this specific bridge is popular. The bridge has been around since 1634 and actually looks like spectacles. As long as you view the bridge from a place where the river shows a clear reflection of the bridge, you’ll be treated to the sight of spectacles. It might not seem like a biggie for us, but it probably was a big deal to people in the past.
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Kameyama Shachu
I adore Nagasaki’s signs that are in Japanese, Korean, English and Chinese. Because I couldn’t read Japanese back when I first visited Japan, I found Korean, in addition to English to be quite helpful. (Things made a lot of sense to me whenever I read something written in Korean that didn’t have an actual meaning in Korean. And for that, I’m thankful I was able to read Korean.) These signs I liked so much led me to temples and eventually to the site of the former Kameyama Shachu.
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Nagasaki’s Dejima Wharf
I looked forward to visiting Japan’s Nagaski for two main reasons:
#1. Back when Japan closed itself from the outside world, Nagasaki was the only place that remained open to foreigners. (Most likely for selective trading reasons, but still…)
#2. Ninja Shadow. I want to say enough said but I realize that some of you may not know what I’m talking about. It’s a game/app that takes place in NAGASAKI! Because I’ve played Ninja Shadow (I don’t care if you judge.), a big part of me wanted to see exactly how legit their history and imagery of Nagasaki was. I want to say it was on point but then again, I didn’t exactly have the opportunity to see every nook and cranny of Nagasaki.
The area around Nagasaki’s Dejima Wharf was a pleasant place to take a stroll. While it wasn’t much of a walk, I found much joy in the ambiance. The fresh air. The people, here and there. The hilly backdrop. And the ships.