Nagasaki One Day Trip

22nd February 2013

This was the last trip I went in Japan before I came back to Malaysia on March. It's a three days trip with two other friends, SK and Ari. Actually, I went to Nagasaki before, this time we stopped in Nagasaki because we wanted to go to Huis Ten Bosch the next day and there's a lantern festival in Nagasaki Chinatown (in conjunction with the Chinese New Year).

First, we went to Nagasaki Peace Park. The weather was nice and the sky was blue, so I managed to get many beautiful photos! The first time I was here, it was raining heavily, soaking my pants and shoes. This time around, finally I could leisurely walked around, reading all the information boards, enjoyed the fresh air.

Nagasaki Peace Park

Then, still too early to check into the hostel. So, me and SK decided to show Ari (first time to Nagasaki) around. It was so difficult to find a parking space near the Oura Church. Finally, we just gave up and waited outside a parking lot. Luckily, we didn't have to wait for a long time, a car left soon after and we got a parking space. It was a small place which could only fit three cars! The parking was quite expensive!

a small car park that can only fit three cars!

We went inside the Oura Church. Well, there's nothing special here. Should have just snapped a photo from a distance. Well, many shrines in Japan charge entrance fee. To me, it's weird for places for worship to charge admission fee. However, one of my friends agreed to this practice because she felt that the fees can help to maintain the building and don't need to rely on donations or government grants. 

Ōura Church

After visiting the church, we walked along a street with many souvenir shops. That area has Holland style architectures. The most famous souvenir from this area is castella, a kind of spongecake. Along the row of shops, there are many that sells castella with many flavours. Well, initially I planned to buy castella from the most famous shop, however, it's so expensive compared to another shop. Plus, the famous shop didn't provide tasting samples. So, I bought from another shop, there are many flavours (chocolate, green tea, honey, pamelo and original) and the packaging is beautiful. Well, I think the chocolate flavour is the least delicious, while the original flavour is the best. 

cute small

famous in Nagasaki - Castella

After that, lunch time. We had Nagasaki Champon (ちゃんぽん) in a restaurant near the Oura Church. That restaurant really looks like a temple! Wow, people even queuing up to eat a bowl of noodle in that restaurant. Mmmm, for me, the taste was so so only. 

champon ちゃんぽん

Next, we went to Chinatown. Our accommodation for the night was a dorm near the Megane bridge. I stayed in a all female room. The price was just 500 yen more than the mix room. Plus, there's only 3 person per room and there's a toilet and bathroom in that room. Yeah, didn't have to fight for bathroom! When we checked into the dorm, we chatted with the receptionist and told him that we came for the lantern festival, he told us  that the lantern festival was mainly for Japanese, foreign tourists rarely came to see this lantern shows. Well, the reason we came for this lantern festival was Huis Ten Bosch, we had to find something to do on the first day!

Then, we went to the chinatown to see the lanterns. There's a ice cream stall operated near the Megane bridge, the seller filled the ice cream cone with such skill that the final product resembled a flower. Haha, so beautiful! Another friend of mine got hers in Peace Park though.

ice-cream shaped like flower

For the Lantern Festival, there were lanterns of animals, gods, historical figures, etc. During the day, it's not so much. However, when the night falls, it's so beautiful and stunning! Just kept taking photos.

zodiac animals (day and night)

Monkey king, gods, etc. 

characters from a story where a angel fall in love with a shepherd

We walked around the area, most of the streets were filled with all kinds of lanterns, so beautiful! Then, we walked into a Hokkien Association building 福建會館. My great grandfather came from Hokkien province too. Well, most Japanese will know Hokkien as the place that produces the Oolong tea. Hahaha!

Hokkien Association building 福建會館

Then, we went to the Confucius temple. This time around, I entered this building (meaning I bought ticket!). I didn't go inside the first time around because I felt it's silly to pay to visit a temple (not so famous). However, this time around, I decide to go inside. Well, there's a museum inside, so it could justify the entrance fee. Other special thing from this Confucius Temple is the life size figurines of disciples of Confucius. There's a saying by Confucius that I like very much, "leave no child behind or 有教无类". Well, the added bonus of visiting this was the lanterns!

Confucius Temple

After that, we walked back to the Chinatown area. The area was very lively with visitors and performances. Some roads were blocked and became pedestrian street during the night. It was a very colourful night with all the illuminations from the lanterns!

Lantern Festival in Nagasaki

Lantern Festival in Nagasaki

We slowly walked back to our accommodation for that night and managed to get a photo of the illuminated Megane Bridge. So lucky, not long after that, if I remembered correctly, around 9 p.m., all the lanterns' light were switch off. Just in time! 

Megane Bridge 眼鏡橋 (day and night)

What a day!