Kyushu, Day 9: Nagasaki A-Bomb Museum

Our visit in Atomic Bomb Museum was very depressing but at the same time I felt that we must not shy away from visiting it. I wrote a lengthy post in IG on this day and I still stand by it.

Our visit in ATOMIC BOMB MUSEUM was very depressing but at the same time I felt that we must not shy away from visiting it. I wrote a lengthy post in IG on this day and I still stand by it. Japan definitely fucked up the Philippines during WWII and I can still recall the horrifying experiences shared by surviving comfort women when I was in college. Every deed that the Japanese soldiers did was unforgivable.

But, we cannot deny that the deaths of the innocent citizens in Nagasaki and Hiroshima were also unjustifiable. It put a stop to the war… but at what cost? May what happened be a lesson that in any war, no one wins and only casualties are gained.

Some of the stuff inside the museum were the wall clock that stopped at the time of atomic bomb explosion, a replica of Urakami Cathedral’s wall remnant, and videos showing uncensored dead bodies / injured survivors.

There was also a replica of the atomic bomb (called “Fat Man”) and what it contained inside.

When I read the poems made to the atomic bombing, I had to put a lot of effort not to cry really hard. C and I were not talking after our visit and had to eat after just to put some good vibes…

We visited IWASAKI HONPO near our Airbnb. Famous for its kakuni manju (¥400 per piece), we bought 6 pieces to share. The meat serving size was generous and it had a kinda melt-in-your-mouth texture. That brought up our mood to a bit of better one.

We bought castella (¥1,200) at FUKUSAYA, one of the famous shops in Nagasaki.

It was time for us to return to Fukuoka and for dinner, we decided to go to ICHIRAN to boost our mood again. We got the premium tonkotsu (kamadare style) set (¥1,580) which included extra chashu slices, tamago, nori, and kikuage. Only the Tenjin Nishidori branch and Hakata Station branch serves the kamadare style Ichiran ramen.

This was C’s first time to try Ichiran ramen and she really, really enjoyed the experience.

Kyushu, Day 9: Nagasaki Peace Park

Going to Nagasaki’s Peace Park, we got off Ohashi Station instead of Peace Park. We decided to start at the end of the park then walk our way towards A-Bomb Museum.

MARCH 12, 2020

Going to NAGASAKI’S PEACE PARK, we got off Ohashi Station instead of Peace Park. We decided to start at the end of the park then walk our way towards A-Bomb Museum.

Our first encountered monument was the Peace Statue which symbolized a lot of meanings:

  • Right hand points to the threat of nuclear weapons
  • Left hand symbolizes tranquility and world peace
  • Sturdy physique embodies divine omnipotence and love
  • Closed eyes express prayer for the repose of the souls of all war victims
  • Right leg is for quiet meditation
  • Left leg is poised for action in assisting humanity

There was also a bell tower with a horrific account of a survivor from the atomic bombing in 1945…

Other monuments / statues in the park were gifted by different countries as an act of grief and prayer to never experience the tragedy of nuclear weapons ever again.

Similar to Hiroshima, Nagasaki’s Peace Park also had its Fountain of Peace.

Near the park was the HYPOCENTER OF ATOMIC BOMB. There were info sheets detailing the tragedy that happened in 1945. The original remnant wall of Urakami Cathedral was also placed here.

They also encased stones that were damaged by the atomic bomb which served as proof that even sturdy materials were not spared by the explosion and radiation. Another grim reminder on the horrible effects of nuclear weapon.

Kyushu, Day 8: Mount Inasa

Once we settled down in our Airbnb, we went to Nagasaki Ropeway (Fuchi Shrine Station) to ride a cable car (¥1,250) going to the top of Mount Inasa.

MARCH 11, 2020

From Kumamoto, we headed to Nagasaki next. Bye Kumamon! Once we settled down in our Airbnb, we went to NAGASAKI ROPEWAY (Fuchi Shrine Station) to ride a cable car (¥1,250) going to the top of Mount Inasa.

MOUNT INASA stands at 333 MASL and offers a 360-degree view not only of the city but also of the sea and islands beyond.

We waited for the sunset…

…and eventually for the evening view. I read in different articles online that they dub this as Nagasaki’s “million-dollar nighttime view”.

It was very windy and very cold though! Even the locals were screaming whenever the wind blowed. After taking in the view and taking pictures, we went down and headed back to the cable car station.

Of all days I had to wear ripped jeans. LOL. For dinner, we went to Shiambashi Hountei to order their famous gyoza (¥800) but that was not enough to fill us. So we decided to buy 7-11 stuff.