|
Nagasaki has an unfortunate yet fascinating history. Obviously, when most people think of Nagasaki, they think of the fusion bomb which was used to destroy part of the city at the end of World War II. People tend to forget the other important aspects of the city's history. Nagasaki was the first Japanese city which was allowed to trade and interact with foreigners on a large scale. The Dutch had several trading posts throughout the city as early as the 16th century. For over 200 years, Nagasaki was the only point of contact between Japan and the West. Giacomo Puccini's famous opera "Madame Butterfly" was set in Nagasaki.
Modern Nagasaki is also quite interesting. It is the only city in Japan where I have seen old streetcars still in active service. Unlike most Japanese cities, Nagasaki has a fairly large Chinatown. Champon is a type of ramen dish which is unique to the Nagasaki area. It tastes very different from other ramen because it has been influenced by the various regions of Japan as well as China.
Huis Ten Bosch is a huge Dutch theme-park near Sasebo City, north of Nagasaki. It is so large, it's located within its own township. This town is amazingly authentic, from the construction of the buildings down to the cobble-stone streets. All of the bricks for the buildings and streets were imported from the Netherlands. There are four hotels within the park. One of these hotels, Hotel Europe, is operated by the same company which runs the Hotel Europe in Amsterdam.
|
