NAGASAKI

Thursday 17th February, Mami and I headed South by car to the prefecture of Nagasaki on the island of Kyushu.

I have always wanted to go to the city of Nagasaki, which is the major city in the prefecture and had never got around to it on my previous trips to Japan.

Mami as usual did meticulous planning and timed our visit to coincide with the Festival of the Lanterns.

This is a Chinese celebration associated with the Chinese New Year, and as there is a large Chinese community in Nagasaki, it is a very festive time.

Chinese lanterns decorate the streets for two weeks during the festival and it is a major tourist attraction for the city of Nagasaki.

Traditionally, Japan was a very insular country and did not readily welcome gaijin (foreigners) but in 1571 the port of Nagasaki was declared an open port to foreigners who wished to settle or trade with the Japanese community. It was for many years the only such port in Japan.

It is now a very interesting city with British, Chinese and Portuguese influences apparent in the architecture, food, culture and celebrations.