Nagasaki by the Sea

It was difficult to comprehend the disparity with the horror this city faced in August of 1945 with the beauty of the city today.  Surrounded by a peaceful sea dotted with quiet little islands offer little evidence of its violent past.

The center of Peace Park is the statue by Sculptor Seibou Kitamura which is the main symbol for peace of Nagasaki.

These are a few of the sites of the park.  Some are sad, while others symbolize hope.

The surviving one-legged stone torii at the entrance to Sano Shrine

Some pleasant surprises

Gunkanjima, which is popularly known as Battleship Island, is located about 20k from Nagasaki.  It was a coal mining island which maintained a staff of about 5000 live-in workers. In the mid 70’s the mining closed down, and the island was deserted.  The sea and typhoons have destroyed many of the buildings, but its shape of a battleship has made it a major tourist attraction for Nagasaki.

There are many beautiful shrines throughout the city.

These are two of the statues in the Atomic Bomb Museum that survived the attack.

Some of the friendly people of Nagasaki

The Chinese influence

The spiral entrance to the Atomic Bomb Museum and the children taking notes on their school trip

Some very interesting friends outside a shrine

The Streetcar – The main mode of transportation in Nagasaki.  For about five dollars you receive an all-day pass.

Some of the flowers of the city

Finally, ice cream everywhere  🙂