Nagasaki, Japan

Nagasaki is the capital of Nagasaki prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Under the national isolation policy of the Tokugawa shogunate, Nagasaki harbor was the only harbor to which entry of foreign ships was permitted. Even today, Nagasaki shows the influence of many cultures such as Dutch, Portuguese, and Chinese. On 9 August 1945, three days after the bombing of Hiroshima, a nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing a total of over 100,000 people. Six days later Japan surrendered, officially ending World War II. Nagasaki is a vibrant city, but its fate as the second atomic bomb target overshadows its early history of contact with the Portuguese and Dutch. Despite the tragic events of WWII, Nagasaki has a wealth of activities, state-of-the-art museums, delicious food, and natural beauty that rivals far more visited parts of Japan. Schedule at least a few days here to take advantage of all the city has to offer.