Our guide met us at the dock, and we taxied to Mt. Inasa. It’s high above Nagasaki, with a great view of the harbor and the entire city. Cold and windy, but beautiful views. 

Then, to the Atomic Bomb Museum. This museum tracks the city from before WWII through the devastation of the “Fat Man” plutonium bomb, and some of the re-building after the war. We tend to know more about Hiroshima (coming up in a few days) and less about the destruction in Nagasaki. The exhibits are powerful and sad, and reminded us once more about “never again”. 

The city of Nagasaki has done an excellent job of memorializing the effects of the war and its aftermath. Our day continued with visits to Ground Zero; the Peace Monument; and 26 Martyrs Hill.

We began at Hypocenter Park, where the atomic bomb hit. The Mother and Child Statue of Peace was erected on the site in 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the bombing. A black monolith in the park marks the exact center of Ground Zero. A black box in front contains the names of all the people who died in the bombing. Off to one side stand remnants of the Roman Catholic Cathedral that was also destroyed.

The Peace Monument is an imposing bronze statue standing 10 meters (33 feet) high and weighing 30 tons. Created by Japanese artist Seibou Kitamura, it was installed in 1955. On either side of the statue are two Orizuru (Paper Crane Towers) each displaying strands of 1,000 cranes, the national symbol of peace.

Our final stop was to the “26 Martyrs Hill”. This monument remembers the 26 people (a mix of Japanese and other nationalities) who were executed on this site in 1597 for practicing and preaching Christianity. It has been visited by two Popes.

On a happier note:  We had lunch at a restaurant with “horigotatsu” seating (a bench with your legs down in the sunken space below a low table). The table had a small round grill in the middle, and we enjoyed both the seating and the grilled meat and veggies.

On returning to the ship, we found an invitation to tour the Engine Control Room with the ship’s chief engineer Todor Todorov. We did not see the actual engines, but the fascinating and complex sensors, cameras and other systems required to run the ship. It was just the two of us with the engineer for an hour and a half, explaining his department’s important job and answering our many questions.

The day ended with a special Kaiseki dinner outside on the aft patio. A little chilly, but o.k. with heaters, blankets, and our warm jackets. Kaiseki is traditional multi-course haute cuisine, presented with great attention to detail, presentation, taste and texture. All paired beautifully with several different wines. A lovely time in Nagasaki!!