Nagasaki

Getting Here and Around

Nagasaki Airport is approximately one hour by bus or car from Nagasaki. A regular shuttle bus travels between Nagasaki Airport and Nagasaki Station and costs ¥1,200. All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines fly daily from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Nagasaki Airport (1¾ hours). From Osaka the flights are about 1¼ hours.

The Kyushu Kyuko Bus Company (092/734-2500) runs buses between Fukuoka's Tenjin Bus Center and Nagasaki Bus Terminal; the t rip takes two hours. The Nagasaki Ken-ei Bus Company can get you to Unzen (¥1,900), a string of hot springs on the Shimabara Peninsula, in two hours, and direct to Kumamoto in three hours for ¥3,600.

The JR Kamome Express train costs ¥4,710 and takes 1 hour 51 minutes from Fukuoka's Hakata Station to Nagasaki Station. To get to Kumamoto from Nagasaki, take the JR Kamome to Tosu (two hours) and switch to the Tsubame Relay (one hour). Note that unless you have a free ride with a RailPass, at ¥6,770, it's going to be nearly double the cost of the bus.

Nagasaki is small enough to cover on foot; otherwise, the streetcar system is the most convenient mode of transportation. Stops are posted in English, and lines extend to every attraction in town. You can purchase a one-day streetcar pass (¥500) at tourist offices and major hotels. Otherwise, pay ¥100 as you get off the streetcar at any stop. If you wish to transfer from one streetcar to another, get a norikae kippu (transfer ticket) from the driver of the first one. Local buses are not as convenient, and the routes, timetables, and fares are complicated.

While most of the interesting sights, restaurants, and shopping areas are south of Nagasaki Station, the Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum are to the north, about 10-15 minutes by streetcar or taxi.

One-hour cruises of Nagasaki Harbor depart from Nagasaki-ko (Nagasaki Port) at 10:30, noon, 1:30, and 3; the cost is ¥1,300.

The City Tourist Information Center provides English assistance, maps, and brochures.The Nagasaki Prefectural Tourist Information Center is across the street from Nagasaki Station. Use the pedestrian bridge on the second floor of the station to reach it. English travel information for the entire prefecture, including maps and bus schedules.