Mount Inasa Offers a Scenic View of Nagasaki and One of Japan’s Three Best Night Views
Mt Inasa is a 333 meters high mountain above Nagasaki, and is easy to access from the center. You can climb it by car, bus, ropeway or walk to the top ! At the top, the view is breathtaking. Nagasaki is a populated city in the middle of a deep valley, and the nature nearby is lush : mountains , forests and islands out of sight.
As I love walking, I decided to hike to the observatory ! On the way up, I didn’t really know the path so I went up the little neirghborhood of Fuchimachi and I finished the hike on the road. I easily found the hiking trail when going down. Nevertheless, I enjoyed hiking in Fuchimachi because Nagasaki is a city unlike the others in Japan. Unfortunately, its history gives it a special, special atmosphere. But it’s also impressive to understand how Nagasaki was rebuilt. Its geography is complex, the organisation of the city is particular and the architecture is unique, with sometimes western influences dating from the 16th century. You can only experience this when strolling in the city. Fuchimachi made me feel like I was in a rural place in Japan !
Once at the top, the observatory is located on the roof of the building. It is considered one of Japan’s best night view with Mt Hakodate in Hokkaido and Mt Rokkō in Kobe. From Mt Inasa, you can see the different monuments of Nagasaki: the Western District, the Oura Catholic Church, the Urakami Cathedral, the Peace Park… I felt like enjoying the view of the area of Nagasaki is also a moment of meditation. I really encourage you to visit the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum to learn more about it. For example, you’ll understand how the geography of the area “protected” some people that which were close to hypocenter. The view of Nagasaki bay and the East China Sea in the background is very natural, almost tropical and made me think about Okinawa.
Informations :
The observatory is open everyday from 09:00 to 22:00
The ropeway is open everyday from 09:00 to 22:00 (1250 yen round trip). There is a bus going from Nagasaki station to Mt Inasa (15min, 190 yen)
