Oura Catholic Church | Review by 一個漸漸喜歡上慢旅的人

When visiting the classic hillside attractions of Glover Garden and Oura Cathedral in Nagasaki, you definitely shouldn’t miss the extremely popular Nagasaki Minamiyamate Pudding Main Store, located on the slope.

I recommend visiting before the lunchtime crowds arrive. Not only can you avoid the packed tourist crowds, but you can also enjoy this local specialty at a leisurely pace in front of the cozy, retro storefront. The pudding has a dense, smooth texture and a rich egg flavor, and you can even see the vanilla seeds. Every bite is full of genuine, delicious goodness. Besides the signature pudding, the shop’s specialty soft-serve ice cream is also very popular. Its silky texture and rich milky flavor keep you coming back for another bite. Japanese ice cream really is unforgettable.

Enjoying a dessert as you stroll along the slope not only perfectly satisfies a sweet tooth, but also adds a sweet memory to this exotic walk through Nagasaki.

Once hailed as one of the “World’s Three Great Night Views,” the night view from Nagasaki’s Mt. Inasayama was definitely the most breathtaking visual feast of the entire trip.

Getting to the summit isn’t very straightforward. You first need to take a bus to the area near the shrine, then transfer to the ropeway up the mountain. It can feel a little nerve-racking to find your way in the dim light when everything around you is pitch-black, but there are actually plenty of other visitors along the way, so it’s quite safe as long as you follow the crowd. As the ropeway slowly rises, the view opens up as well.

The moment you finally step onto the Mt. Inasayama Observatory, the scenery before you instantly makes it clear that its world-class reputation is well deserved. The brilliant lights from countless homes blend perfectly with the bay’s distinctive landscape, making the entire city look as though it has been covered with a sparkling carpet of jewels. The stunning, mesmerizing night view goes straight to the heart and is definitely a grand finale not to be missed on a trip to Nagasaki.

Dejima, which preserves the memory of Japan’s only point of foreign trade during the country’s period of isolation, is a man-made island steeped in history. As you stroll around, you can visit faithfully reconstructed Dutch trading houses and warehouses and see how residents lived at the time. There are even staff members walking around in traditional period clothing, instantly transporting you back in time and making the experience feel very immersive.

After the historical tour, I made a special trip to a tucked-away shop nearby called “雪氷らんかん,” run by an elderly Japanese man. Because of Nagasaki’s hilly terrain, the shop looked close on the map, but it took me a while and some effort to find it. The shop serves shaved ice made with real fruit, and I was lucky enough to try the rich Mont Blanc shaved ice that day. Watching the owner slowly and carefully prepare the dessert, with Japanese news playing in the background, I felt the warmth of the local community in the cozy little space. If you visit Dejima, I recommend adding a food stop to your itinerary as well.