Isahaya at your fingertips (March 1997 edition) Nagasaki Wesleyan University | Portland Community College John Sparks: Home

There are four main shopping areas in Isahaya: Sunshine Douri, near the train station; the Hatten-chou/Hon-machi/Sakae-machi Arcade; the string of modern stores and restaurants along the Shimabara road (Route 57), including Mominoki Village; and the Chiku Center in New Town. In addition, Omura has a shopping arcade just west of the train station. Nagasaki's biggest arcade is in Hamano-machi.
Most of the following stores are convenient to someone living near the train station.

SEIYU: In front of the train station is a 5-floor department store. The basement will be your major stop for packaged and refrigerated foodstuffs. There are also a lot of specialty food vendors here, a flower shop, a bakery, and a fast-food restaurant. Every couple of months, there is a liquor sale with imported wines and beers, the cheapest in town. The first and second floors deal mainly with men's and women's clothing. The third floor has toys, electronics, books, children's clothes, and stationery. The fourth floor has household items. Part of the 4th floor also hosts various visiting vendors: one week it may be kimonos, the next a ¥100 sale, the next used books.
MARUTAKA: Across from Seiyu. Prices are lower than Seiyu on most grocery items. A good place for fruit and vegetables, milk, etc.
100 YEN STORE: Really the upstairs of Marutaka. Come here for basic household items (cheap kitchen goods, clothes lines and pegs, hand towels, basic stationery items, toilet paper, Q-tips, soap, toothpaste, desiccants, band-aids, etc.)
LAWSON'S: A 24-hour convenience store, down the block from Marutaka, on the Sunshine Shopping Street. It has a copy machine.
MUKAI STATIONERY STORE: Also on the Sunshine Shopping Street; Seiyu also has a decent stationery department.
MARUEI: On the Sunshine Shopping Street. Sells a lot of inexpensive clothing and linens. Has reasonably priced umbrellas.
OKA-YA GROCERY: Across from the A-Coop Restaurant, on the corner of the Omura/Sasebo road and the street going up to NWJC. Shop here, at Marutaka or the Ai-maato (compare prices on individual items) for fruits and vegetables.
AI-MAATO: Next to the Kaori Luna Beauty Salon on the way to NWJC; another good place for fruit and vegetables.
YAMAZAKI: Turn left out the college gate and up the road on your right. This is a convenience store and the nearest place to the college where you can pick up drinks, snacks, and small household items.
ETOILE: They make fancy pastries and confections. Their wrapped banana cake (¥500) is especially tasty and makes for a good o-miyage (gift) to take if you’re invited to dinner. In Eisho-machi, several blocks up the first road to the right behind the bookstore on the corner of Routes 207 and the Omura Road.
A-ONE DISCOUNT LIQUOR STORE (Eiwan Disukaunto): On the north side of Route 207, a few blocks east of the fire station. You can buy beer here by the case (¥4,000 for 24 350 ml. cans of Asahi Black or Asahi Super Dry - use a bicycle to transport it). They also have wine (the Chilean wines are especially recommended), sake, chuhai, umeshu (plum brandy), whiskey, B & B, vodka, gin, etc. A cheap drink for mixing is 'White Liquor' (¥980 a carton), a 70-proof shouchu which goes well with Skal (made from skimmed milk) or tonic.
PURE HEART SHIZEN-KAN HEALTH FOOD STORE: Most items here are expensive: they have organically-grown vegetables, brown rice, gluten bread, apple cider, ginseng, and natural cosmetics. Near the Takenoshita bus stop, a couple of stores west of the north entrance to the Isahaya Arcade.
ARON PRINZ KONDITOREI: On the north side of the river, about two blocks west of the Arcade, by the Megane Pedestrian Bridge. Sells good pastries and cakes, different from the usual fare. You can order birthday cakes here (¥3,000).
SHINBASHI MARKET: This is the best place to shop for fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables in the Isahaya Arcade (Hon-machi section).
SATY: In the Arcade. Good for whole bean coffee and various groceries. Also has reasonably-priced clothing. There is brown bread in the bakery - ¥360/loaf.
HARADA MUSIC STORE: Just down and across from Saty - a good place to search for your favorite CDs and tapes.
DAIEI DEPARTMENT STORE: In the Arcade. The food department is in the basement. Get your peanut butter here. Also has a better selection of herb tea, cereals, dried beans, dried fruit, and pasta. Bicycles are on the 4th floor and electronics are on the 5th floor. The Snack Plaza on the 1st floor has a substantial set meal with dessert for ¥480 (¥580 with coffee).
SAN-AI: This large, two-floor department store is just south of the Undou Kouen, on the Shimabara road. The bottom floor has electronics, appliances, sports equipment, etc., and the top floor is 'Pet and Fishing and Cycle World'.
A - PRICE: This store is out in Kawauchi-machi, across the Hanzou Bridge on the left. It sells a lot of imported food, including nuts, good cheese, S & W canned beans, cooking ingredients, cranberry juice, etc. Sip the free coffee while you shop. Get there by any bus from Ken-ei Door #4 (Hanzou bus stop), or by bicycle via the Hanzou River cycling course.
MARUKYOU: This is the cheapest supermarket in Isahaya. It's in Fukuda-machi, in east Isahaya, on Route 207. Take a bus from Ken-ei Door #4 and get off at the Fukuda-machi bus stop (¥130), or walk a few blocks southwest from Higashi Isahaya train station.
COUPONS: The little red or blue 'nonoko sutanpu' that you get when you shop in the Eishohigashi-machi/Ten'man-cho shopping area should be glued to the yellow sheets that you can get from participating stores. Once you save an entire sheet, you can use it for a variety of discounts (e.g. 2 sheets = a free movie at the theater, 2 games at the bowling alley). There is a catch: the coupons must be redeemed at the Nonoko Sutanpu office, on the second floor of the Shiranuhi Pharmacy building (enter through a side door), open only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 10:30 to 12:00 and 1:30 to 4:00. For movies, take your sheets directly to the theater. The Arcade area shops give out different stamps (piko sutanpu).
THE FOREIGN BUYERS' CLUB:  East Court Two Suite 203
      1-14 Koyocho-naka
      Higashinada-ku, Kobe  658
      Phone: (078) 857-9001
      Fax: (078) 857-9005
This company stocks imported (mainly food) products and will ship them to you in bulk. You need to write or phone to get one of their catalogs.

FOOD AND DRINK

Bread and baked goods: It's difficult to find really good bread. The best is the heavy brown bread sold at the Harbin Restaurant on the 6th floor of Daimaru, in the Hamano-machi Arcade, Nagasaki (¥700 a loaf); you can also get flat bread here. The Saty bakery (Isahaya Arcade) and the Train D'Or Bakery in the Nagasaki Train Station sell loaves of genmai brown bread for ¥360. The next best is the genmai sold by the bakery in the Seiyu (Isahaya) basement. One of the largest bakeries (pastries, etc.) is Pompadour, by the Nishi Hamano-machi streetcar stop in Nagasaki.
Nuts and dried fruit: There's a small "Imported Foods" store near the Nishi Hamano-machi streetcar stop in Nagasaki. From the Pompadour Bakery, walk south, keeping to the alley on the left. The "Imported Foods" store is just past the Daiei parking tower. They also sell peanut butter and canned fruit from China.
Roasted sweet potatoes: In fall and winter, the yaki-imo woman makes the rounds in the streets selling roasted sweet potatoes from a motorized cart. When you hear her refrain broadcast through a loudspeaker (o-imo, o-imo, o-imo da-yo, hayaku kona-ito, nakunaru-yo), find her in the street and buy one for ¥200 - ¥350.
Natural vitamins: Saty, in the Isahaya Arcade, has a small selection by the checkstands in the food section.
Imported food: The basement of the Hamaya department store in the Hamano-machi Arcade, Nagasaki, has an area which sells some Western food, such as spices, cereals, tea, taco chips and shells, salsa, peanut butter, cheese, etc.
Imported candy and snacks: Go to the Sony Plaza store in Nagasaki, south of the Kankou-douri streetcar stop on the right past the Chinese gate. Try the dried mango slices from The Philippines and check out their chocolate and cookies.
Japanese snacks and candy: The best place is Mochi-kichi, in Ofunakoshi-machi, on the south side of Route 207 between its junctions with Routes 34 and 57 near the pedestrian overpass. They sell a large selection of o-sembei as well as traditional candy. Try the almond mochi o-sembei - they're delicious.
Drinking water: At Mochi-kichi (see above), you can fill containers with good drinking water at the outside taps (¥100 for 60 seconds); if you buy something at the store, they'll give you a token to take water for free. When you go to the Ochouzu Kan'non or Todoroki-no-taki, take some empty water containers to fill with the fresh mountain drinking water that pours out of the rock faces.
Alcohol: For Japanese beer, hard liquor, shouchu, sake, and mixers, use the A-One Discount Liquor Store on Route 207. For wine, imported beer, and whiskey, stock up when Seiyu has its bimonthly alcohol sale in the basement.

Film and photo developing: Ikeda Photo Plaza will develop film in two to three hours. They often have special deals on enlargements. Ask to become a member, so you can get a discounted roll of film when you have a roll developed. With this, 24 prints cost a little over ¥1,000. It's across from the Eki-mae Park on the west side of the bridge to the Hotel Yachiyo. Seiyu will develop slide film at ¥1,020 for a 36-exposure roll (5 days). Another place to check for film and developing is Takachiho Camera, across from Ten'yu-ji Temple. The cheapest slide film is about ¥850 per 36-exp. roll. Try also the camera place near the end of the Hamaya wing of the Hamano-machi Arcade in Nagasaki.
Copy machine: Lawson's has a coin-operated copy machine (¥10 per copy).
Books: The best selection of English-language books and magazines in the area can be found on the second floor of the Kobundo Bookstore in the Hamano-machi Arcade, Nagasaki, a few stores down from Hamaya and Ishimaru Stationery. Here you can buy issues of Crossroads, an annual journal with articles in English about Nagasaki's history and culture. They also have lots of books (in Japanese) about Nagasaki Prefecture. Next to Kobundo is a used book store with some English titles. The bookstore above Toys "R" Us, near Michi-no-o train station, has English-language literature and magazines.
Newspapers: The NWU library has English-language newspapers, but if you want your own copy of the Japan Times, get it at the kiosk in front of the Nagasaki train station. You can also have newspapers delivered to your mailbox by subscription. The biweekly publication, Naisu Isahaya, is free and gives information about local events and festivals (in Japanese, of course). Yoka! Nagasaki , available at the train station, post office, etc., is a monthly schedule of happenings (festivals, sports events, etc.) throughout the prefecture (in Japanese). Both Nagasaki Compass (a church publication) and Nagasaki Beat are free monthly newsheets in English.
Maps: To orient yourself, consider buying Japanese language maps of Isahaya, Nagasaki Prefecture and a road atlas of Kyushu. These maps can be purchased at Seiyu (3rd floor), or at most bookstores. Kobundo, the bookstore in the Hamano-machi Arcade, Nagasaki City, has topographical maps for the entire prefecture; these show some existing hiking trails.

Inexpensive clothing: Saty has inexpensive selections on the 3rd and 4th floors. There are many other places in the Arcade. Maruei, just down from Seiyu, sells cheap clothing. For second-hand clothing, try Junkie Jap, in the same block as the Parfan Theaters, just south of the Isahaya Arcade.
Shoes: Foot In and Sugimoto's in the Isahaya Shopping Arcade have reasonable prices on casual shoes. Yamato's, on Sunshine Douri has good deals on slippers.
Dry cleaning: Try the little place behind Pure 21 in Eishohigashi-machi, 'Fureshu Dorai', near the intersection under the railroad overpass.

Pharmacy: The Shiranuhi Pharmacy is just past Lawson's. The owner and his wife are knowledgeable and both speak a little English.
Mosquito protection: At Lawson's, you can buy 60-day electric mosquito deterrents for about ¥1000. You may need these to sleep soundly from May through October. They work like a charm!
Cosmetics: There is an outlet for The Body Shop, selling made-in-England cosmetics, in the Hamano-machi Arcade, Nagasaki (on your right after you enter the arcade from the Kankou-douri streetcar stop). Their shampoo and lotion tend to be less expensive than the Japanese-made products.
Glasses: Try Seiyu (3rd floor). Minor repairs, like replacing a screw, are free.
Haircuts: For men, try Hashimoto-san, just across from the Eki-mae Park, near the bridge by the Hotel Yachiyo. A one-hour full treatment (neck shave, shampoo, etc.) is ¥2,800, a pretty standard rate in Isahaya. There is a women's hair salon (She's) across from the back of the train station, but there many other places as well. A woman's perm runs about ¥3,200. In the Arcade, one block south of Daiei on the side street to the left, is Puraashu Cut & Perm House with 20 staff members. A basic cut is ¥1,500, perms are ¥3,000.

Christmas items: The Ishimaru Stationery Store is a little past and on the other side of the mall from Hamaya, in the Hamano-machi Arcade, Nagasaki. It gears up for Christmas toward the end of November. There's a variety of cards, both Western and Japanese, Xmas ornaments, gift tags, etc.; on the top floor, they have a huge selection of calendars: you can buy tubes for mailing. In Isahaya, several places in the Arcade have a small selection of cards and Xmas items (Aikawa Stationery, Hanako, Baroque, etc.), as does the 'Oxford' Book and Stationery store in Mominoki-mura, next to the Lotteria on the Shimabara road. The Baptist Church (see Churches) sells Christmas cards with religious themes.
Toys: Toys "R" Us, near Michi-no-o train station (Nagayo line to Nagasaki), has lots of variety and good prices: walk west from the eki to the main shopping street, then north. In Isahaya, Ban Ban, on the west side of Jou Mt. on the main road going past the Undou Koen, has a small selection, as do the department stores.
Traditional Japanese fabrics: Nishizawa, opposite the 18 Bank in the Isahaya Arcade, carries aizome, traditional indigo cotton prints, and kimono scraps.
Gifts (o-miyage) and souvenirs: The shopping arcade in the Nagasaki New Hotel (to your right as you exit the Nagasaki train station) has o-miyage shops which offer numerous suitable gifts, from expensive netsuke to colored biidro glass ornaments, tortoise-shell ornaments, koga dolls, and Nagasaki food specialties - sara udon, champon, karasumi (dried mullet roe), kamaboko (boiled fish paste), and kasutera (sponge cake). In Isahaya, the Tsukasa o-miyage store in Eishohigashi-machi, just north of the Isahaya Shrine, sells locally produced kasutera, monaka (wafers with filling), and okoshi (rice sweets). For a genuine Isahaya souvenir, buy an eel trap at the Eguchi Atamono-ten, a traditional earth-floored hardware store that also sells hand-made straw sandals and baskets. It's in Funakoshi-myou (go straight south from the Arcade), opposite the church. There's a bamboo products shop right across from the Ouhato streetcar stop in Nagasaki.

Phone cards (terufonu kaado): These are for use in public telephones. Keep one in your wallet at all times. They're usually in ¥500 or ¥1,000 amounts. Get one at Lawson's or at a kiosk in the train station.
International calls: KDD offers operator-assisted calls. Call 0051 and tell the operator what you want to do. You can call direct by dialing 0057 and the country code (111 for the U.S.)
Internet service: AT&T Jens Corp. has an access service for individual subscribers in Japan. Call (03)-5561-5141 to access a registration server. The sign-up fee is ¥3,000 and charges are ¥2,000 monthly for unlimited access, excluding a telephone line fee. Ask around, as new and cheaper providers may have appeared.
Computer supplies: One of the best places, especially if you have a Macintosh, is PC in Matsuhaya in Nagasaki. It's down the arcade south of the Kankou-douri streetcar stop, on the second floor of the Sony Plaza building. You can also try Computown, on the east side of the street from the Tsuki-machi streetcar stop.

Utility bills: Telephone, gas, and electricity bills can be deducted from your bank account. Ask your employer to help you set this up. You can also pay your phone bills at Lawson's. Water bills must be paid at the bank. Just put the bill with your cash in one of the green trays on the bank counter, and a teller will take care of it. Overdue water bills can only be paid to the cashier in the City Hall, but first you have to go to the adjacent Waterworks Office to get a standard bill made up.
Garbage: Sort the your household garbage into burnable (moeru gomi) and non-burnable (moenai gomi). Burnable garbage is put out twice a week in green bags; non-burnable garbage is separated into various kinds and is collected once or twice a month, depending on the category.

Bicycles: For used bikes, try the Yamaha Motor Cycle Shop to the north of the railroad overpass behind Pure 21. You should be able to get a used 3-speed adult’s bicycle for around ¥10,000. If you buy here, you can go back for seat adjustments, air, and minor repairs. The cheapest new bikes at Daiei (4th floor) are 1-speed women's bikes on sale for about ¥12,000. Daiei is also a good place to buy accessories and parts (e.g. tubes, tires, pumps, etc.). Further away, NAFCO, in Kuyama-machi has 1-speed adult bikes priced from ¥12,800, as does San-Ai, on the Shimabara Road. Another place to go for bike repairs is the Honda Motor Cycle Shop, south of the train station on the west side of the tracks by the pedestrian underpass. New tires cost about ¥4,200 and puncture repairs are ¥500.
Driving licenses: You can use an International Driver's License ($10 from AAA in the U.S.), valid for one year; or go the expensive and bureaucratic route and change your home country license to a Japanese one at the Omura License Center.
Travel agent: JTB-no-Honeymoon, in front of the station, has one English-speaking clerk. They can do airline tickets, package tours, etc. JR Kyushu also has a travel agency to your right as you leave the train station; here you can get discounted train/admission ticket combinations for places like Huis ten Bosch.  There are travel agents in both bus stations, as well as one in the Seiyu building. In Nagasaki, there are several English-speaking agencies offering discount airfares: H.I.S. (Tel: 0958-20-6839), 5F Yamatoseimei Building, 3-4 Manzai-machi; Out Trip (Tel: 092-533-3063). Travel Village International (Tel: 0120-28-3331 [toll free]), 2-23 Shindaiku: also has package tours to Nagasaki beaches. A'cross Travellers Bureau, in Fukuoka (092-761-9309), also offers discount fares.
Japan Travel Phone: This is a toll-free telephone service with English language travel information. Call 0088-22-2800 or 0120-44-4800.
Baggage forwarding and parcel service (takkyubin): Anywhere you see the sign of the black cat (usually on a yellow or yellow and green banner), e.g. at Lawson's or the Oka-ya Grocery, there is a baggage and parcel forwarding service. For instance, you can send your big bags directly to Fukuoka Airport and meet them there, rather than mess with them on the train and subway. A large piece of luggage will run about ¥1,500 to Fukuoka Airport from Isahaya.
Leaving: If you're leaving the country from Nagasaki Airport, the best way is to take the bus from the Ken-ei Bus Terminal, Door #5, and stow your luggage underneath. If you're leaving from Fukuoka Airport, there are two options if you're not getting a ride: bus or train. The bus is cheaper and better if you have lots of luggage; you can stow your luggage underneath. You'll go to the terminal next to the Hakata train station; from here , you'll need to carry your bags about 50 meters to the taxi stand in front of the station. Only the higher-priced black taxis can take you to the airport if you have a lot of luggage. If you're taking the express to Hakata, take only as much baggage as you can comfortably carry. Suitcases can be stowed in the small space behind the last seats in each carriage. Too many bags will mean you must use takkyubin for some of them (Isahaya to Fukuoka Airport). From Hakata station, you can take a taxi or the subway to the airport.

Post Office: The nearest post office is on a side street one block west of the train station. You can buy aerogrammes there  (¥90 to the U.S.). The main post office is near the Isahaya Arcade, one block east of Daiei. It’s ¥110 for a 25 g. airmail letter to North and Central America, Australia, and the Middle East; add ¥80 for every 25 g. after that (Airmail to Asia is ¥90 [¥70 for +25 g.], to South America, Europe, and Africa is ¥130 [¥100 for +25 g.] for 25 g.. The quoted rates are for envelopes that fall within specific size limits ([14-23.5 cm.] x [9-12 cm.] x 1 cm.). Yuko Nakamura, who does the mail at Nagasaki Wesleyan, has a gram scale which you can use to weigh letters. Photographs are much cheaper if sent separately. Ask for the insatsubutsu (printed matter) rate when you have an (unsealed) envelope with photos (sasshin dake) or a box full of books weighed (5 kg. max. - about ¥2,700). Overseas postcards are ¥70. Parcels up to 20 kg. can be sent by parcel post (kozutsumi), but this is expensive. New stamp issues are announced on the little placard on the counter. Buy these to brighten up your mail. There are red mailboxes in many locations, including in front of the train station. Surface mail from the U.S. to Japan is very slow: if you’re having something sent, give it 10 weeks.
Alien registration (gaikokujin touroku): You must provide passport photos and fingerprints at the City Hall to get your alien registration card. Carry your card with you at all times
Re-entry permits: If you leave the country and plan to come back, you need a re-entry permit (sainyuukoku kyoka) to be able to come back in. These can be obtained from the Nagasaki Port Immigration Office. The office is located on the second floor of the nondescript gray concrete building behind the Oura Police Station, which is just in front of the Nagasaki Sky Tower on the harbor. A single entry permit will cost you ¥3,000 and a multiple entry permit is ¥6,000. Take your passport, alien registration card, and a letter from your employer confirming your employment or student status.
American Consulate: The nearest U.S. consulate is in Fukuoka (5-26 Ohori, 2-Chome, Chou-ku, Fukuoka-shi 810). You can contact them for absentee ballots. The phone number is: (092) 751-9331, 2, 3 or 4. The consul makes occasional trips to Nagasaki to provide routine services.
Other consulates on Kyushu: There is a Chinese Consulate in Nagasaki, and consulates for South Korea, China, and Canada in Fukuoka.
Notary public: Notaries in Isahaya will charge ¥11,000 for their services. A better proposition is to visit the notary at the American Consulate in Fukuoka, who will charge $10. Make an appointment because she's not there every day. You can get this done, pay for bus fare, spend a day in Fukuoka, and still come out ahead!
Signature seals (inkan): A Westerner's signature is usually valid, but the Japanese use an inkan. Consider getting your own made at a stationery store. You can just give them the katakana for your last name (cost: about ¥1,500).

Banking: The Eki-mae branch of the Juu-hachi Ginko (18 Bank), on the main shopping street next to Seiyu,  is the most convenient place to keep a deposit (futsuu yokin)  account. Get your employer to help you set one up. Since your pay will be automatically deposited, you will usually be making withdrawals. The ATM machines in the bank lobby are available from 8:45 a.m. - 6 p.m. weekdays. You can use your bankbook or your ATM card, but the former is more useful because the machine will print out all the automatic transactions in the book. For a withdrawal, press the top blue hikidashi bar on the screen, then insert your book or card in the slot. Enter your 4-digit code. Next, enter the amount you want to withdraw using the man (¥10,000) or sen (¥1,000) buttons (e.g. 3 man = ¥30,000). The maximum withdrawal allowed is ¥500,000 (about $5,000)! If correct, press the red kakunin (confirmation) bar at the bottom. There is another ATM booth in Seiyu and 18 Bank has branches in Nagasaki and elsewhere. The Eki-mae branch will cash travelers' checks. Bank counter hours are shorter than the ATM hours.
International remittances: The cheapest way to send money to an account abroad is through the post office by postal money transfer (gaikoku yuubin kawase). You can mail the postal check to your bank yourself, but make sure it is endorsed 'For Deposit Only' on the back, and include a deposit slip. The bank has several methods, the best being a cable transfer (denshin soukin), which is insured. This is quite expensive, though. You can also get a dollar check from the bank to carry back to the U.S. The charge is ¥3,250. When you return to the U.S., you can take up to $10,000 with you without having to declare it.
Income taxes: There is no Japanese income tax on your salary if you stay less than two years. To avoid U.S. income taxes, you need to stay outside the U.S. a total of 330 days in the fiscal year. Then there will be no U.S. tax on your income in Japan, but you need to fill out a Form EZ 2555, declaring your foreign earned income, when you file your return.

Churches: There are several churches in Isahaya, including a Baptist church in Haraguchi-myo (Walk south from the Arcade; it's on your right after you cross the railroad tracks). There is a Catholic church in Ten'man-cho, above the Hotel Yachiyo. Some churches in Nagasaki offer English language services, including the International Christ Church (near Maruyama Park - Tel: 0958-22-8211); the Holy Trinity Church (Anglican/Episcopal - Tel: 0958-23-0455) at the bottom of Dutch Slope below Kwasui college; Nagasaki Baptist Church (Katafuchi-machi - Tel: 0958-26-6935); and Nakamachi Catholic Church (near the Central Post Office - Tel: 0958-23-2484). The Baptist In Touch Center (0958-29-0270; 23-7214 in Isahaya) gives information about Baptist services. Oura Cathedral and Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki both celebrate Christmas mass. Father Aguillar, of the Nagai Gakusei Center (0958-44-6872) hosts an annual Christmas dinner. Call to reserve.
Temples: Mr. Yoshitani is the resident priest at the Honmyou-ji Zen Temple, just northeast of Higashi Isahaya Station. He would welcome foreigners who are interested in learning about Buddhism.

Shiatsu and acupuncture: Dr. Hashimoto (Tel: 26-3894) has his office in his home on the north side of Mitachiyama. He charges ¥3,300 for a one-hour session. He speaks very little English.
Doctors: The most convenient clinic is the Miyamoto Surgery (Tel: 25-0024), which is directly opposite Chinzei High School (next to NWU) on the other side of the Bypass. Dr. Miyamoto lived in California for five years and speaks excellent English. Watch for the round green sign with the owl. Hours are 9:00 - 12:00 and 2:00 - 5:30 Monday through Friday; on Saturday the clinic closes at 4:30.
          The clinic that seems to be popular with exchange students is the Mitsuoka Hospital (Tel: 22-2927), 4-1 Kanaya-chou, a couple of blocks north of the Discount Liquor Store on Route 207. Dr. Mitsuoka and some of the staff speak English.
          According to the Nagasaki Hospital Guide, the following are the names of other physicians in Isahaya who can speak good English:
 
 

Eating out

SPECIAL DISHES:

Yakitori:  Suzume, in Eishohigashi-machi, between the station and the river (There are several yakitori places on this street). Said to be the best yakitori place in Isahaya, but often very crowded. Go early! Another excellent place is Asuka, further down the same street on the left.
Nabe & Shabu-shabu:  Try Ichi-ki, an akachouchin (red lantern restaurant) on the river in Eishohigashi-machi. They also do yakitori and a choice of cocktails.
Sushi:  The best 'cheap' sushi restaurant in town is said to be in the blue business hotel opposite the Ken-ei bus station (¥700 and up for set courses). Highly recommended is Tanaka Sushi in Mawatari-machi: walk 200 m. north from the front of Nishi Isahaya Station and turn right on the main road.
Sashimi: The restaurant in the small business hotel mentioned above also serves a good selection of sashimi.
Omura Sushi: Yamato in Omura (on the north bank of the river one block east of Route 34 about halfway to the park from the train station) is considered the one of the best places to eat in Omura and serves Omura's special style of sushi. In Isahaya, Dondo, across from Seiyu, serves Omura sushi.
Unagi (eel): This is Isahaya's specialty. There's a traditional eel restaurant in the Arcade, across from Fashion House. Also try the restaurant in the hotel just across the bridge, in the Hatten-machi part of the arcade (¥1,000 +).
Takoyaki (grilled octopus): Try the little place on the street to your left as you come out of the station.
Udon:  Try the ramen place just off the Arcade (first alley on the right after you cross the bridge) in Hatten-cho, on the north bank of the Hon Myou River - a large selection of noodle dishes. For a more upscale udon experience, try Minoya Udon, on the Shimabara road just west of the Uki turnoff. Rokubei, a traditional restaurant between Obama and Unzen, specializes in udon made of sweet potato.
Soba:  The restaurant on the 4th floor of Seiyu is recommended. There's also a small place two blocks from the back of Pure 21 near the railroad. The old lady also has an oden pot cooking in the evenings. Another cheap soba and udon place is above the Nagasaki Ken-ei bus terminal.
Okonomiyaki: Toros, in front of the Isahaya Station, has okonomiyaki grills.
Barbecue: The Mutsugorou Restaurant at Ikoi-no-mura in Takaki-chou has tables with barbecue grills. You can order a variety of meat and vegetable plates and cook your own meal, starting at about ¥1,000 per person.
Tempura:  Yamakatsu, next to JTB in front of the Isahaya Station.
Fried Rice:  There are many places, but try Mimatsu, which has many other offerings as well. It's in the Hon-machi part of the Arcade, one block south of the river. It's also one of the few restaurants open in the Arcade area on Sundays.
Tonkatsu:  The best place in Isahaya is probably Hamakatsu, near the Isahaya Interchange next to a Ringer Hut. Take a Nagasaki Eki-mae bus to Kaizudanchi iriguchi to get there. Tonkatsu set lunches go from ¥700. There's another Hamakatsu outlet on the Shimabara road west of the turnoff for Uki.
Steak: The Dan-Shaku Steak House is in Ogawa-machi, on the Shimabara road near the turnoff for Isahaya Kouen and Megane-bashi.
Meat dishes: Kaizu Gyuemon, west of MacDonald's in Kaizu-machi, but on the other side of the street, has a good selection of dishes.
Chinese: Try the cheap place with a 'ramen' sign down the street from Lawson's in Eishohigashi-machi.
Italian: There's Marco Polo, near the southeast corner of Jo Mt., next to Tiger Pachinko on the Shimabara road. Also recommended is Pietro's, further east on the Shimabara road before the intersection for Central Isahaya. There is also Fellow's Pasta Club (see below).
Doughnuts: These and bad coffee can be had at Mr. Donut in the station
Beer gardens: Open around the 1st of June and close on the 1st of September. The roof of the Terminal Hotel and the roof of Seiyu have à la carte beer garden fare. The Sen Ryu Hotel (L & L Building) usually has an all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink (nomihodai) for ¥3,500.

NWU Cafeteria: Substantial set lunches are ¥400. You also have a choice of several kinds of udon, curry rice, and donburi. Eat at 11:30 or after 12:45 if you want to beat the student rush. Set lunches are usually gone by 12:15. The cafeteria also opens in the evenings at 5:00.
Pure 21 Tearoom: Try it before 12:00 or after 12:45 (It's crowded during the lunch hour). Good set lunches (higawari ranchi) with coffee are ¥550. Pizza is served on Saturdays. ¥600 for your choice of mikusuto (Canadian bacon and tomato), miito (curried hamburger), seafood, or tuna. There is also a menu. Try the banana milkshakes (banana juusu) or coffee floats. Izumi and Tsutsumi, the co-owners, are very friendly and eager to chat when they're not busy.
A-Coop: On the corner of the Omura Road and the road up to NWJC. A standard modern restaurant with many dishes, including champon and sara udon, Nagasaki specialties.
Prunier: In the Grand Palace Hotel, on the north side of Jou Mt. Park overlooking the river. The restaurant has set lunches for ¥1,000 and up (soup, salad, entrée, dessert, and coffee). Dress decently!
Marie France: A charming, quiet restaurant with European-style decor in Yasaka-machi, one block east of the south end of the Arcade. Set lunches (with soup and desert) are ¥600. Excellent Western-style dinners (advance reservation only) run ¥1200 + for sets and ¥800 + for à la carte. On Dec. 25th, they have an all-you-can-eat/drink reserved dinner for ¥2,000 per person. Two young sisters, Kumi and Mieko, run the place. Their phone number is (0957) 22-7623.
Orange Spice: On the other side of the road from the Undou Koen. Has an Western-style restaurant with European-style small portions (¥780 for a sandwich teishoku). Also has coffee drinks and desserts. The shop sells expensive gift items like herb teas, incense, candles, and housewares.
Baskin Robbins: This is further along from the Undou Kouen on the south side of Route 57 (Shimabara road) in Mominoki Village, near the Lotteria.
MacDonald's: It's in Kaizu-machi on Route 34 east of the interchange with the Nagasaki Toll Road. You can cycle or take a Nagasaki Eki-mae bus to the Kaizudanchi Iriguchi bus stop.
Fellow's Pasta Club:  This is a very popular "Old Fashioned Itarian [sic] Restaurant" between Uki and Karako with a deck and a magnificent view of Tachibana Bay. Proceed east from Uki along the main Nagasaki-Obama road, passing Foggy Villa and the Buffalo Restaurant. East of the latter, just before the road park, are the Alpha Hotel and then Shimabara Potato Land. Take the road going down behind the latter to Fellow's. Set lunches (pasta, salad, bread, dessert, coffee) are ¥800. The menu includes many pasta, spaghetti, pizza, and risotto dishes. No buses go here from Isahaya, so it's drive, bike (very pleasant on a sunny day), or walk from a bus stop at Uki or Karako.
Once More (Wansu moua): Located in Omura, this pleasant restaurant has Western decor and serves French/Japanese-style food. There are many sets to choose from: ¥700+ for lunch and ¥1,500+ for dinner (with coffee). Walk along the street to your left as you leave the station. Turn right at the traffic light, walk one block, then turn left. The restaurant is at the end of this block.

The main thing to remember about fresh fruits and vegetables is that they have a very short shelf life. You will have to shop for fresh produce every couple of days (The Japanese shop every day). Many of the vegetables in the list below can be purchased all year; the months given are the harvest seasons in the Isahaya area.

Bitter (Seville) oranges   daidai      January - February
Bamboo shoots     take-no-ko      April - May
Shiitake mushrooms    shiitake      April - June
Potatoes      jagaimo      April - June; November - Jan.
Onions      tamanegi      April - June
Summer oranges     natsu mikan      June - July
Cherries      sakurambo      June - August
Tomatoes      tomato      July - August
Cucumbers      kyuuri      July - August
Pumpkins      kabocha      July - September
Egg Plants      nasu      July - October
Grapes      budou      August - October
Corn      toumorokoshi      August - October
Watermelon      suika      August - September
Figs      ichijiku      August - November
Lettuce      retasu      August - December
Pears      nashi      September - November
Lotus roots     renkon      September - November
Bell peppers     piman      September - November
Broccoli      burokkorii      September - November
Cauliflower     hanayasai      September - November
Asparagus      asuparagasu      September - November
White radish     daikon      September - May
Sweet potatoes     satsumaimo      October - November
Chinese yams     nagaimo      October - November
Kiwi fruit      kiiwi      October - November
Persimmons      kaki      October - November
Ginger      shouga      October - November
Spinach      hourensou      October - December
Taro      satoimo      October - December
Brown burdock roots    gobou      October - December
Turnips      kabura      October - January
Chinese cabbages     hakusai      October - February
Satsuma oranges     mikan      October - February
Cabbages      kyabetsu      October - March
Chestnuts      kuri      November - December
Shimeji mushrooms    shimeji      November - December
Leeks      niranegi      November - February
Shaddocks      zabon      December - January
Kumquats      kinkan      December - January
Strawberries     ichigo      December - Jan.; April - July
Carrots      ninjin      December - Feb.; August- Nov.

Isahaya Sports Park
The sports park (isahaya soukai undou kouen) has two jogging courses, an athletic track, an obstacle course, a stadium, a lawn bowling green, tennis courts, a playground, and an outdoor swimming complex (Waiwai Pool) with a lap pool and several children's pools. The pools are open from July 1st (closed on Tuesdays) to September 10th. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Fees are ¥340 for adults and ¥170 for children (¥500/¥170 on Sundays).

Swimming
The Nishi Isahaya Friendship Plaza (nishi isahaya fureai hiroba) in Masaki Honmura-myou has a pool which can be used free of charge.The pool is closed from late October to early spring. Hours are variable. The pool always closes at 7:00 p.m. It opens at 10:00 on Sundays (with a break from 12 to 1), but during the week and on Saturdays, it can open to the public at 10:00, 1:00, 3:00, or 4:00 depending on the day and month. It's sometimes closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and occasionally other times. Copy down the monthly schedule posted on the front door. There are showers, but you can't use soap or shampoo unless you pay ¥300 for the ofuro. Take the Ken-ei Tsumizu bus to the Fureai Hiroba-mae bus stop. More difficult to get to is the East Nagasaki Park's Community Pool (¥450 for 2 hours), which is open all year and is heated by the garbage incinerator next door. There are two water slides, a kids' pool, and a sauna. It's new and rarely crowded. Across the street is a gym. Take a Nagasaki - Tsutsuji-ga-oka Ken-ei bus and get off at the Yagami bus stop (¥490). Walk over the bridge and straight along the road for 1 km.

Gym
You can work out at the Healthy Parlor Gym (herushii paru isahaya), in Eisho-higashi-machi one block down on the north side of the overpass behind Pure 21. A one-year membership is ¥30,000; you can also buy a ¥400 ticket for a single visit.

Aerobics
Alpha Step Fitness Studio is two buildings west of the Pure 21 apartment building in Eishohigashi-machi. It is run by Rumiko Miyata and her sister, Reiko, who both speak good English. The weekly sessions are ¥1,000 each, but there is a discount if you pay in advance for a longer period.

Tennis
There are two outdoor courts at Nagasaki Wesleyan University. Bring your own equipment. The courts are in poor condition, but can be used anytime. Behind the baseball field in Hon Myou-machi (north of Eishohigashi-machi and across the river) are some public courts. There are also tennis courts at the Undou Kouen (make reservations a month in advance) and at Hajino-o Dam, in Hajino-o-cho.

Bowling
The Park Lane Bowling Alley, on the north bank of the Hon Myou where it bends east, has bowling lanes, table tennis, and pool. Bowling is ¥450 per game (adults) and ¥350 (children). Shoes can be rented for ¥200 per person.

Ping pong
Table tennis (paddles and ball included) is ¥600 per hour at the Park Lane Bowling Alley.You can also play ping pong at the Isahaya Gymnasium (isahaya taiikukan), across from the Takashiro Shrine near Isahaya Kouen, for ¥100 per hour, but the tables are old and right in front of the main entrance.

Fishing
Both Hajino-o Dam and Kogakura Dam seem to be popular although exciting catches are few and far between. Buses for both places leave from Door #7 in the Ken-ei bus terminal. A popular fishing hole in the city is Yamashita-buchi, the pond behind the weir near Isahaya Kouen. Large catfish (namazu) lurk here. Try for sweetfish (ayu) in the lower Sakai River, Takaki-chou. The best from-the-rocks sea fishing in the area is on Kabashima Island, connected to the southern tip of the Nomozaki Peninsula by a bridge. Kazusa, on the Shimabara Peninsula, is another good fishing area, especially for kisu (sillaginoids), a good sashimi fish.

Beaches
There are several decent beaches in Nagasaki, but not all are convenient to get to by public transportation from Isahaya. The closest is Chijiwa, but it doesn't have much ambience. You can try those near Kazusa, on the Shimabara Peninsula, or the three nice beaches on the Nomozaki Peninsula. Neshiko Beach, on Hirado Island, or the beaches on Fukue in the Goto Islands, are pleasant, sandy strands if you're willing to travel far. Swimming season for the Japanese is mid-July to mid-August. The water is nice through September, but those irritating jellyfish proliferate in late summer. Beaches are most crowded during the 'red lobster' hours of midday, and are quiet in the early mornings and evenings. Some beaches charge you for using shade shelters, some have campgrounds, and some have showers. Swimming beaches are kept clean during the season.

Onsens
Perhaps the best in the area is the Toron Onsen (¥500) at Ikoi-no-mura, in Takaki-cho. It's large, clean, and has a sauna and a restaurant. The water isn't too hot, and it is artificially heated, but the view over Isahaya Bay is spectacular. Buses run here only in the summer. Another onsen with a view is Karako (¥500), on Tachibana Bay. It also has a restaurant and is serviced by Ken-ei buses. Unzen offers three public onsen with natural hot spring water. Two, Furu-yu and Shin-yu, are no-frills places for ¥100; the former is very rustic, the latter is often crowded. The other public spa, Kojigoku (¥400), is further from town, but provides soap, and the pool is in a quaint wooden building. Many hotels in Obama and Unzen have fancy onsen running ¥1,000 and up. Michi-no-o Onsen, in Nagayo-chou, is about 700 meters east of Michi-no-o train station. Also fairly close, in Saga Prefecture, are the famous spa towns of Takeo and Ureshino. Takeo can be reached by train, and Ureshino is a 40-minute bus ride from Takeo Station.

Performances: The Isahaya Cultural Hall (bunka kaikan) in Uzu-machi hosts performances of ballet, kabuki, classical music, etc., as well as school opening ceremonies and graduations. There is a 'Dutch' windmill out front. Tickets for performances here and at other venues in the prefecture can be purchased at the ticket sales office in front of the Seiyu Department Store.

Video Games
The Isahaya teen scene is at the Sega Hi-Tech game parlor in Mominoki-mura, by the Lotteria on the Shimabara road.

Movies
The Parfan I and II, at the south end of the Arcade, are Isahaya's theaters. Parfan I is on the 3rd floor and Parfan II is on the 4th floor. The ticket offices are at the entrances to the theaters. Usually, there are four movies showing, at least two of them in English with subtitles. Movies are ¥1700, but if you've filled up two coupon sheets, they're free. On the 1st of every month, movies are ¥1,000. Some Nagasaki theaters have a deal where a couple can get two tickets for ¥2,800 if you buy them at a ticket booth (not at the theater).

Videos
There is a video rental place on Route 207 about two blocks east side of the bridge (19-14 Ten'man-chou). You must sign up to be a member (free). Rentals are ¥400. New release videos must be returned the next day, but others can be kept for a week. Foreign movies usually have Japanese subtitles; some are dubbed in Japanese and this is indicated on the label. The Japanese movies seem to be mostly cartoons and pornography (The label 'hair-nude' reflects the post-pubic hair ban era). You can rent videos for ¥200 on the 5th, 15th, and 25th of every month. You also get ¥100 off during the month of your birthday. At Video-ya, by the Mitachiyama bus stop in Eisho-machi, videos are ¥380, with a good selection.

Television
NHK Nagasaki is Channel 47 in Isahaya. It carries all the regular NHK (semi-public broadcasting) programming as well as local news.

Reading
The Nagasaki Wesleyan University library has a good selection of English language books about Japan. These can be found in the back reading room in both the left and right corners. There is also a good selection of Japanese literature in translation. In this same area are books on the Japanese language. There are other volumes in English, (classical literature, psychology, children’s books, etc.) in the moveable stacks. There are a few sets of English language encyclopedias, as well as other reference works in English, in the main reading room. The library subscribes to the following English-language periodicals: Asian Wall Street Journal, Japan Times, Mainichi Daily News, USA Today, Asahi Weekly, ST (Japan Times), Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, National Geographic, Forbes, Fortune, Far Eastern Economic Review, Asia & Pacific Businessman, Psychology Today, China Today, Mini World, Seventeen, English Studies, Teachers' College Record, Economic Journal, PMLA, American Literature, Crossroads, Japan Quarterly.  Residents of Isahaya may use the college library: the check-out period is one week. The exchange teachers' office at NWU has a large bookshelf full of mostly light reading that people have left over the years. Here, there are also videotaped sitcoms and dramas from U.S. T.V. The municipal library, on the 4th floor of the Civic Center (shimin sentaa - one block west of Daiei), has a several shelves devoted entirely to volumes on Isahaya and Nagasaki Prefecture (all in Japanese).

WALKING AND HIKING

           When you first arrive in Isahaya, walk to the top of Jou Mountain or Mt. Mitachiyama to the lookouts. Take a map. The views of the city will help you get an idea of the lay of the land.
           There are numerous hiking trails in Nagasaki Prefecture. Consider buying the excellent guide Nagasaki-ken no Yama-aruki, by Masayasu Hayashi, even if you can't read all the kanji. A newer hiking guide, Nagasaki-ken no Yama, has color photos, but doesn't list quite as many hikes in the Nagasaki-Isahaya area. There are 1: 50,000 topographical maps of the prefecture available at the Kobundo Bookstore, in Hamano-machi Arcade, Nagasaki. These show some of the hiking trails. The Kyushu Nature Trail (kyuushu shizen houdou), symbolized by a green snail, comes from the Nishisonogi Peninsula across northern Nagasaki City, through the Tachibana hills to Uki, then goes a little inland, hitting the sea again at Karako Onsen. From here it follows the shore to Chijiwa, whence it moves up to the ridge and through Unzen National Park, turning south from Takaiwa Dake to eventually end up in Kuchinotsu. Some sections of the trail follow streets and country roads.
          Trails are not often maintained and some are quite overgrown with neglect. Mountain trails can be very steep and heavily eroded. In winter, the undergrowth and grass die back, but from July to November it can be thick and lush. In summer and fall, spiders build their webs across the trails and they are often an uninvited mouthful. In fall, grass seed and burrs will cling to your clothes. The numerous snakes are especially evident in the summer, but the only dangerous one is the mamushi; watch out for these in the Tara Dake area. The lacquer plant, whose leaves turn red in the fall, causes a rash like poison oak, so be careful when you go cross-country.
          Don't use the directions for longer hikes without also plotting your course on a map and checking the available transportation.

Jou Mountain Park: There are several trails on this hill (122 m.) in Uzu-machi. You can walk from the parking lot up a long flight of stone steps to the small shrine on Atago Yama. Other trails lead through native forest to a lookout which has one of the best views of the city. On the east side of Jou Mountain are trails which go through some azaleas (best viewed in April or May). Trails also extend over the south side to the Isahaya Sports Park.

Mt. Mitachiyama: A shaded set of stone steps leads up to the red Shinto shrine on Mitachiyama (101 m.), in Uzu-machi. Before the shrine, there is a lookout on a small knoll overlooking the Cultural Hall (bunka kaikan) and the baseball field. Behind the temple, you can bear left down a road to Mt. Mitachiyama Park. Just before the park, some stone steps on your left go up to a lookout which gives a commanding view of New Town and all of Nishi Isahaya.

Hon Myou River: You can walk down or up the river, but to get away from the town, walk upstream along the concrete dikes and paddy roads. You can walk quite a way on both sides of the river to above the Tomigawa turnoff. When the foliage is less lush (in winter), many birds can be observed. There are a lot of farms (potatoes, barley, vetch, strawberries, rice) in this part of the valley.

Masaki Warigoi-myou: Walk left when you leave the NWU gates and cross the Bypass. Keep going straight along the road and down a steep hill. You will be in an almost completely enclosed valley of rice terraces bordered by forested hills. You can walk around on the farm roads in the rice fields. On the west side of the valley is the Kumano Shrine adjoining a protected bamboo grove. The narrow road on the walled side of the grove takes you into the hill forests, where there are several old forest tracks to walk along. The vegetation is predominantly bamboo, with some broadleaf forest, including chestnuts. Watch out for mamushi (poisonous adders), hachi (wasps), and carry a stick to swipe away the spider webs in summer and fall.

Old Omura Highway (Kazamidori Dake section): Walk north from NWU as above, but bear right at the crossroads in Warigoi instead of going straight down into the valley. Where the paved road curves right to go under the bypass, go straight up the cement lane and, just past some sheds, bear left through some bamboo. This is the beginning of the old Omura Highway, part of the Edo-period Nagasaki high road to Saga,  but no longer used by vehicles, that takes you through some dense mixed forest. See where inoshishi  have dug down to chew on new bamboo shoots. The road is a tunnel through the greenery until a cleared area with a stone highway marker. Some Joumon-era stone tombs were discovered here. The track branches in three directions. Going straight will lead you past a logged area on more forest roads down to Highway 34. The right-hand track goes down to Shimo-ouwatano-machi in Isahaya. The left hand track connects you with cement lanes running through mikan orchards in Imamura; where the first lane begins there is a trail leading left, down to the forest tracks described in the walk above.

Tomigawa Ravine: The ravine can be reached by bus. Trails take you around the small ravine area through primary forest, which includes some large trees and creepers. If you walk straight up the right side of the river valley from the ravine, an overgrown trail (a bare scratch) will take you into a pristine area with a deep pool inhabited by crabs and small native fish. Disregard their fierce nibbles at your legs when you take a dip. A whole complex of forestry roads suitable for hiking or mountain biking takes you up the slopes and ridges of Gokahara Dake. They can be reached by heading up from the right side of the ravine.

Yuuno-o River Valley: Take the Tomigawa bus to Tanakake and continue up this pretty, rural valley on foot. September is a good time to go, with lilies and other flowers blooming. Before the last bridge, a stone staircase leads up to a sacred rock overhang, an ancient source of fresh drinking water. A cement forest road beginning after the last homes takes you several km. into the woods. Men come to this area with dogs to hunt wild boar.

Shirake Mine Tableland and Shizen-no-ie: You can amble around the Shirake Mine Park, on the slopes of Gohara Dake, during the flowering season for aburana (rapeseed) in April and cosmos in October. The park commands an excellent view of the Ariake Sea and the Shimabara Peninsula. A few hundred meters along the main road to Gokahara Dake, there is a small wooden sign indicating "Course C". This trail leads down a gulley forested with native trees. There is a quiet stream with several shallow pools. Further up the mountain is the Isahaya National Youth Nature Center (kokuritsu isahaya shounen shizen-no-ie). Behind the main buildings is a trail to Gokahara Dake. You cross a small patch of miyama kirishima (mountain azaleas) just before you reach the main peak. Two other hiking trails (Courses A and B) start from in front of the main buildings.

Todoroki-no-taki trails: Two trails from Todoroki-no-taki lead to Tara Dake. From the waterfall area, head up the road on the west side of the stream. At the trailhead, the left trail goes along the stream through beautiful primary broad-leaf forest to Komatsuo Park on the Tara Dake forest road; from there it's a short climb to the saddle. The right trail takes you to the saddle up another valley to the Kinsen Temple on the Tara Dake ridge. A short trail from near Komatsuo Park leads out onto a ridge overlooking the Sakai River valley. This is a good area to see tsukushi shakunage (rhododendron) blooms in May. The left fork from the road to the Todoroki upper pool leads down to Ikoi-no-mura and gives beautiful views of the Todoroki ravine. A trail off of this road goes up to Houka-zan (554 m.), the pointed peak on the ridge. You can walk from Todoroki-no-taki to Yue Station via Ikoi-no-mura in an hour and a half.

Kouri Dake and Toume Yama: From Nodake Lake (take the 9:15 bus from Omura Terminal - ¥480), walk up the main road passing the Omurawan Country Club golf course on your right. After about 20 mins, there's a sign for Nishi Touzan-guchi and Kouri Dake. It's 3.8 km. to the top, passing the precipice of Bou-iwa on the way. The grassy summit (826 m.) is a take-off spot for paragliders. You can loop back down to the lake via Minami Touzan-guchi, or continue along the ridge, past some sumiyaki pits, to Kyou-ga Dake (about 10 km., or 5 hours) via Toume Yama (849 m.). It's a pleasant up-and-down walk through native forest with many wild camellias (yabutsubaki) and rhododendrons (tsukushi shakunage). The new tunnel connecting Kashima with Omura is being drilled under this ridge. There are five trails from the ridge leading down to the main road in the Kouri River Valley (two to Kitakawauchi, and one each to Iwaya, Itakawauchi, and Kuroki), where you can catch a bus, or you can go over Kyou-ga Dake to Naka-yama Goshi, and descend to Kuroki from there. Remember that the last bus leaves Kuroki at 5:30.

Gokahara-Tara-Kyou-ga Dake peaks: These peaks along an ancient crater rim, part of the Aso complex,  have the most extensive system of trails in the area. They can be reached from Tomigawa Ravine, Shizen-no-ie, Kataki, Todoroki-no-taki, Sazanka Kougen (take the left fork from the bus stop and walk for an hour along the road to a sign for Ichi-no-miya Dake), Kuroki, and Naka-yama Campground and Hiratani Onsen in Saga Prefecture. The area composes the Tara Dake Prefectural Park. There is an old trail, much overgrown, along the Omura/Isahaya boundary line, which goes up to Gokahara Dake (1,058 m.), the peak with the T.V. towers visible from Isahaya, from the forest roads above Tomigawa Ravine.  An easier hike to the top of Gokahara Dake starts from Shizen-no-ie. Hike from Gokahara to Tara Dake via Naka Dake (960 m.). Tsukushi shakunage (wild rhododendrons) bloom in this area in May. There are some impressively large cypress trees below Tara Dake and a shrine area on top. Just east of the peak is a 'meditation rock' which overlooks forested valleys. The saddle area has a rest house, where you can stay overnight (¥1,040: it's open every Saturday night and the night before holidays - bring your own food, and you should probably take a sleeping bag for extra warmth in the winter), drinking water, and a small temple (Kinsen-ji). This temple was an important Buddhist stronghold, but was attacked by Christians in 1583. A rare kind of saxifrage, the sandaisu, grows here, and the saddle is the haunt of the endangered dormouse (yamane). Kyou-ga Dake (1,076 m.) is very steep-sided, but is the most interesting of the three. Hiking between the peaks takes you through extensive native forests of madrone, camellia, cedar, and many kinds of deciduous trees (Gokahara to Tara: 1 hr.; Tara to Kyou-ga Dake: 1.5 hrs.). The trails are very steep leading up to the peaks themselves. Sometimes you'll need to use hands, and there are a lot of loose rocks. Ropes are strung between trees in places to help you get a grip. A good starting or ending point is at Kuroki, in the Ko-ori River valley, reached by bus from Omura train station (Catch the 8:15 bus because the next one is after 11; the last three buses leaving from Kuroki are at 14:25, 16:05, and 17:30). From Kuroki, trails lead up to all three peaks. You will notice circular stone enclosures long the trails. These were charcoal-making (sumiyaki) pits. The pretty trail up to the ridge west of Gokahara Dake runs along a stream with waterfalls and swimming holes. If you have a car, you can drive to the top of Gokahara Dake, or you can park at Komatsuo Kouen for a short hike up to the Tara Dake saddle.

Kompira Dake and Kurosaki Dams: From Kantaku-no-sato Station, on the Shimabara line, walk across the tracks, cross the main road, and begin walking west. Take the first gravel road leading south, walk one block, then turn right. Walk a couple of blocks to a narrow road which leads up a small valley. A cement path bends left up to a small park with tea bushes. Walk towards the hill from the park, and follow the paved road as it bends sharply to continue up the hill. The road takes several switchbacks through the forest until it reaches a parking lot. Take either fork of the path from the end of the parking lot past a number of sacred sites to the site of a temple consecrated by a priest from Ten'yu-ji Temple to protect Isahaya's feudal lord during his sea voyages (Kompira was the syncretic Shinto-Buddhist deity who protected fishermen and sailors). South of this site, stairs lead through the bamboo to a grassy park with a view of Isahaya Bay. Walk up the slippery stone path to the shrine at the top of Kompira Dake (247 m.). Thirty-three red-bibbed jizou circle the area. Behind the shrine a short path leads to a stone bench. Work your way through the underbrush below the bench until, after a few meters, you reach a clearcut. Head along the top edge of the clearcut to the power pylon (No. 30), then walk down to the gravel road. Take a left on the road and walk to its end, then go down to the valley past Pylon No. 31. Bear right on the forest road leading down the valley. For an adventurous scramble through native forest, you could head up the trail to Pylon No. 32, and from there bear right and hit a road going near the top of the next hill (280 m.). The east face of this hill is a large stone quarry. Otherwise, head down the valley past the upper and lower Kurosaki Dams. Near the mouth of the valley, a road heads up the slope to your right, ending up by the upper and lower Nidano-o Dams in the next valley. This is a pleasant, quiet spot. The site of Kurosaki Castle is on the north end of the ridge between these two valleys. For a sweeping view of the Ono Plain, Isahaya Bay, and Gokahara Dake, take the road from the base of the lower Nidano-o dam wall up the ridge east of the lakes. Walk down the valley to the Shimabara Road and wait for a bus back to Isahaya or walk west a few minutes to the Kantaku-no-sato train station.

Hajino-o - Uki - Karako - Chijiwa on the Kyushu Nature Trail: This walking trail, mostly on roads, can be reached by taking a bus to Hajino-o, Uki, Karako Onsen, or Chijiwa, and is signposted at most, but not all, intersections. Hajino-o - Uki: Take a Ken-ei bus to Hajino-o (Door #7). From the bus stop at the torii, walk south about 50 m. and turn up the road with the Kyushu Nature Trail map. Follow the paved road up the hill and come to a new public toilet. Bear right at the toilet (follow the signs for Masano). After about 50m. make almost a 180° turn to the left and reach the top of the plateau. Continue along the farm roads through potato, cabbage, daikon, and carrot fields, following the brown signs in kanji for Masano, and then Uki. When you hit a line of forest, turn right and walk along the forest strip and the top of the ridge. After the road dips at the end of the ridge, head straight down a narrow alley and keep going until you hit the main Nagasaki-Obama road. Walk east to the harbor settlement of Uki. Uki - Karako: From Uki, use the main highway, or the road leading east from the grocery store in the center of town to get to Foggy Villa. Just before Foggy Villa, take a left turn and cross the small bridge over the highway, then bear right, paralleling the highway from above. A side trail breaks off from this to your left and leads to the top of Koeboshi Dake (158 m.), which gives a fine view of Uki.  Continue along the farm roads until you meet the main highway again, walking along this busy road for about 200 m., then taking the turn-off for the Miyabi 'Music and Fashion Hotel' on your right. Follow this road around a long bend, pass the Hotel Flora, and turn right at the mirror post, then left at the next intersection. The road follows the south side of the valley. At the lotus pond, bear right and continue straight to Karako Onsen, where you can take a bath for ¥500. Karako - Chijiwa: From the onsen, the trail (also used by cars) follows the bed of the now-defunct Aino-Obama railroad along the base of the cliffs to Chijiwa Beach; from here, you can catch a bus back to Isahaya.

Hatten Dake: Take a Hajino-o or Enoura bus, or cycle down Route 41 (to Iimori). Get off the bus at the Hajino-o bus stop. A tall torii marks a road leading to the right. Walk up this valley on the road until you see another torii on your left. Walk under it up the narrow forest road until you see a third torii which marks the trail to Hatten Dake (297 m.). There is a sumo ring here and the trail leads up steps through the forest past stone markers. Near the top is a large round rock which, according to local legend, was placed on top of another rock by a legendary local giant. A cleared area near the summit gives a view of Tachibana Bay. At the foot of Hatten Dake, on its northeast corner, are the sites of old ceramics kilns.

Hajino-o to Hana-no-ki via Goban-no-tsuji: This route follows the Kyushu Nature Trail and is well-signposted as far as Hana-no-ki. Take a bus to Hajino-o (Ken-ei Door #7). Walk under the torii and take the road leading across and then along the river (For Hatten Dake - see above - continue walking on the main road in the valley). At an intersection, the right fork bends sharp right up the hill. Follow this road around to an intersection on a ridge where a cemented forest lane goes up on the left. Keep following this road after it turns into gravel. Bear left after the big map of the Kyushu Nature Trail and take the steps leading up on the right side of the road. This trail leads to the forested top of Goban-no-tsuji (270 m.). The trails bears left from the top and continues down to the pass on the Iimori-Kuyama road. Take a right on the road and follow it north for about 200 m. Take the left turn and walk through the small farming settlement of Hana-no-ki. About 600 m. past Hana-no-ki, a trail leads up from a couple of obelisks joined by a shimenawa (straw rope) to a sacred rock site. Continue along the road through another small community. Just past the last house is an intersection. Descend right for Kikitsu Station, or keep going for Ibi-no-o Dake and the Nagasaki Old Road (see below).

Ibi-no-o Dake: From Kikitsu Station in Tarami-cho, head straight out the front door along the river. Cross the Nagasaki road and keep heading straight up a valley after the river bends left. You will see Tarami High School on the hill to your left. At the intersection after the freeway overpass, take the middle fork. The next intersection has a sign for Hana-no-ki (left) and Fujidana (right - 3.9 km.). Turn right and follow the road around the mountain past a zabon (shaddock) orchard. You will come to a stone marker with red kanji indicating a rest stop on the old Nagasaki kaidou. Go up the road leading left and then take the narrow cement lane with a sign for Pylon No. 157. Walk up to the pylon, then bear right. After a few meters, you come to a cedar forest. The trail leads up the edge of this forest. First you come to a cleared area with an all-encompassing view of Isahaya. Keep to the ridge as from here the scratch of a trail follows red-topped plastic pegs which are boundary markers. There are a lot of fallen trees and you have to go over several rises before reaching the highest point on Ibi-no-o Dake (407 m.).

Nagasaki Old Road: Take the same route from Kikitsu Station as for Ibi-no-o Dake (see above). When you come to the stone marker with red kanji  mentioned above, continue along the road itself (make a left for Ibi-no-o Dake). A small temple with a statue of a Buddhist goddess, Ibi-no-o Kan'non, sits above a terraced valley. After this, you will come to an intersection with a Lions Club marker and map of the old Nagasaki kaidou. Bear left and go under the freeway and past some small nurseries. Cross under the freeway one more time, walk through a small industrial area, head around the bend past a yellow sign for the Kyushu Nature Trail and hit the main Nagasaki road and the Fujidana bus stop. If you don't want to wait for a bus back to Isahaya, the Ichinuno train station is 800 m. to the north. (The terminus for the former Nagasaki kaidou is near the Hotarujyaya streetcar stop. In Isahaya, it passed by the current location of Chinzei Gakuin.)

Kokuuzou-san: Walk straight out of Kikitsu Station along the river. After about 100 m., turn right at the main road and walk to the traffic signal. Turn left here and walk up along the wide brick pavement to a T-intersection. Turn left, then right across a bridge. Keep walking, with the junior high school on your left. At the swimming pool, bear right and follow the road under the railroad tracks and all the way up the Nakazato Valley, passing a new dam wall decorated with a picture of a large, blue catfish, and entering the forest. Follow the forest road to an intersection by a water tank and turn right. Follow this road all the way up to the park on Kokuuzou-san (296 m.). The lookout tower up here gives panoramic views of Omura Bay and the Nagasaki Airport to the north and eastern Nagasaki to the south. There are drinking fountains and picnic tables here, and you can enjoy the planes roaring just overhead as they descend to the airport. To continue the walk, keep going along the road past the parking lot through broadleaf forest. You will reach a T-intersection, where you bear left through a small logged area. After a few meters, you come to the next interesection, where you bear right. This road will take you along the side of the ridge through the mikan orchards of the Ikiriki area, a fine stroll on a sunny day. Koto-no-o Dake, with its microwave tower, is across the valley. The road descends and keeps to the right of the railroad tracks; then, at an intersection go under the tracks through a small brick tunnel, turning right at the main road and walking the last few hundred meters to Oukusa Station.

Koto-no-o Dake: The hike is best done in November, when the mikans are ripe. From Hongawachi train station, on the Nagayo line to Nagasaki, take the road to the right of the station building. Work your way up the hill past the dam and into the ikiriki mikan terraces. About 2 km. from the top, which has a couple of radio towers, distance markers begin telling you how far there is to go. You will pass the source of the Nagayo River. Near the summit is an old beacon pit and a tea plantation. There is a wonderful view from the top. You can choose to return via Oukusa Station (about 10 km.) by taking the paved road down and then walking through mikan orchards along the ridge paralleling the valley. In the fall, you will notice the yellowing vines of yamatoimo (wild yams), a delicacy here. The gunshots and weird bird sounds are recordings to frighten away hiodori (bulbuls), the noisy birds which eat mikans. When you hit the valley bottom, remember that the train station is on the coast  east of the river mouth.

Nagasaki City Hikes

You can walk from various train, streetcar, and bus stops in Nagasaki right up into the many hills surrounding the city. The warren of residences, reached by steps and narrow, winding alleys give way to vegetable gardens, stone terraces, old wells and waste pits, bamboo groves, and native forest. All of the following hikes take only half a day.

Yagami Fugen Dake - Gyousen Dake - Funaishi Dake: Take a Nagasaki Eki-mae/Tsutsuji-ga-oka bus to Yagami (¥490). Walk north from the bus stop and then turn right on the road to Unzen and cross the bridge. At the major intersection after the bridge, take the narrow road leading up under the torii on the left. Cross over a ditch below a graveyard, then, after a few meters, cross back over a white-railed bridge. To your left, the trail to Fugen Shrine leads upward through the trees. Where the trail meets the tarmac road, take the steps leading up from the corner. Come to a junction of torii. The white and red torii lead to a shrine overlooking east Nagasaki. Take the steps under the black torii, passing trails leading to various sacred sites on the way up to Fugen Jinja, seen to your left through a hole in a rock. You may see worshippers trotting back and forth through this opening in their bare feet. Continue up the steps. Later the trail passes between large rock reliefs of a white goddess and a colored demon. At the top of Fugen Dake (439 m.), you can return to Route 34 by taking the trail to the left. For Gyousen Dake (456 m.), go right, and walk along a saddle to the forested top. From here, descend to your left. After you pass over a knoll, the trail, marked by pink ribbons, will go down to the right. When you hit a road, walk north a few meters to a wooden torii. The trail goes up from here to a terrace overlooked by a stone icon. A brushy trail from the far end of the terrace leads up to the top of Funaishi Dake (451 m.). From its grassy summit, get a good view of Iimori-chou, and pass between the two microwave screens, eventually reaching cultivated fields. Turn right on the tarmac road, and walk along it to a pass, where you turn left and walk down the valley. When you reach the main valley, walk west through Nakasato-machi to the Koga bus stop on Route 34. The bus back to Isahaya is ¥390.

Hoba Dake: Take the train to Utsutsugawa Station. Walk to the right as you leave the station, then turn left at the intersection with the bus stop. Head up the valley. The road bends sharp left. After crossing two streams, take the first paved road on the right. Across from a blue shed, take the trail up to a cement forest road. Follow this road up to Pylon No. 18. Past the pylon, a trail leads up to No. 19, and then over a peak to the top of Hoba Dake (506 m.), the tallest hill in northern Nagasaki. The complex of buildings to the north is Junshin Women's University. Take the trail signposted for Nishi Yama, and continue along the ridge until you reach Utsutsugawa Pass. There are four paved roads here. Take the one going up with the white lane markers. Walk long the road for 20-30 mins. to the stop sign at Koba Pass. Turn left here, then right on a cement road going up past a large cleared area. At the forested ridge, take the trail on the left (For Houka-zan, go right). It's about 1 km. to Nakao Pass. From here, you can keep going to Himi Pass (2.3 km.), or head down into the valley, past Myouso-ji, along the two Hongochi reservoirs and construction for the new bypass to Hotarujyaya streetcar stop.

Iwaya-san: From Michi-no-o train station, walk west to the main shopping street, then south from Seiyu. Turn a sharp right before the pedestrian overpass. Follow this road up past a junior high school and around the curve to the left. Before the big right bend, go straight up the narrow road on the left of the valley. You will come to a parking lot behind an elementary school. Go under the torii and walk up to Iwaya Shrine. To the left is a rock overhang, but, for Mt. Iwaya, keep straight after going under the new cedar torii. The steep trail takes you to the top (475 m.) in about 40 minutes. For a loop return, go over the grassy top and take the trail to the right which heads past a satellite dish tower. Before the tower, there is a trail crossroads. Turn left here. At the next trail sign, you can go left for Iwaya Shrine, or right along the ridge for Aburagi-machi. It's about 3 km. along this pleasant ridge trail to the city streets. You will come to a paved section of the Kyushu Nature Trail which leads past a Christian cemetery. Heading east, you will encounter the Ouhashi streetcar stop at the north end of the sports park.

Mt Inasa: Rather than take the ropeway, try walking up Inasa fron its northern end. Cross the Urakami River on the Yanagawa Bridge, just south of Urakami Station. Keep going straight, then bear left at the Matsuhaya convenience store. Take the next right and follow this road around a couple of bends to the vending machines below a pylon. Walk up the steps and find the trail on the rocky ridge behind the pylon. Keep to the ridge as you ascend. When you get to a cleft in the rocks, descend and skirt the rocks on their west side. Follow the trail back to the ridge and all the way to the Mt. Inasa Nature Park. You can walk to the Viewtower at the top (332 m.) from here, or take the Skyway. To descend the mountain, cross the road on the east side of the deer enclosure and find the steps leading down. This trail will lead down to Fuchi-machi. Walk down the road past the Nagasaki Hospital and make a left on the main road to return to the Yanagawa Bridge.

Kompira-san trails: This hike is best done at the end of November, when the maple trees at Konpira Jinja are resplendent with fall color. Go to Suwa Jinja and turn left after the shrine entrance. Walk past the pond and up the steps on the right. Keep going until you reach a paved road with large camphor trees (kusu) growing in the middle of the street. Walk up this curvy road to the first traffic light and turn left. At the next intersection (see the sign for Nagasaki Higashi High School), turn right and walk up through the park past an aviary (geese and chickens) and an observation platform. When you reach the end of the park, you'll see a torii on your right. Walk under the torii, and head up the street in front of you. The street turns into a paved walkway. Take the left path at the fork and go up stone steps to another torii. (At the top of the shaded stone steps, a trail to your right soon splits three ways, offering some alternatives for the return hike to the city.) Keep going to the shrine. The path continues past the shrine to the top of Kompira-san (366 m.), crowned by a small shrine with a magnificent view. You can keep going over the top and the trail soon splits. The left path goes down to the vicinity of Urakami Cathedral. The right trail will take you down to the valley; cross the Nakashima River below the dam and head up to the large white pagoda. A trail leads from here to Houka-zan (see below).

Houka-zan trails : From the Siebold Museum (Shinnakagawa-machi street car stop), walk about 200 meters up the valley and ascend the hill on your left, passing through market gardens to the ridge. The trail goes over Yake-yama and Tate-yama through bamboo and cypress groves covering abandoned terraces. As you approach Houka-zan (426 m.), you will encounter more native forest. The top of Houka-zan has a stone-lined pit formerly used for signal fires; the peak affords a view of the harbor. From Houka-zan, you can hike west to Kompira-san and Suwa Shrine, southwest to Bukou-zan and Hotarujyaya streetcar stop, or southeast to Myouso-ji Temple to catch public transportation; or you can continue northeast to Koba Pass, then turn south, keeping to the ridge. At Nakao Pass, a trail descends to Myouso-ji, but you can also keep to the ridge and walk to Himi Pass, descending to the bus stop on the west of the tunnel. A trail also continues along the ridge to pointed peak of Hiko-san (386 m.). The Houka-zan area is a refuge for a small, rare mushroom, the kiiretsuchitorimochi.

Hiko-san and Atago-yama: Take Streetcar No. 3 from the Nagasaki Station to the end of the line (Hotarujyaya streetcar stop). Walk east up the main road (Route 34); go over the overpass along the first Hongochi reservoir. Near the end of the overpass is a pedestrian crossing. Push the button and cross, looking across the road to your left for a torii under a shade tree. Climb the steps under the torii; keep going after you cross a road, always taking the wider path at forks. A stone pathway will take you up into the forest and past a small cave sheltering a spring. Where the cedars end, a narrow trail to the left takes you to a crevasse in the rock. Return to the main trail and ascend under a torii to Iimori Jinja, under the rock face of Iimori-san (352 m.). Descend from the shrine and walk west along the saddle between two buildings, then up to the top of Hiko-san (403 m.). A few meters beyond the small shrine, the trail splits: the right fork descends to Hotarujyaya; the left takes you south. If you choose the latter, walk past the satellite towers (good views of the harbor); cross one cement lane, then turn right on the next one. After a few minutes, take the trail going left off the lane and head into a residential area. Make your way west to the saddle between Kazagashira-yama and the forested hump of Atago-yama (227 m.) to the south. At the saddle, bear left and work your way past some homes up to Atago Shrine. This is a historical place with many little shrines and a number of residential housecats (abandoned by their owners and fed by shrine patrons). Descend to the area of Yasaka Shrine and Sofukuji by taking the principal stone staircase leading down from the shrine through the forest.

Hachirou Dake: This peak is the highest point in the Nagasaki City area. The forested slopes around Hachirou Dake are a deer preserve, with the only significant herd of shika on the Nagasaki mainland. Try going in mid-November, during the rut. To get there, take a Kabashima, Wakimizaki, or Kawahara bus from the bus stop in front of the London Park amusement arcade across from the Nagasaki train station, or from the Shinchi Bus Terminal (¥250 from the latter). Get off at the Hirayama bus stop. Walk a few paces north from here and turn right on the road leading up the valley. After about 300 meters, you'll see a graveyard facing you on the hillside. Go up the steps to this place, and walk along the path behind the fence. This is the trail to the top of Hachirou Dake. The climb, mostly through broadleaf forest, takes a little over an hour (2.7 km.). Before the summit, the trail splits at a red and yellow sign on a tree. Take the left fork. From the top (590 m.), you can get a wonderful view of the mouth of Nagasaki Harbor, the city, and the islands to the south. To do a loop hike, continue over the top and, after a few minutes, peel off down the trail to the right, which soon reaches an old forest road. Walk right along the road to the trail leading up to the left. This path takes you to the top of Ko-hachirou Dake (564 m.), less than a kilometer from Hachirou Dake. From here, you get a view looking east to the Amakusa Islands, Tachibana Bay, and Mt. Unzen. Continue south to the grassy slopes of Otome Touge. From this pass, a trail goes down to the right, taking you all the way to a road in the Hirayama Valley. The Hirayama bus stop is a few minutes' walk to the west. For a longer day, you can hike 3.9 km. northeast from Hachirou Dake to Kuma-ga-mine (569 m.), or south from Ko-hachirou Dake for 2.3 km. along the backbone of the Nomozaki Peninsula to Tera Dake (452 m.). From Tera Dake, walk down to Tameshi and thence south to the main road for a bus.

Unzen National Park hikes

Get a map from the visitor center before you set out on any hikes. Short hikes lead around the main hot spring area (Unzen Jigoku), Kyuhatiman Jigoku, and Oshidori Pond. A longer hike will take you up along the west side of the golf course to Nita Pass, past the cable car terminus near the top of Myouken Dake, and then to the narrow ridge along the top of Myouken (1,333 m.). The trails to Fugen Dake (1,360 m.) and Kunimi Dake (1,347 m.) have been closed since the 1991 eruption. You can do the short hike up No Dake (1,142 m.) from Nita Pass. A rare boxwood, the inutsuge, grows there. You can walk to the top of Mt. Kinugasa (870 m.), marked by a satellite tower, from the west side of the town, near the Genseinuma marshland, or from Shirakumo Pond. Hike to Ya Dake (940 m.) from the south end of the golf course, or from Unzen Jigoku. Takaiwa Yama (881 m.) is reached from Kojigoku Spa, in the southeast area of town; walk up the road leading east up to the ridge, then turn right for the Houbaru picnic area: from here it's about 30 minutes to the top of Takaiwa. You can also walk from Unzen to Tachibana Jinja, in Chijiwa, via Kusenbu Dake (6 hours). Hike up to the Myouken Dake summit and take the trail going down from the shrine. When you hit the road, keep walking until you see the trail for Kusenbu Dake; after you have passed the peak, descend to  Tashirobaru Campground. From here you can take trails to the top of Kusenbu Dake (1,062 m.) and Azuma Dake (870 m.). To walk down to Chijiwa, take the Kyushu Nature Trail to Kouboubaru, then descend along the paved road to the town. You can also just walk down the road from Tashirobaru to Chijiwa.  Another longer hike takes you from the top of Takaiwa Yama south to Suwa Ike along the Kyushu Nature Trail.

The following areas are good for jogging:
 Isahaya Sports Park complex (Undou Kouen): Two courses of 2 km. and 2.835 km.: a map near the stadium gate opposite the tennis practice wall details both of these;
 Along the dykes and farm tracks near the Hon Myou River going north from the city;
 Jou Mountain Park walking trails;
 Hanzou River cycling course: from the Undou Kouen along the Hanzou River until it meets the Hon Myou, then west to the arcade area.

Cycling is a good way to get around Isahaya. The many hills will give you some exercise and it's an easy way to get to scenic spots outside the city. You may cycle on the sidewalks or on the streets. There are some streets with wide sidewalks and gentle dropoffs at crossings that make for good cycling. Other streets are narrow with no sidewalks, or the sidewalks were not designed to accommodate smooth bicycle riding. Distances given are the estimated round trip from Isahaya Station.

Omura loop (Omura Bay Road - Peace Pagoda - Hi Dake - Imamura): Cycle west on Route 207 through Shiraiwa-machi (For a quieter route, take the road that parellels 207 through Eisho-machi and Masaki Honmura-myo). Pass the fureai hiroba  and bear left after the bridge. At the main road, turn right and go under the freeway. Keep to this road all along the Bay. Most of the way, there is a safe, smooth pavement on the right. The road heads above the bay and then dips to a flat paddy area. Here, turn right on the Hi Dake road. A long uphill takes you near the Omura Peace Pagoda, a conspicuous white stupa. There's a good view of Omura and the airport from here. Continue along the road to a pig farm. Just before the pigs, a narrow cement track heads up through trees to Hi Dake (258 m.). Leave your bike and walk up for a 360° view from the little park at the top. Just after the piggery, the road forks. Bear left for a pretty cycle through the mikan orchards above the Imamura valley. Head down the east side of the valley. Notice the wetland to your left, blooming with goldenrod in the fall, and a good spot for birdwatching. The south end of the forested ridge is the site of Masaki Castle. When you get to the main road, turn left for Isahaya. (steep hills - 23 km.)

Tomigawa Ravine: Cycle north along the Omura Road (Route 34) until you reach the point where the river bends. A sign in English and Japanese on Route 34 tells you to turn for Tomigawa Ravine and Gohyaku Rakan. You can also get up the valley by keeping to the roads along the east bank of the river. Keep cycling up the valley. About 3 km. further up, another sign will point you to a narrow paved road which leads another 3.5 km. up to Tomigawa Ravine. (hills - 21 km.)

Yuuno-o Valley: Cycle as to Tomigawa (above), but at the 3.5 km. sign to Tomigawa, bear right up the Yuuno-o River valley. This area is particularly beautiful in late September, when the rice is beginning to yellow, and the higambana (red spider lilies) and orange cosmos are blooming. Once you cross over to the right bank of the river, you have two choices: 1) Take the road leading up to the ridge. Where you join the ridge road is where archeologists excavated a 5,000 year-old Joumon-era village (Kogashira archeological site). Cycle down to Isahaya from here. Or 2) Continue several km. up to where a cement forest road begins by some small trout ponds. You can go further up the valley on the forest road, or turn right and go up to the ridge. At the crest, turning left will take you to the Meshiro river valley; bearing right will lead you to several intersections (to Detekoi Land or back to the Hon Myou river). (steep hills - 19 km.)

Fukuda River/Detekoi Land: Cycle west along Route 207 until the major signposted crossroads in Hatten-cho. Turn left and cycle up the road into the Fukuda River valley. The farm roads end eventually, so, in the small village, turn left and make your way up to the ridge. There is a paved road with a bus route. You can continue up here past many gardens and fields to Kogashira bus-stop, or turn left at a round sign for "Detekoi - Barrier-free Leisure Park". Follow the signs down into the Meshiro River Valley and west up to the next ridge. Detekoi Land is further up this ridge. You can return to Isahaya by heading down the ridge and bearing right along narrow roads. (hills - 17 km.)

Ochouzu Kan'non/Kogashira: Cross the bridge by the Hotel Yachiyo and keep going straight. At Higashi Isahaya Station, turn left under the railroad tracks. Head up the ridge for a few km., passing the garbage incinerator stack on your right, and bear right at the white and gold Buddhist stupa. You will begin to head down to the Nagata River valley. Pass the Ochouzu bus-stop. It's 800 meters from here to the Ochouzu Kan'non (turn left at the sign), a very quiet, spiritual grotto with waterfalls, spring water, jizou statues, rock carvings, and a temple. From the grotto, head to your right up to the ridge. If you want to keep cycling, bear right for a few km. up the ridge on the narrow road. You will reach an intersection and the Kogashira bus-stop. Turn left and free-wheel all the way back to Isahaya. (hills - 19 km.)

Tara Dake Forest Road (Isahaya section): This scenic route (tara dake oudan rindou) is hard cycling, but it takes in many of the sights of northern Isahaya. Cycle up to the Ochouzu Kan'non (see above). Keep going on the narrow road on the west side of the valley. After about 3 km., cross the river and head up to the ridge. At the first big intersection, turn right. The road will take you up and around to the Gokahara Dake road. Shirake Mine is about 300 meters down the hill. To reach the Tara Dake Forest Road, head back up the ridge about 4.5 km, passing the Shizen-no-ie Youth Center. You will come to a signposted intersection. Turn left and cycle around the heads of several valleys, including the headwaters of the Hon Myo,  on this forested route, constructed in 1992. At the last ridge, a sign will give you the option of turning left towards Tomigawa Ravine, or heading straight down the ridge on the Omura-Isahaya boundary line. (steep hills - 34 km.)

Shirake Mine: Cycle east along the Saga Road (Route 207) until you see a sign in English and Japanese for Shirake Mine. The main road to Shirake Mine turns right and loops back over 207. It is a wide road, but you will have to push the bike sometimes going up the mountain. It is more pleasant to continue along 207 a little way and go up farm roads. There are small forests and many market gardens. Wend your way slowly westward until you meet the main Shirake Mine road and continue up it to the flower park. You can also reach Shirake Mine via the Ochouzu Kan’non (see above). (steep hills - 22 km.)

Ariake Sea (Isahaya Bay): Cycle along the Hon Myou's south bank past the arcade area and then along gravel roads on the dykes by the river. When you reach the Hanzou River, you have to turn south along its bank and cross by the bridge. Head back along small suburban and farm roads in the general direction of the Hon Myou's mouth, on land drained for farming in the 16th century. You will see the seawall. Head towards them on farm roads through the paddies. In the ditches here in early summer, you may notice the pink, raspberry-like egg clusters of Ampullaria  snails, imported as edible delicacies from tropical America and now a crop-munching scourge of farms all over east Asia. You can cycle along the seawall from the mouth of the Hon Myo south. At low tide, the mudflats in Ariake Bay stretch for several kilometers. People and wading birds probe for squilla, lugworms, and other creatures in the mud. Just past where the seawall juts out is an area of seagrass on the bay side of the wall. This area turns a photogenic bright red in the fall. You can also cycle to the bay along the north bank of the Hon Myou, but you need to turn north to the Saga Road when you hit the Fukuda River. Turn south at the sign for Shimabara and cross the new bridge over the Hon Myou (Shironuhi-bashi), then bear left on the first road to get to the dyke. West of the dyke there are many little-traveled farm roads through the rice paddies which make for pleasant cycling. This is the largest flat area in Nagasaki Prefecture. (flat - 21 km.)

Hanzou River Cycling Course: From the Undou Kouen, a 'cycling course' goes along the north bank of the Hanzou River paralleling the Shimabara Road (Route 57). This course bends north with the river along the dyke until its junction with the Hon Myou. You can then cycle west into Hon-machi.(flat - 10.5 km.)

Tachibana Bay (Kogakura - Uki - Moriyama loop): Go to Uki via Kogakura (see below). Turn east on the main Nagasaki-Unzen road, then turn left at the signed intersection for Central Isahaya. Go up this road a few hundred meters, then turn right on the wide road going up the hill. After the pass bear left on Route 124. Continue through the hills until you reach a valley full of paddies, with the Moriyama golf course on the eastern ridge. Cycle down the valley through a defile, passing the large quarry being carved out of the hill on your left.  (hills - 20 km.)

Tachibana Bay (Kogakura - Uki - Yanagihara loop): Go to Kogakura Dam (see below) and continue cycling along the main road up to the watershed and then down the valley to the Nagasaki-Obama highway. Turn left for Uki, Isahaya's main fishing port. Going back, take the north road at the main intersection on the highway. Turn right after a few hunded meters and head up the east side of the valley to the ridge. As you head down into the next valley, bear left. This road will take you to the main Isahaya-Shimabara road (Route 57). There are two lakes in this rather narrow, pretty valley. The first is part of Munakata Park. You can cycle or walk around the lake past the campground. There are forest roads leading into the hills from the park. (hills - 20 km.)

Kogakura: The Kogakura Dam can be reached by heading due south from Route 57 (Shimabara Road) in Ogawa-machi (Turn right after the Lotteria). The road to the dam is a bus route that eventually ends up in Uki, on Tachibana Bay. You can turn left and cycle along the dam wall. A narrow paved road that is fairly level goes all the way around the lake. Short trails leading up to the power pylons can be explored. There are small wetlands good for birdwatching and this is a popular fishing spot. The lake is best visited after the rainy season in July, when water levels are up. When the water is low (in winter), the remains of old rice paddies are exposed. On the east arm of the lake is a small village. A narrow road forks, the left lane leading to a lookout over the lake; the right fork goes into the village, where there is a 600-year-old Japanese cedar (sugi) held together by steel cables, metal plates, and rubber straps. From the intersection near the tree, you can cycle back to town past the Nagasaki prison. On the west side of the lake, nestled in among the forested knolls, is Kogakura Kouen, with walking trails, ponds, cherry trees, and drinking water. (gentle hills - 13 km.)

Tachibana Bay (Enoura - Hayami - Uki loop): You can cycle southwest to Enoura, in Iimori-cho, from the turnoff just east of the Isahaya Police Station on the Shimabara road, near its intersection with Route 34. Pass the turn-off for Hajino-o Dam and then the torii on your right. Cross the Nagasaki-Unzen highway and keep going to the harbor. Enoura has a marina and a pearling operation. You can ride above the bay between Enoura and Hayami on small farm roads - a pretty rural ride. There are spectacular views of the bay and the Shimabara Peninsula. There is a little seaside shrine in Hayami. Go up to Route 251 and cycle east to Uki. The road from Uki back to Isahaya is ideal for cycling since there are wide sidewalks and the gradients are gentle. (gentle hills - 30 km.)

Northeast Iimori Plateau - Uki: Take the same road south from the police station, as above. Continue past the torii at Hajino-o for about 50 m., then turn left. Follow the paved road up the hill and come to a new public toilet. Bear right at the toilet (follow the Kyushu Nature Trail signs for Masano). After about 50m. make almost a 180° turn to the left and reach the top of the plateau. Stone terraces support root crops such as carrots, daikon, and potatoes; greenhouses shelter strawberries. Continue along the farm roads following the brown signs in kanji for Masano, and then Uki. When you hit a line of forest, turn right and cycle along the forest strip and the top of the ridge (You can turn left here to reach the Kogakura-Uki road). After the road dips at the end of the ridge, head straight down a narrow alley and keep going until you hit the main Nagasaki-Obama road. Use the pavement on the other side of the highway to cycle east to Uki. To return to Isahaya, take the highway at the turnoff for central Isahaya. (hills - 20 km.)

Hajino-o Dam/Isahaya Industrial Area: Turn south from the Shimabara road just after the police station, as above. Cycle down this road for about 3.5 km. and then turn right after you have passed the Nisseki gas station. There is a map of the Hajino-o Dam at this intersection. You can cycle around the dam on a paved road. Near the dam wall are picnic tables, public tennis courts, and a baseball field. On the northwest side of the dam, a road connects with the Isahaya Industrial Area in Tsukuba-machi, where ANA, Sony Semiconductor, Marunaka, Ford, etc., have their plants. The main road out of the industrial area has wide bike paths on both sides. It will take you to the Route 34 junction near the Isahaya Interchange. (gentle hills - 11 km.)

Hajino-o - north Iimori - Kuyama: Turn south from the police station, as above, and pass the turn-off for Hajino-o Dam. Continue until you come to a tall torii, and turn right here. Cycle up the valley. Another torii on your left marks the route up Hatten Dake (see Hiking); you can walk to the top from here. Continue cycling up the valley, then through forest to a pass (Iimori-cho boundary). As you descend, take the first narrow paved road to the right and follow it until you come to a bridge (Yama-no-kuchi-hashi). You can see the conical hill of Iimori Yama. Turn left and continue to another intersection with a bus stop. Turn right here and head up over a pass. After the pass, turn right on a paved road leading up a valley (Route 138). A series of switchbacks through forest will take you over a pass crossed by the Kyushu Nature Trail. Descend to where the Nagasaki Expressway passes overhead. For Kuyama, continue straight; for Kaizudanchi (MacDonald's area), turn right and pass through the industrial area. (steep hills - 22 km.)

Eida-myou to Tarami Town along the Bypass (Route 34): From the college gates, go left until you reach the Bypass. Turn left down the residential street running parallel to the highway. You can ride all the way to the Nishi Isahaya interchange area and Tarami Town by keeping to the side streets, bike paths, and sidewalks beside Route 34. There is a bike underpass where 34 meets 57. Before you get to Tarami Town, visit the Toshi Shrine at the foot of Ku Yama, the forested hill on Omura Bay. You can also cycle around Ku Yama by road.(gentle hills - 12 km.)

          The Isahaya Bay mudflats (due to be transformed by the land reclamation project) are a prime area for viewing ducks and wading birds, especially in the fall, winter, and spring. At low tide the mudflats, home to crabs and mudskippers, stretch as far as the eye can see. The fields on the Ono Plain and the Hon Myou-Hanzou River estuary are also good areas to look. Cranes are occasionally seen on the Ono Plain. As for the other coasts, try Omura Bay, near the castle, and Tachibana Bay, between Karako and Chijiwa. The Imamura wetland, on the border between Omura and Isahaya, attracts birds at all seasons. The river valleys host many avian residents, as well as many migrants, including ducks, during the winter months. Try the Hon Myou and upper Tomigawa and Yuu-no-o valleys. Many species congregate around the dams at Kogakura and in Kurosaki-machi. Forested hills can also be rewarding, especially around Kinsen-ji Temple on the Tara Dake saddle, and on Hatten Dake in Hajino-o-cho. Scores of the egrets and herons that fish the Hon Myou River in Isahaya roost on the south-eastern side of Ura Yama, the forested hill across the river from Eishohigashi-machi. Several black-crowned night herons are always on the watch by the ditch next to the sushi restaurant in the business hotel across from the Ken-ei bus terminal.
          The following is a list of birds you may see in Isahaya (checklist based on personal observation and Nagasaki-ken no doubutsu:1968); use A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan (Wild Bird Society of Japan, Kodansha: 1982) for identification.
 w = winter only (Oct. - Apr.)  a =  abundant
 s = summer only (May - Sept.) c = common
 t = transient (spring & fall)  u = uncommon
 r = resident    v = rare

1. Isahaya Bay, Hon Myou estuary, and Ono Plain:
 Red-throated Loon-w/v, Arctic Loon-w/v, Great Crested Grebe-w/v, Red-necked Grebe-w/c, Little Grebe-r/u, Temminck's Cormorant-w/v, Common Shelduck-w/a, Mallard-w/a, Spot-billed Duck-r/a, Shoveler-w/a, Green-winged Teal-w/a, Garganey-t/v, Baikal Teal-w/v, Falcated Teal-w/c, Gadwall-w/v, Pintail-w/a, Wigeon-w/c, Pochard-w/a, Common Goldeneye-w/u, Tufted Duck-w/a, Greater Scaup-w/a, Black Scoter-w/v, White-winged Scoter-w/v, Red-breasted Merganser-w/v, Common Merganser-w/v, Slaty-backed Gull-w/u, Herring Gull-w/c, Black-tailed Gull-r/a, Mew Gull-w/u, Saunders's Gull-w/c, Black-headed Gull-w/a, Common Tern-t/u, Little Tern-r/u, Chinese Little Bittern-s/v, Japanese Night Heron-s/v, Black-crowned Night Heron-r/u, Green-backed Heron-r/v, Cattle Egret-r/u, Little Egret-r/a, Intermediate Egret-r/u, Great Egret-r/u, Eastern Reef Heron-r/v, Gray Heron-r/a, Spoonbill-w/v, Hooded Crane-t/u, White-naped Crane-t/v, Common Gallinule-r/c, Water Rail-w/u, Ruddy Crake-s/u, Little Ringed Plover-r/u, Long-billed Ringed Plover-r/v, Snowy Plover-r/a, Mongolian Plover-t/u, Greater Sand Plover-t/v, Lesser Golden Plover-t/c, Black-bellied Plover-w/a, Lapwing-w/v, Gray-headed Lapwing-w/v, Rufous-necked Stint-t/c, Broad-billed Sandpiper-t/v, Dunlin-w/a, Great Knot-t/v, Wood Sandpiper-t/c, Green Sandpiper-w/c, Marsh Sandpiper-t/v, Common Sandpiper-r/a, Terek Sandpiper-t/a, Ruddy Turnstone-t/c, Spotted Redshank-t/u, Greenshank-t/a, Gray-tailed Tattler-t/a, Black-tailed Godwit-t/v, Bar-tailed Godwit-t/c, Curlew-w/a, Australian Curlew-t/u, Whimbrel-t/a, Common Snipe-w/a, Swinhoe's Snipe-t/v, Latham's Snipe-t/v, Woodcock-w/v, Painted Snipe-r/u, Black-winged Stilt-t/v, Northern Phalarope-t/v, Osprey-r/u, White-tailed Eagle-w/v, Black Kite-r/a, Common Buzzard-r/u, Kestrel-w/u, Skylark-r/a, House Martin-s/u, Red-rumped Swallow-s/u, Barn Swallow-s/a, White Wagtail-w/c, Japanese Wagtail-w/c, Water Pipit-w/c, Stonechat-t/u, Fan-tailed Warbler-s/c, Great Reed Warbler-s/u, Siberian Meadow Bunting-r/a, Rustic Bunting-w/a, Gray-headed Bunting-w/a, Japanese Yellow Bunting-t/u, Japanese Reed Bunting-w/v, Reed Bunting-w/u, Oriental Greenfinch-r/a, Tree Sparrow-r/a, Red Avadavat-r/u, Carrion Crow-r/a, Jungle Crow-r/a.

2. Tachibana Bay (in addition to many of the above, look for these on the bay):
 Horned Grebe-w/v, Eared Grebe-w/v, Great Cormorant-w/v, Pelagic Cormorant-w/v, Harlequin Duck-w/v, Ancient Murrelet-w/v, Japanese Murrelet-r/u, Streaked Shearwater-r/v, Glaucous Gull-w/v.

3. Hill forests, streams, and neighboring fields:
 Spot-billed Duck-r/c, Mandarin Duck-r/v, Smew-w/v, Common Merganser-w/v, Shrenck's Little Bittern-s/v, Japanese Night Heron-s/v, Black-crowned Night Heron-r/a, Green-backed Heron-r/c, Cattle Egret-s/c, Little Egret-r/a, Intermediate Egret-r/u, Great Egret-r/c, Gray Heron-r/a, Coot-t/v, Common Gallinule-r/u, Ruddy Crake-s/u, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper-t/v, Common Sandpiper-r/a, Common Snipe-w/c, Solitary Snipe-w/u, Woodcock-w/u, Painted Snipe-r/u, Hodgson's Hawk-Eagle-w/v, Black Kite-r/a, Gray-faced Buzzard-Eagle-s/u, Common Buzzard-r/u, Northern Harrier-w/v, Marsh Harrier-w/v, Goshawk-w/v, Sparrow Hawk-r/u, Japanese Lesser Sparrow Hawk-t/v, Peregrine Falcon-w/u, Merlin-w/v, Kestrel-w/u, Long-eared Owl-w/v, Short-eared Owl-w/u, Ural Owl-r/u, Scops Owl-s/v, Collared Scops Owl-r/v, Brown Hawk-Owl-s/c, Common Quail-w/u, Bamboo Partridge-r/a, Common Pheasant-r/a, Copper Pheasant-r/u, Japanese Wood Pigeon-r/u, Rufous Turtle Dove-r/a, Japanese Green Pigeon-w/c, Common Cuckoo-s/u, Oriental Cuckoo-s/c, Little Cuckoo-s/c, Horsfield's Hawk-Cuckoo-s/v, Jungle Nightjar-s/u, White-throated Needle-tailed Swift-s/v, White-rumped Swift-s/u, Greater Pied Kingfisher-t/v, Ruddy Kingfisher-s/u, Common Kingfisher-r/c, Broad-billed Roller-s/v, Japanese Green Woodpecker-r/v, Wryneck-w/v, Great Spotted Woodpecker-r/v, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker-r/u, Fairy Pitta-s/v, Skylark-r/a, House Martin-s/c, Red-rumped Swallow-s/u, Barn Swallow-s/a, Yellow Wagtail-t/u, Gray Wagtail-r/c, White Wagtail-w/c, Japanese Wagtail-w/c, Indian Tree Pipit-w/c, Red-throated Pipit-w/v, Water Pipit-w/c, Ashy Minivet-t/v, Brown-eared Bulbul-r/a, Bull-headed Shrike-r/a, Brown Shrike-t/v, Japanese Waxwing-w/u, Bohemian Waxwing-w/u, Brown Dipper-r/v, Winter Wren-w/u, Japanese Accentor-w/v, Japanese Robin-t/u, Siberian Rubythroat-t/v, Siberian Blue Robin-s/u, Daurian Redstart-w/c, Siberian Bluechat-w/u, Stonechat-t/u, Blue Rockthrush-r/a, Siberian Thrush-t/u, White's Ground Thrush-w/c, Brown Thrush-w/c, Gray-headed Thrush-w/u, Gray Thrush-s/u, Pale Thrush-w/a, Dusky Thrush-w/a, Bush Warbler-r/a, Short-tailed Bush Warbler-s/c, Fan-tailed Warbler-s/c, Goldcrest-w/a, Great Reed Warbler-s/u, Black-browed Reed Warbler-t/v, Arctic Warbler-t/u, Pale-legged Willow Warbler-t/u, Crowned Willow Warbler-s/a, Tricolor Flycatcher-t/v, Narcissus Flycatcher-s/a, Mugimaki Flycatcher-t/v, Blue-and-White Flycatcher-s/a, Black Paradise Flycatcher-s/u, Brown Flycatcher-t/u, Sooty Flycatcher-t/u, Gray-spotted Flycatcher-t/u, Coal Tit-r/u, Great Tit-r/a, Varied Tit-r/a, Long-tailed Tit-r/a, Nuthatch-r/c, Penduline Tit-w/u, Japanese White-eye-r/a, Siberian Meadow Bunting-r/a, Rustic Bunting-w/a, Gray-headed Bunting-w/a, Yellow-throated Bunting-w/c, Black-faced Bunting-w/a, Japanese Yellow Bunting-t/u, Gray Bunting-w/u, Reed Bunting-w/u, Oriental Greenfinch-r/a, Siskin-w/c, Brambling-w/c, Long-tailed Rose Finch-w/v, Bullfinch-w/v, Japanese Grosbeak-w/c, Hawfinch-w/u, Russet Sparrow-t/v, Tree Sparrow-r/a, Gray Starling-t/c, Red-cheeked Myna-t/u, Jay-r/c, Black-billed Magpie-r/c, Rook-w/u, Carrion Crow-r/a, Jungle Crow-r/a.

 Fireflies (hotaru) - Isahaya Kouen hydrangea garden on June nights;
 Cicadas (semi)  -  Anywhere there are trees; their loud chorusing begins in mid-July; they die in September. The largest kind - 2 inches long - is the kuma semi (bear cicada);
 Stinkbugs (kamemushi) - These can become a plague in late spring.
 Swallowtail butterflies (ageha)  -  Several large, striking species are common in the Isahaya area;
 Rock isopods (funamushi) - These small crustaceans scuttle about on seaside rocks eating garbage, dead fish, and algae.
 Crabs (kani)  -  Scores of species in the bays and mudflats; gazami (blue crabs) are an Ariake Sea delicacy; freshwater crabs (sawa-gani) abound in streams and forage on the forest floor at all altitudes  during the summer;
 Mudskippers (mutsugorou)  -  Isahaya's mascot: on the Ariake Sea mudflats at low tide; also a smaller species (tobihaze) under the Arcade bridge;
 Carp (koi) - brightly-colored specimens abound in the Hon Myou above the weir and in Isahaya Kouen pond; gray crucian carp (funa) live in the Hon Myou near the Arcade bridge;
 Catfish (namazu) - Big ones hang out in Yamashita-buchi, the pond behind the weir on the bend of the Hon Myou River near Isahaya Kouen;
 Fire-bellied newts (imori) - ditches around paddies, when there is water;
 Frogs (kaeru) - in the rice paddies and ditches, and by mountain streams; croaking begins in earnest in June; edible bullfrogs (ushigaeru), introduced from the U.S., can be found in ditches and paddies on the Ono Plain; look for green tree frogs (aogaeru) at Tomigawa Ravine, Todoroki-no-taki, and Kuroki;
 Snakes (hebi) - several species: common in fields, forests, and by  ponds. There are 4 - 5 ft. long serpents which hang out by the duck pond in Omura Kouen; the most poisonous snake in the area is the mamushi, a kind of viper, which is common in hilly areas; sea snakes (umi-hebi) are found in coastal waters;
 Stone turtles (ishikame) - Isahaya Kouen, Omura Kouen; soft-shelled turtles (suppon), sometimes seen sunning on rocks in the Hon Myou River above the town, are eaten to give stamina and purify the blood;
 Flying squirrels (masasabi) - upper Kuroki valley;
 Hares (no-usagi) - Koto-no-o Dake Park and Unzen at night;
 Monkeys (nihonzaru) - rarely seen in recent years: [records from Tara Dake, Yue River valley, Motono-machi, Munakata-machi, Ichinuno];
 Martens (ten) -  hill forests;
 Weasels (itachi) - forests, cultivated fields and paddies;
 Badgers (anakuma), racoon-like dogs (tanuki), red foxes (kitsune)  - hills; hunt in farm areas at night;
 Wild boar (inoshishi) - Upper Tomigawa Ravine, upper Yuuno-o River, forests in Masaki Warigoi-myou, forested valleys in Takaki-chou;
 Deer (shika) - Hachirou Dake (s. of Nagasaki).

These are the best places near Isahaya for seeing the following:

Spindle trees (hizen mayumi): Shiro-yama (Isahaya Kouen)  January
     (This is the official city tree)
Wild camellias (yabu-tsubaki):  Tara Dake trails  February - April
Cherry blossoms (sakura):  Omura Kouen  April
Purple vetch (soramame):  Paddies along Hon Myou  April
Azaleas (tsutsuji):   Isahaya Kouen, Jou Mt. April
Wild rhododendrons (tsukushi shakunage): Tara Dake late April/May
Mountain azaleas (miyama kirishima): Mt. Unzen   May
Japanese enkianthus (shirodoudan):   Ya Dake (Unzen) May
Rapeseed (aburana):  Shirake Mine Kougen May
Citrus blossoms (mikan):  Koto-no-o Dake  June
Irises (shoubu):   Omura Kouen  June
Hydrangeas (ajisai):  Tomigawa Ravine   June - early July
Fox lilies (oukitsune no-kamisori)    Tara Dake   early August
Bush clover (hagi):   Gokahara Dake road  early September
Red spider lilies (higambana): Tomigawa, Yuuno-o, and  upper Hon Myou valleys   late September
     Cosmos (kosumosu):   Shirake Mine Kougen October
Goldenrod (aki-no-kirinsou) Imamura wetland  October
Pampas grass (susuki)  Gokahara Dake  October
Deciduous tree leaves (momiji): Mt. Unzen   late October
                                                        Tara Dake   mid November
Saltwort (shichimensou):  Isahaya Bay   early November
Butterbur (tsuwabuki):  forest waysides  November
Maple tree leaves (irohakaede):  Kompira Jinja (Nagasaki) late November

Isahaya Kouen

The central park of Isahaya, the feudal lord's former garden (Gosho-in) in Takashiro-cho, is the locus of all the Isahaya festivals. The Megane-bashi ("Spectacles Bridge"), built across the Hon Myou in 1839, was relocated here after the great flood of 1957 when 537 people were killed. The irises in the pond bloom in early June. A trail leads up to the top of the hill (Shiro Yama) past pruned azalea bushes. There is a lookout under a trailing wisteria. The camphor (kusuu) tree up here is the largest tree in the city. There is also a memorial to soldiers killed in the war. Shiro Yama was the site of Taka Castle, constructed by a Saiga daimyo in the 16th century. You can walk down the north side, through a shady patch of old forest on the castle approach road, and cross the street to Jou Mountain Park. Just east of Isahaya Kouen is Takashiro Park, with its female kan'non statue in memory of the victims of flood disasters. East of this park, where the road from the arcade meets the river road, is a small display of photos of the destructive 1957 flood.

Notable temples

The Ten'yu-ji Temple on the east side of Jou Mountain is the largest in Isahaya. The grounds include the five-storied pagoda and many old gravesites, including those of the Isahaya's feudal family in an enclosed area on the south side of the buildings. A 450-year-old 'parasol pedestal' is on the north side of the temple complex. There is also a monument to 91 Isahaya soldiers killed in the Shimabara Rebellion of 1637. The main gate dates to 1708.  Another interesting temple is Keigan-ji, across the Hon Myou from Isahaya Kouen. The temple's name stone dates to 1351. There are irises blooming in early June in the small moat. Thirty-three kan'non images are carved in the rocks around the temple. The Anshou Temple complex, with its beautiful carved portals, is in Kanaya-chou on the south side of Route 207. Anshou-ji's temple bell rang hourly for 243 years, until 1963. Myouhon-ji, a Zen temple just east of Higashi Isahaya Station, is 138 years old, but is due to be reconstructed because of a poor foundation. Daiyuu-ji Temple sits right at the entrance to Tomigawa Ravine. The Nishigou stone tablet, inscribed with an Amida Buddhist text in 1190 A.D., is due south from the southwest corner of the old prison on the Hanzou River, in the playground area of an apartment complex.

Notable shrines

Until the forced separation of Buddhism and Shintoism in 1868, many sacred sites embraced elements of both and this syncretic religion is still in evidence at many of the temple and shrine sites in Isahaya. The city's principal shrine is Isahaya Shrine, founded in 724 A.D. on the west bank of the Hon Myou where it begins to bend. Straw ropes (shimenawa) around the six old kusu (camphor) trees indicate where gods (kami) descend to the earth. The striking red Mitachiyama Fox Shrine is a pleasant walk up Mitachiyama Hill. Takashiro Shrine is next to Isahaya Kouen on its southeast side. The steps leading up to Atago Shrine and pagoda, in Jou Mt. Park, are straddled by two torii about 350 years old. The Eisho iseki (ruins), on the site of an old shrine in Eisho-machi, hold about 50 red-bibbed jizou. Yasaka Shrine is one block east of the south end of the Arcade. Fukuda Shrine is one block north of Route 207 on the street leading up from the Arcade. The Kumano Shrine, in Masaki Warigoi-myou, is by an old bamboo grove. Hiramatsu Shrine, in Hon Myou-machi, was founded in 708 A.D. It's on the east bank of the river across from the large gorilla billboard. The site of Hiramatsu Castle is on the ridge behind the shrine. The small forested hill behind Kumano Shrine, in Tsumizu-machi, harbors a protected native plant community, including live oak (shii), oak (kashi), cinnamon trees (yabunikkei), and spearflower (shirominomanryou). The Toshi Shrine, at the foot of Ku Yama, in western Isahaya, has an attractive terraced approach and a sumo ring. From the shrine, a trail ascends to the hilltop, the site of an old castle. Kompira Shrine, on the top of Konpira Dake in the hills of Ono-chou, is near the site of an old temple. Next to the stone pathway under spreading trees are many stone statues, pedestals, and 33 kan'non. The area was consecrated as a site to protect Isahaya's daimyo on his sea voyages, and was later used to pray for the safe return of soldiers gone to war.

Isahaya Heritage Museum (isahaya-shi kyoudokan)

The small museum is directly across from the Ten'yu-ji Temple. Entrance is free. There is a valuable 16th century suit of armor, weapons, old agricultural equipment, archeological finds, and an insect collection among the exhibits. For ¥100, you can buy two publications, Isahaya-shi no bunkazai and Isahaya-shi kyoudokan kaisetsu shiito, which give details and location maps for all the important historical and cultural sights in Isahaya. The small formal garden is a quiet and pleasant retreat.

The Tsukasa Collection

This unique collection of  historic local ceramics is housed in a free museum on the second floor of the Tsukasa o-miyage store in Eishohigashi-machi, just north of Isahaya Shrine. This is perhaps the world's most comprehensive collection of Utsutsugawa, Nagayo, and Kameyama ware up to 300 years old.

Old Nagasaki Prison (nagasaki keimusho)

This large complex of pre-war brick buildings and walls is on the road between the Arcade and the Shimabara road, in Haraguchi-myou. They are the only buildings of their kind in Isahaya. The new prison is in the hills of Ogawa-machi.

Kantaku-no-sato Yu Yu Land

Take a Shimatetsu or Ken-ei bus to Ono-jima, or the Shimabara train to Kantaku-no-sato Station and walk 1 km. north to Yu Yu Land. Entrance is ¥300 for adults. There are several free playing facilities for children, but you must pay for the paddle boats, miniature golf, and horse rides. There is a reconstructed traditional Japanese home, the Land Reclamation Museum (with exhibits about traditional agriculture and aquaculture), and an interesting aquarium (¥300) with displays of Hon Myou River and Ariake Sea aquatic life. At the entrance, you can get discounted tickets that include entrance to the aquarium (¥540).

Tomigawa Ravine

This small ravine is in a quiet forested area about 8 km. north of the Omura Road. Small waterfalls cascade into pools inhabited by frogs and fish. The park area extends above the ravine. There are picnic shelters and restrooms. The Daiyuu-ji Temple here has a rare 16th century bronze kan'non. There's an old katsura (Judas tree) near the temple. At the entrance to the ravine are the 'Gohyaku Rakan', relief carvings in the rocks to commemorate the 487 victims of the 1699 flood. A-frame bungalows with cooking facilities, toilets, and bedding can be rented for ¥10,000 per night (up to 6 people). You can also camp here.

Detekoi Rando

This is a quiet retreat facility in Motono-myou, on one of the ridges coming down from Gokahara Dake, north of Isahaya. There is a rest house with several rooms, a piano, an outdoor ofuro, some farm animals, monkeys in cages, and play equipment. You can sleep overnight here for ¥500 per person (futon and sheets provided; call 0957-25-9100 for a reservation). Bring your own food and prepare the meals in the kitchen, which has a full array of utensils. The facility is designed so it can be used by the handicapped. Detekoi Land cannot be reached by bus, so you will need to cycle or go by private car. This is the best bargain get-away deal in Nagasaki!

Hon Myou stone coffins (honmyou sekkangun)

These six graves date from the Yamato period (3rd century A.D.). They're in Hon Myou-machi, across the Hotaru (firefly) Bridge, on the hill behind the baseball field just below Upper Isahaya Elementary School.

Ochouzu Kan'non

This beautiful grotto has Buddhist jizou sculptures, rock carvings of bodhisattvas, waterfalls, fresh spring water, a somen restaurant (summer only), and a temple. You may see devotees standing under the waterfall, men in loincloths and women in white smocks, with hands clasped in prayer. It's about 5 km. north of Isahaya above the Nagata River valley in Ochouzu-chou. The Ochozu bus-stop is 800 meters south of the grotto.

Shirake Mine Tableland

This park is famous for its flowers - rapeseed in April/May and cosmos in September/October. There are food stalls at these times. Trails lead to grass skiing slopes, an archery range, and a small pond. There is a spectacular view of the Ariake Sea and Shimabara Peninsula on clear days. The Cosmos 'Flower Universe' Center recently opened just below the park.

Shizen-no-ie National Youth Center

Above the Shirake Mine Tableland on the slopes of Gokahara Dake, this large complex has accommodation (including camping), sports facilities, grass skiing, a jogging/cycling course, hiking trails, and an 18-hole 'disk golf' course that encompasses the entire area. It’s almost always populated by large groups of schoolchildren with their chaperones.

Ganjitsu or O-shougatsu: January 1st (New Year's Day). This is the start of a one-week holiday. Pine and bamboo decorations (kadomatsu), symbolizing fidelity, prosperity, and long life, and straw ropes decorated with paper strips (shimenawa - to purify the home) are placed next to or over doors. People make their first visits of the year to a temple and a shrine (hatsumode). At temples, shushou, prayers for peace and prosperity, are offered. Many go to a special place to watch the sunrise on Jan. 1st (best places in Isahaya: Mitachiyama, Jou Yama, Konpira Dake, Shirake Mine Kougen, Gokahara Dake). Students practice calligraphy with a brush on Jan. 2nd (kakizome), and children receive gifts of money (o-toshidama) from relatives and family. Youngsters fly kites and play a racket game called hagoita. Special dishes (o-sechi ryouri), such as o-zoni (rice cake soup), mame (black beans), kachiguri (dried chestnuts), kazunoko (herring roe), and konbu (kelp) are also eaten. The biggest store sales of the year are held at this time.
Firemen's Parade: January 10th. At 11:30 a.m. the firemen parade through the Isahaya Arcade. Then, at midday, they provide a water fountain show with their high pressure hoses at the riverside by Isahaya Kouen.
Seijin-no-hi: January 15th (Coming-of-Age Day). Those who turned 20 in the previous year are honored on this day. There's a big civil ceremony at the bunka kaikan, with girls wearing kimono  and boys in hakama or suits for the occasion. School alumni associations meet, a much-anticipated event as young adults return to their home towns. Hamano-machi, in Nagasaki, is the place to see hundreds of beautiful kimono on this day, which marks the passage to adulthood and the right to smoke, drink, drive, and vote.
Tatami yaburi-no-ki matsuri: January 15th. At the Hachiman Shrine, in Shirahama-machi (eastern Isahaya), people participate in making new tatami.

Momote matsuri: February 1st. Held at Kumano Shrine in Masaki Warigoi-myou. This is a very traditional 800-year-old setsubun festival. The shrine priest predicts the harvest for the coming year and shoots arrows to scare away the demon of bad luck. The priests then throw beans, candy, and mochi to the crowd.
Setsubun: 3rd or 4th of February (last day of winter). At important temples, priests indulge in parched bean throwing (mame-maki) to crowds of visitors. This is to scare away oni (disaster-provoking demons). People put holly leaves and fish heads outside their homes to keep the oni at bay. Some people eat the number of beans corresponding to their age to ensure longevity.

Hatsu-uma matsuri: Beginning of March. Held at Mitachiyama Shrine.
Hina matsuri: March 3rd (Doll Festival or Girls' Day). Girls display expensive dolls (the hinakazari display), representing imperial court figures, in their homes from Feb. 3rd to Mar. 3rd. Usually, one doll is bought per year until the entire 'court' of fifteen is assembled. Sushi, clam soup, hina rice cubes, and hishi rice cakes are the special foods eaten on this day.
Haru-no-ichi: March 18th -24th. Spring market festival at Ten'man Kouen (next to Park Lane Bowling Alley).
Shumbun-no-hi: March 20th or 21st (Vernal Equinox Day). Temples hold special services for the dead on this day, and people visit family cemeteries. Special foods include sushi and o-hagi (soft rice balls).

Hanami: Early April. People picnic and drink together under the cherry blossoms and enjoy the springtime weather by day and night. Omura Park is the best place in the area for this.
Kompira kigan matsuri: April 4th and October 10th. Prayer festivals for a fruitful year (April) and thanskgiving for the harvest (October); conducted at Kompira Jinja on Kompira Dake, Ono-chou.
Kambutsue (also known as Shaka Koutan'e, Busshoue, or Hana matsuri): April 8th (Buddha’s birthday - also called Flower festival). At temples, sweet tea is poured over small Buddha statues to symbolize the birth bath.
Tsutsuji matsuri: The azalea festival is from the 10th to the 30th of April in Isahaya Kouen. Stroll among the blooming azaleas in the park and buy from stalls selling yakitori for ¥500 per skewer and recently unfrozen corn at ¥500 per cob.

Shoubu-ki: One Sunday in May. A ceremony held at Jou Yama Kouen to honor Kuninobu Noro, Isahaya's only nationally-recognized writer.
Kodomo-no-hi: May 5th (Children's Day). Also called Boys' Day. Carp windsocks and colorful banners are posted by homes with sons, usually beginning in April, the eldest son being represented by the largest and highest carp, a symbol of masculine strength. Sometimes military dolls are displayed in homes.

Taue matsuri: May - June (Rice planting). The process of clearing, ploughing,  flooding, fertilizing, and planting rice paddies often involves Shinto rites and symbols, such as the bamboo poles hung with shrine charms that are posted in irrigation ditches before flooding.

Tanabata matsuri: July 7th. On this day, two star-crossed lovers, Princess Orihime and a farm lad, Hikoboshi, (represented by Vega and Altair), have their annual meeting in the Milky Way, whence they were banished by the gods. Children decorate bamboo branches with calligraphy, prayer cards expressing their wishes, and other ornaments. The bamboo is later burned.
Soumen nagashi: Mid-July to the end of August. Cold noodles (soumen) poured through spouts on special tables are served at Tomigawa and Ochouzu Kan'non.
Kawa matsuri: July 25th. Commemorates the devastating Isahaya flood of 1957. Street vendors ply food and toys. Neighborhoods hold Shinto ceremonies to honor the dead. Thousands of candles are placed along the banks of the river from Eishohigashi-machi to Hon-machi. They are lit after dark and some are floated down the river. At about 9:00 p.m., there is an impressive fireworks display; then, all the candles are collected and burned.

Eishohigashi-machi Summer Festival: First Saturday in August. From 3 to 6 p.m., two teams of elementary school children carry mikoshi (portable shrines) around the neighborhood and solicit donations from businesses for the neighborhood children's association. At 6 p.m., the Sunshine Douri (from Seiyu to Route 207) is closed. Stalls sell festival fare (yakitori, lemonade, crushed ices, beer, goldfish, stag beetles, etc.) and there are performances for children on a stage set up in the street.
Gion Festival: August 3rd - 5th. Held at Yasaka Shrine in Yasaka-machi.
O Bon: 13th - 16th August. This is a major Buddhist festival and people all over Japan return to their hometowns at this time, so transportation is crowded. During O Bon, the dead return to earth and gravesites are cleaned in preparation. In Nagasaki Prefecture, the celebrations have a uniquely Chinese flavor. On the night of August 15th, families of those who have died in the previous year roll lantern-bedecked 'boats', adorned with portraits of the dead, down the streets and set off deafening Chinese firecrackers (the Shoronagashi Parade). The boats are burned by the water to symbolize the return of the dead to the afterlife. The festivities are practiced in the neighborhoods of Isahaya, but the place to go is Ouhato Port, just south of the train station in Nagasaki. Nagasaki, being a largish city, has more 'departed ones', so everything is bigger and louder there. In Isahaya, families also carry boats, set off firecrackers, and float straw boats down the river to send the spirits back to the netherworld.
Kan'non-sama matsuri: August 18th. 400-year-old festival held to honor the kan'non at Ochouzu, dress them in new bibs, and perform purifying mask dances.
Non'noko matsuri: Third weekend in August. Isahaya's summer folk festival features 'dish' dancing (sara-odori) by various troupes, a dance marathon, a tug-of-war, baby sumo, and taiko drumming. A temporary stage is set up next to Megane-bashi for the events and vendors line the street along the river. The Non’noko festival lasts from Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening.

Ten'man matsuri: First weekend in September. End of summer festival, with a stage set up in Ten'man Kouen, next to Park Lane Bowling Alley.
Higan (Shuubun-no-hi): c. September 21st (Autumn Equinox). Services for the dead are held in temples and family gravesites are cleaned. On this day when the sun sets due west, people confirm their belief in Amida Buddha, the Buddhist land of the dead, which is said to be in the west.
O-tsukimi: Full moon viewing. The night of the harvest moon, the first full moon of the fall (late September or early October), is considered a particularly wonderful time to be outside eating dumplings.

Aki matsuri: The fall festival, first weekend in October. Events, such as traditional dances and taiko drumming, are held at the bunka kaikan and on the river bank next to Isahaya Kouen. The most interesting event at the latter is the Hatten-chou kasaboko (portable shrine) performance: boys in make-up and bright costumes sit in the large kasaboko beating drums while men spin and toss them.
Ono chiku hounen matsuri: October 10th. Held at Ono Elementary School to give thanks for a fruitful harvest. There is karaoke and other entertainment. A more religious thanksgiving ceremony is held on top of Kompira Dake on this day.

$2 Festival: First weekend in November. Held at Nagasaki Wesleyan University. The public is invited to sample fare prepared by the students. There is dancing, a basketball competition, and a foreign student performance.
Rokudan matsuri: Second Sunday in November. Held at Keigan-ji Temple, across the river from Isahaya Kouen, to commemorate the famous piece of koto music composed there, "Rokudan-no-shirabe."
Shichi-Go-San: Days leading up to November 15th (Children's Shrine Visit). Girls dressed in kimono and boys in hakama are taken to shrines, and prayers are offered for their good health. Children who are about to reach 3, 5, and 7 years of age are honored at this time. Parents give their children chitoseame (1,000-year candy) to guarantee them long life. Takashiro and Isahaya Shrines are the best places to see the pretty costumes.

NWU Christmas Show: Third Wednesday in December. Held in the afternoon at the bunka kaikan. A well-rehearsed and enjoyable presentation for the public, performed by Nagasaki Wesleyan students, and guided by J. Romero, esq.
Kurisumasu: December 25th. This is celebrated in Japan by eating out, listening to Christmas tunes in department stores, and partaking of Christmas cake. There are big store sales at this time. And, yes, Santa is alive and well in Japan!
Joya-no-kane: December 31st. Some temples offer toshikoshi soba ('year crossing' noodles), and, at midnight, temple bells peal 108 times to ward off the 108 worldly vices. Before the new year, many people attend bounenkai, or year-end parties.

NAGASAKI - SIGHTS

For sightseeing in Nagasaki, each trip should encompass a different area of the city. You can get close to most of these attractions and the main shopping areas by using streetcars (¥100 per ride: you can get transfer tickets to continue on a different line). Get yourself a streetcar route map.

1) Urakami: North of the Urakami Station are the Peace Park (Matsuyama streetcar stop), Nyokodou (Dr. Nagai Memorial Hall), Atomic Bomb Epicenter, Urakami Cathedral, the Catholic Center (with some rare 16th & 17th century Christian texts), the Atomic Bomb Museum, and the Municipal Museum; the one-legged torii is about 400 m. east of the station, below Sanno Shrine, whose two huge camphor trees managed to survive the atomic blast; south of here is the Sakamoto International Cemetery, where the Glover family is buried; Matsuyama Park is just west of the tracks.

2) Inasa: Across the main harbor bridge (Asahi-bashi), in Akebono-machi, is the Inasa International Cemetery at Goshin-ji Temple; the Mt. Inasa ropeway station (¥1,200 round trip) is in Fuchi-machi: take the Inasa Bridge north of Nagasaki Station; Fuchi Shrine is near the ropeway; at the top of Mt. Inasa are the Viewtower and some restaurants; the skyway connects the Mt. Inasa Nature Park area with the top; there's a deer enclosure next to the skyway station.

3) Tateyama area:  Due east of the station are the 26 Martyrs Monument and Memorial Hall, and the mosaic-studded San Phillipo Church; walk southeast along the bottom of Tate-yama visiting the giant Buddhist goddess on a turtle and some of the six temples there, the most interesting of which are Fukusai-ji Zen Temple and  Shofuku-ji; Nakamachi Cathedral is just a few blocks from the station; Suwa Shrine, Nagasaki's most important shrine, is home of the Okunchi Festival (October 7 - 9) and a small zoo with Japanese animals; the Prefectural Art Museum is 250 m. west of Suwa (closed on Mondays); the Matsunomori Shrine is 200 m. northeast of Suwa, and displays some 18th c. wood relief carvings on the fence around the main building.

4) Central business area:  The Koukaidou, by the Koukaidou-mae streetcar stop, is the main public concert hall; a few blocks south of here, on Route 34 by the pedestrian overpass, is the one-room Nagasaki Museum of Modern Archeological Relics, which exhibits artifacts discovered during construction work; this street also has the main Harbin restaurant and the airline offices, including Korean.

5) Shindaiku/Sakurababa/Narutaki: The Siebold Memorial Museum and the site of the Siebold residence are a short walk north from the Shinnakagawa-machi street car stop, east of the shrine. You can also walk to the Siebold Museum from Suwa Jinja up the Shindaiku-machi Mall. Off the mall, the site of Todos os Santos Church (1569), the first church built in Nagasaki, is on the grounds of Shuntoku-ji Temple, which has a 350-year-old- bell.

6) Temple Street and the Nakashima River: Temples: (N. to S.) Kogen-ji, Zenren-ji, Zinso-ji, Sanpo-ji, Joan-ji, Kofuku-ji (founded in 1629 by a Chinese Zen priest), Enmei-ji, Choso-ji, Kotai-ji, Daion-ji, and then Hosshin-ji and Sofuku-ji (oldest building in Nagasaki) on Sofukiji Street; just south of Sofuku-ji is the Yasaka Shrine, and then comes the 17th century Seisui-ji; Atago Shrine is on forested Mt. Atago just east of here. Walk up the stairs on the right of Kotai-ji for 900 m. through the city's oldest cemeteries to the Kite Museum and Kazagashira Park. On the river itself are several Chinese-style stone-arch bridges, including Megane- bashi (built in 1634, the oldest stone-arch bridge in Japan) and Fukuro-bashi; the other bridges are replacements for those destroyed in the big 1982 flood.

7) Dejima and Shinchi: Here are scale model of the historical Dutch settlement and the small Dejima Museum; in the two-storey green wooden building is the Nagasaki City Museum of History and Folklore; west of Dejima at Ohato Port are the ferry terminal and the harbor cruise office. Nagasaki's Chinatown (Shinchi) is just east of Dejima: one gate faces the Kankou-douri streetcar stop; just southeast of Maruyama Park is the Kagetsu, a 350-year-old restaurant (and also formerly a brothel), with a traditional garden, which serves classical Nagasaki food and is famous throughout Japan; Daitoku-ji Park, on the hill west of here, has an 800-year-old camphor (kusu) tree.

8) Oura area: The small Oura River divides the area into eastern and western sections: a) Higashi-yamate: The Dutch-gabled structures of Kwassui College dominate this area; near here is the Nagasaki Kyoukai Church, built in 1925; flagstoned alleys lead past former residences of Europeans in Horanda Zaka - some of these houses are small museums; the Chinese Antiquities Museum is behind Koushibyo Confucius Shrine, near the Ishibashi streetcar stop; the former British Consulate is the red-brick building on the seaside street; b) Minami-yamate:  The oldest church in Japan, Oura Church, with its Latin Divinity School, is up the gift-shop street past the Tokyu Hotel; the splendid Glover Gardens (including the Glover, Ringer, and Alt  residences) are further along; the Oura foreigners' cemetery is up the valley; below the Gardens is the Nagasaki Museum of Traditional Performing Arts, which displays Okunchi Festival boat floats and kasaboko; the Nagasaki Sky Tower is on the wharf; on a side alley is the Woodblock Print Museum, which displays the work of Ken Tagawa; on the main street are the old Sagarimatsu Customs House and the former Hong Kong-Shanghai Bank, beautifully restored and with an exquisite tearoom on its 2nd floor; a few blocks further south are the Maria Convent and some other European-style buildings.

9) Eastern Nagasaki: For the aquarium, take a Nagasaki bus (via Tsutsuji-ga-oka) from Isahaya, or a Ken-ei Aba-yuki bus from the Nagasaki Eki Higashi-guchi bus stop, by the Kyushu Bank, to the Suizokukan bus stop (¥370). This aging facility has penguins, sea otters, sea lions, and giant salamanders (adults: a steep ¥1,100 admission). There's a roller coaster and other fun fair stuff, too. Hike from Yagami past Fugen Jinja the top of Fugen Dake. On Masashima Island, the Magarisaki Peninsula has some 9th century burial mounds.

10) Northeast Nagasaki districts: The Honda family residence is an original 17th-century thatched building in Nakasato-machi, just south of Tsutsuji-ga-oka. The Taki-no-kannon waterfalls are about 400 m. east, then one km. north up the valley (on Rte. 45) from Hizen Koga Station. In Utsutsugawa are the 17th century remains of the Isahaya feudal family's pottery kiln (some of this pottery is on display in the Tsukasa Collection, 2nd floor of the Tsukasa o-miyage store, Eishohigashi-machi, Isahaya); there are two modern ceramics kilns operating here (a map at the station directs you to these sites); hike from Utsutsugawa Station to the top of Hoba-dake (506 m.).

The Nagasaki International Association has offices at 5-9 Edo-machi, 2F Matsuo Yakkyoku (Tel: 0958-23-3931). This is right across the river from the Nishihamano-machi streetcar stop. They have a small library of foreign books and magazines, and a multi-lingual staff who can tell you about reliable doctors, etc. This organization is responsible for The Nagasaki Beat, a free monthly publication with information about the prefecture in English, including current movies in Nagasaki, Sasebo, and Isahaya.

The main shopping area is Hamano-machi Arcade, which is centrally located and convenient to get to by tram (Take Tram #1 and get off at the Kankou-douri streetcar stop). The large department stores in the Arcade include Daimaru (mainly clothing) and Hamaya. Daiei is just south of the Arcade, in Douza-machi.

Some of the restaurants in the Hamano-machi area include:

Nanak: 2F, 14-2 Hamano-machi. A good Indian restaurant across from Kentucky Fried Chicken and the Kankou-douri streetcar stop. The cheapest dishes are ¥980.
Harbin: On the 6th floor of the Daimaru Department Store in the Arcade. Serves Franco-Russian food, with sets in the ¥900-1200 range. You can buy several types of bread here, including a heavy European-style brown bread for ¥700 a loaf.
Est Est Spaghetteria: 9-8 Hamano-machi. Located on the 3rd floor of the Carom Building, across from the Kobundo Bookstore. It has a wide selection of pasta dishes from ¥700 - ¥1300. It also has pizza.
Kawase: On the second floor of the "With" Building, near the Shianbashi streetcar stop. Order the kishimen teishoku, a broad, flat noodle with an udon-like flavor; it comes with a delicious chicken and mushroom rice dish. With mugi-cha (barley tea), it's a bargain at ¥700. Try the hiyashi, or chilled variety, in hot weather.
Big Mama's: 1-30 Tsuki-machi. Located just across the river from the west end of Hamano-machi. The house specialty is gen-mai teishoku  (brown rice set - ¥700 for lunch and ¥800 for dinner). Fresh coffee is an extra ¥200. Closed on Sundays.
Italian restaurants include Pietro and Garde on the street parallel to and just north of the arcade. Garde (1-20 Kajiya-machi) is popular with gaijin, but the food is greasy and average. There is also a Zac's, near Big Mama's. The main Zac's is about 20 minutes' walk up the river from Tamaya Department Store at 1-2-4 Sakurababa-machi (2nd floor).
Le Soleil: This is a more expensive place with delicious French cuisine (lunch: ¥1,600 and up; dinner ¥4,000 up - but there are exquisite desserts and refills of coffee and bread). Walk almost to the end of the Arcade from the Kankou-douri streetcar stop. Before the end, an alley leads left to the river. Le Soleil is on the left of this alley on the second floor of the white building across from Italian Tomato.
MacDonald's: There's one in the arcade across from Daimaru, and another next to the 'dragon gate' entrance to Chinatown, just before Kankou-douri streetcar stop.
Kentucky Fried Chicken: Near the Kankou-douri streetcar stop, at the entrance to Hamano-machi Arcade.
Dotour Coffee: At the north end of the main north-south axis in the Arcade. Inexpensive, good coffee and sandwiches (¥200+).
MzMz: (Mexican) Walk through the 'dragon gate', past the Sony Plaza, and stop when you reach Daiei Department Store. Turn around and look up at the 2nd floor of the building across the alley. You’ll see MzMz ("muzumuzu"), overpriced with very average fare, but the frozen margaritas (¥800) are great.
Chinese: There are a number of large Chinese restaurants off of Douza-douri, in Chinatown. Many are inexpensive and have window displays, so take your pick.
Exquisitely and expensively traditional: For an authentic experience, and with a full wallet, take a multi-course meal at the Kagetsu, in business since 1618, thus making it one of the oldest restaurants in all of Japan. It serves shippoku ryouri, Chinese-influenced Nagasaki kaiseki meals (¥8,000 for lunch, ¥12,000 for dinner). It's in Maruyama, a couple of blocks south of the Shianbashi streetcar stop, near the southeast corner of Maruyama Park.
Café Terrasse Glover: If you're near the Glover Gardens, try this place for lunch. It's in the Nagasaki Tokyu Hotel and offers a different ¥1,000 higawari ranchi (soup, salad, bread or rice, entrée, tea or coffee) every day.
Hong Kong Shanghai Bank Tearoom: This delightfully-appointed room is on the 2nd floor of the restored bank, near the pedestrian overpass on the seaside road in Oura. It's furnished in turn-of-the century decor. Pots of tea are from ¥600.

Panic Paradise: On the same street as Pietro and Garde. Go through Hamaya Department Store in the arcade, then go north through the passageway opposite Hamaya's front door. When you get to the street, go about 30 meters to the right and look across the street to the 2nd floor to Panic Paradise, which now seems to be the favored spot for gaijin living in Nagasaki.
Blind Lemon: On the first floor of the same building that houses Panic Paradise. Dark and very loud.
Idea Terrace Café: (1-15 Suwa-machi) On the street going north from the arcade along the east bank of the river. The 'terrace' is actually over the river and presents a view of Megane-bashi. There are various cocktails and coffees.
Robin Hood no Mori: (4F Marumitsu Building, 5-3 Motoshikkui-machi) A large pub (izakaya) with reasonable prices, especially for set deals like shabu-shabu. Sometimes a nomihodai is offered, with low prices for female drinkers.
Washington Hotel: In the northwest part of Chinatown, near the Tsuki-machi streetcar stop. There's a restaurant/bar on the 10th floor. Piano music, lots of cocktails, and a view of the hills. Drinks are ¥800-1,000.
Beer gardens: The following places offer nomihodai and/or tabehodai (all-you-can-drink/eat) during the summer months:
Hotel Majestic (2-28 Minamiyamate-machi, near Glover Gardens: ¥1,000 per course);
Nagasaki Bus Terminal Hotel (1-14 Shinchi-machi, near Shinchi bus terminal: ¥1,600 (men), ¥1,300 (women) per course;
Nagasaki Tokyu Hotel (1 Hinamiyamate-machi, near Glover Gardens): nomihodai - ¥1,500 per course; tabehodai - ¥2,500 (Korean barbecue);
Toredia Dejima Hotel (Dejima-machi opposite Dejima streetcar stop): ¥2,800 (men), ¥2,500 (women) for combined nomi/tabehodai courses;
Toei Hotel (7-24 Douza-machi, between Chinatown and Daiei Douza store): ¥3,000 for nomihodai/tabehodai 'Viking' course;
Hotel New Nagasaki (14-5 Daikoku-machi, next to train station): ¥1,900 (men), ¥1,500 (women) for nomihodai course.

Shinchi Chinatown Festival (January 1 - 5): Chinatown is decorated with lights and there are several dragon dances.
Suwa Setsubun ceremony: (February 3rd) Suwa Shrine has the largest Setsubun ceremony, complete with soybean throwing, in Nagasaki, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Nagasaki Lantern Festival (2nd week of February): 10 days of events held at Minato Park to celebrate Chinese New Year (dragon dances, lion dance, fireworks, magic shows, Chinese acrobatics, Chinese fiddle, flute, and drums, lantern contest). 10,000 Chinese lanterns light up the Shinchi area.
Chinmin (March 2nd): Spring grave-visiting day - an occasion for noisy parties held in family burial areas at Goshin-ji Temple Chinese cemetery.
Kompira Kite Festival (2nd Sunday in April): A variety of spectacular kites are flown at Kompira Park (weather permitting).
Nagasaki Port Festival: (April 27 -29): On the last day of the festival, there is a parade down the main street near the port.
Peiron Boat Races (July to October): These 'dragon boat' races, influenced by Chinese tradition, are held around the prefecture during these months. The long, wooden canoes are powered by up to 30 rowers, stroking to the sounds of a drummer and a crier. The races take place in a festival-like atmosphere. The closest to Isahaya are at Funatsu Beach in Tarami-cho (first weekend in October); other venues are in Nagasaki City, Koyagi-cho, Nomozaki-cho, Sanwa-cho, Nagayo-cho, Togitsu-cho, Oshima-cho, Oseto-cho, and Ioujima.
Gion Festival (July 23 - 29): Held at Yasaka Shrine in the evening; celebrates the prospect of a good crop.
Nagasaki Hinato Matsuri (last weekend in July): Events are at Matsuage Wharf. They include a dance show, jazz music, theater, harbor cruises, a beer garden, international food, and a market. Also the finals of the Nagasaki Peiron boat races.
Reggae Japan Splash (last weekend in July): Held outdoors on Ioujima Island, at the mouth of Nagasaki Harbor. The ¥6,000 tickets include the ferry ride.
Atomic Bomb Memorial Day (August 9): There are ceremonies at the Peace Park and, in the evening,  a torchlight procession from Urakami Cathedral to the Park.
O-Bon (August 13 - 15): The spirits of the dead return to earth for three days. On the evening of August 15th in Nagasaki, the Chinese-influenced shoronagashi procession of spirit boats marches to the harbor to the din of exploding firecrackers.
Chinese Bon Festival (August 24 - 26): A gathering of Chinese at Sofuku-ji to perform rites for the dead.
Glover Garden Festival (mid-September weekend). Held in the Glover Gardens.
O-Kunchi (October 7 - 9): This is Nagasaki's premier festival, and one of Japan’s three 'Grand Festivals'. It is derived from the original autumn festival of Suwa Shrine. Various neighborhoods parade with kasaboko (portable shrines) and perform a dashimono, a dance and float display typical of that neighborhood. On the three days, these groups move through the streets from one performance venue to another. You can watch with the crowds in the streets, or view the two and a half hour pageant from a seat at Suwa Shrine, Koukaidou, or O-tabisho (Ohato). Seats are ¥2,000 each or ¥12,000 for a tatami space for 4, depending on the venue. Other events (e.g. a light show, night kite-flying) are held during the kunchi period (October 5 - 12).
Takengei (October 14 -15): The fall festival of Wakamiya Shrine, Irabayashi-machi. Boys dressed as foxes perform acrobatics on 10-foot bamboo poles. Performances are in the afternoon and evening on both days.
Nakashima River Festival (3rd Sunday in November): Held around Megane-bashi.
Chodai Matsuri (around the 21st of November): This is Nagasaki University's festival - four days of sports competitions, mikoshi parades, book fairs, karaoke, music, and fireworks. Most events are held at the Bunkyo Campus, near the Nagasaki Daigaku-mae streetcar stop.

TAKAKI-CHOU and KONAGAI-CHOU

Todoroki-no-taki
This is a beautiful forested ravine on the Sakai River, below Tara Dake in Takaki-chou. It has the prettiest series of waterfalls near Isahaya. It can be reached by bus from Isahaya or Yue Station during the six-week school summer break only. There are numerous pools to swim in and it is an ideal picnic spot, but crowded on summer weekends. Watch small boys jump off of rocks into the pools. To get away from the crowds, walk over the footbridge in front of the main falls and go down the trail on the right. Upstream from the main falls is a resthouse where you can stay for ¥1,000 a night and sleep on tatami. There is also a campground and a couple of restaurants that specialize in somen (cold noodles). People come here to collect mountain water, with reputed restorative powers, from the springs next to the road just before you get to the first parking lot. The best swimming pool is just above Tairyuu Falls, the next largest fall on the river. Swim behind one of the falls above the pool into a small cave. You can hike to Tara Dake from here (about 100 minutes). Walk up the road on the west side of the stream (take the middle fork in the road) until you get to the trailhead. The left fork on the same road leads down to Ikoi-no-mura.

Ikoi-no-mura
This recreation complex is also in Takaki-chou. The same summer bus to Todoroki-no-taki stops here. The bus makes a couple of trips back to Yue Station during the day. There is grass skiing (¥800 for 2 hours), tennis, swimming, a playground, a hotel, a barbecue restaurant, and the Toron Onsen, with an udon/soba restuarant, sauna, and a stunning view of Mt. Unzen and Isahaya Bay (¥500). You can walk to Todoroki-no-taki from here (about 45 minutes).

Maruo and Nagato Ancient Burial Mounds
The Maruo ancient tomb site is in a mound about 100 meters north of the Kobukai bus stop, which is designed as a large orange (Some bus stops in Konagai-chou are attractive imitations of various kinds of fruit). For the Nagato tomb, walk right to the tip of the small peninsula to the south of the main road.

Sazanka Upland (Sazanka Kougen)
The park is on the slopes of Tara Dake in Konagai-chou. There is a bus stop, a restaurant, a cycling course for children, a small monorail, 'battery cars', a 'super chair', a sled course, laser gun shooting range, playground, and a large lawn suitable for frisbee throwing. You look down on the Ariake Sea. The Herb Museum, not really a museum, but rather a garden, fancy restaurant, and shop specializing in essential oils, herb teas, and cosmetics, is at one end of the monorail. Prices are high. The restaurant at the Museum serves dishes with herb seasonings (Western-Japanese). A sea breeze will add the ambience of the local piggery. Hike from here to Tara Dake: take the left fork from the bus stop and walk along the mountain ring road for about an hour until you see a trail sign for Ichi-no-miya Dake.

Karako Onsen Center
The onsen building is in Moriyama-chou, on Tachibana Bay, and affords a beautiful view across the bay to Mt. Unzen while you are soaking. It costs ¥500, including the usual free green tea. Onsen hours are 9:00 - 6:30. You can have meals here (tempura  is the specialty), and there are vending machines in the lobby. The onsen  seems to cater mostly to senior citizens, and the staff is friendly. Outside the onsen building is a shed sheltering a 1,000-year-old dugout canoe discovered in the area. Several buses a day (fewer on weekends) run from Isahaya directly to the center. Windsurfers launch into the bay from here. You can walk from Karako Onsen to Chijiwa  below the cliffs along a narrow road, part of the Kyushu Nature Trail; this is the  route of the old Aino-Obama 'onsen' railroad.

Chijiwa
The black sand strip at Chijiwa is the closest beach to Isahaya. It has a trash problem although it is routinely cleared in the summer. The beach has pine trees shade, and there are parasols for rent during the summer. The beach is also used by fishermen and as a landing strip for paragliders cruising down from the mountain just south of Chijiwa (Kama Yama). There are many hiking trails on Kama Yama and a young people's nature center. The best restaurant is Rinrin, the Chinese restaurant in the bright yellow building on the main Nagasaki-Obama road. Tachibana Jinja, on the eastern end of town, has a tall stone torii and an avenue of cherry trees. You can hike from Chijiwa to Unzen using the Kyushu Nature Trail and roads (5 hrs.). From the middle of town, walk up the paved road going up to the ridge. At the crest (Kouboubaru), you will come to a brown sign indicating the eastward direction of the trail along the ridge.

Unzen National Park
Mt. Unzen can be easily reached by bus from Isahaya (1.5 hours). The town has a national park visitor center, a campground at Shirakumo-no-ike Pond and many spas and eating places. Two public spas (onsen) are ¥100 (no frills): Shin-yu, opposite the Miyazaki Ryoukan; and Furu-yu (more rustic), across from the Hotel Toyokan. The other public onsen is Kojigoku (¥400 with soap and green tea), on the road going southeast to Hobaru. Across from Furu-yu is the highly-recommended Ishikawa pottery shop. Mammyoji Temple was established 1300 years ago and contains a large golden Buddha. The best places for viewing miyama kirishima flowers in May are Nita Pass, the south end of the golf course, and Houbaru picnic area. Kakitsubata irises bloom in the Genseinuma marshland in spring. Short hikes go to the top of Mt. Kinugasa, Ya Dake, Takaiwa Yama, around the main hot spring area (Unzen Jigoku), Kyuhatiman Jigoku, and Oshidori Pond. The shirodoudan, a bushy tree which blooms with white flowers in May, grows around the jigoku and on the surrounding hills. You can go up along the golf course to Nita Pass and on to the top of Myouken Dake. The cable car itself is a rip-off at ¥1,200 round trip. Fugen Dake has been off-limits since the 1991 eruption. There are a few shuttle bus trips a day around the Unzen area (¥350 from the town to Nita Pass). Another area of the park is above Chijiwa, around Tashirobaru Campground. From here you can walk down to Chijiwa along the Kyushu Nature Trail, or take trails to the top of Kusenbu Dake and Azuma Dake (No buses go to this area, so you have to walk from Chijiwa).  10 km. south of Unzen is Suwa Ike; you can hike here from Takaiwa Yama along the Kyushu Nature Trail. Suwa Ike has a kokuminshukusha or 'people’s lodge' (standard rates) and quiet forests, good for birdwatching. Two km. east of Suwa Pond, at Hara-yama in Kita-arima-chou, are scores of Yayoi-period gravesites. Unzen was the first national park to be established in Japan.

Shimabara
Shimabara is a one-hour train ride from Isahaya. The most famous site is the castle, rebuilt in 1964, which you can see from the train station. April is an excellent time to visit as the moat is strung with hundreds of carp windsocks (koinobori). The castle is also decorated for Christmas. There are exhibits on the Christian Uprising of 1637, the 1991 Fugen eruption, and a good view from the top floor, with Mt. Unzen clearly visible. Admission to the castle is ¥300, including entry to the Seibo Memorial Museum, which exhibits the works of sculptor Seibo Kitamura. Other sights in Shimabara are the 'samurai street' (Bukeyashiki) just to the west of the castle, and the reclining Buddha (Nehan-zo), about 1 km. to the south, near Shirachi Lake. Just off the coast are the Tsukumojima Isles, created in 1792 by lava flows from Mt. Mayuyama; they are now forested with pines. The Shimabara Onsen is in the southern part of the city. From the port, near Shimabara Gaikou Station, ferries go across Shimabara Bay to Misumi and Miike in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Sites of Hara Castle and Hinoe Castle
Walk about 500 m. east of Hara-jou Station, which is located in Minamiarima-chou, south of Shimabara. It was here in 1637 that Christian peasants protesting feudal oppression made their last stand against the army of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Tens of thousands were slaughtered. Some stone foundations remain, but the large site is now covered with fields. One km. north of Kita-arima Station is a hillock with the remains of 13th-century Hinoe Castle.

Nodahama Beach and Kazusa
Nodahama is a sand beach with a campground just before Kazusa, on the southern end of the Shimabara Peninsula. Take a Shimatetsu or Ken-ei bus and get off at the Noda bus stop. Kazusa, a couple of km. further on, has a nice sand beach with shelters and pine trees for shade (Kazusa bus stop). Iwato-yama, the forested headland in Kazusa, is a botanical preserve. The scenic road from Obama to Kazusa squeezes between the coastal cliffs and the rocky shore for many kilometers.

Kuchinotsu
Shira-hama Beach is on the west side of town. There is a 16th-century Christian gravesite here, one of many in the southern half of the Shimabara Peninsula. The old Customs House on the harbor dates to the turn of the century.

Hayasaki Straits (dolphin watching)
There are lots of dolphins in the Hayasaki Straits between the Shimabara Peninsula and Amakusa Island. Sightseeing boats cost about ¥3,000 per person. Call 0957-87-2032 (Kazusa) or 0957-86-4433 (Kuchinotsu). The ferry from Kuchinotsu to Oniike (Amakusa I.) costs only ¥320, but you may not see dolphins.

Kawahara Pond
This large pond near the east coast of Seihi-cho is circled by a protected forest.

Nomozaki Peninsula beaches
The beaches on this peninsula south of Nagasaki are some of the best in the area, but are time-consuming to reach by train and bus from Isahaya. Kujira-hama Beach: isolated beach of sand and rock; Nagasaki bus from Nagasaki train station (stop #5) to Kabashima or Wakimisaki (40 min. from Nagasaki); get off at Dakeo Kaisui-yokujo-mae stop and walk 15 minutes. Takahama Beach: sand beach; same bus as above; get off at Takahama Kaisui-yokujo stop (50 min.). Wakimisaki Beach: sand beach; same bus as above; get off at Wakimisaki Kaisui-yokujo stop (60 mins.).

Nagasaki Semi-tropical Botanical Gardens
This park is in Nomozaki-chou on the east side of Route 34. In addition to botanical exhibits, there is a "Children's Discovery Land" which opened in 1996. From the Nagasaki Train Station, it takes about 80 minutes to get here by bus.

Wakimisaki Peninsula and Kabashima Island
Benten Yama, on the peninsula, is a botanical preserve for native species. A rare species of wild morning glory (no-asagao) grows near Wakimisaki Beach. The stone-walled Kan-non Temple sits among the crowded dwellings on the peninsula. An old well on Kabashima, a good sea-fishing spot, shelters six-foot-long eels.

Hashima and Takashima
The abandoned coal mining community of Hashima is on a small island 4.5 km. west of the tip of the Nomozaki Peninsula. It used to be the most densely inhabited space on earth. The buildings, including six-story apartment complexes, offices, a hospital, and a school, have been left as they were and are now crumbling. People are not encouraged to visit Hashima because of the dangers of falling masonry, but many do anyway. Some have rented sea kayaks or boats from Nomozaki. Hashima is also known as 'Battleship Island' (Gunkan-jima) because of its resemblance to a battleship.You can take a ferry from Nagasaki Harbor to nearby Takashima (whose own coal mine was closed in 1986), now home to only 1,000 aging residents. In Japan, the islands, both Mitsubishi enterprises, have become symbols of the reckless depletion of the country’s natural resources.

Tarami-chou
Two shrines here deserve mention: Aso Shrine is decorated by a painting of a catfish, and Jurokuzen Shrine has a pretty pond and a stone monkey. The Aso Shrine sumo tournament is held in mid-September. The Nagasaki Old Road goes through the hills south of town to Yagame. Just east of the town is Nozomi Park. It can be reached by the Okusa-Ooura bus. There is some play equipment, some popular ofuro (baths), and a commanding view of Omura Bay. From here, you can see some of the ikiriki mikan orchards for which the area is famous.  Kokuuzou-san Park gives commanding views of the bay, eastern Nagasaki, and Tarami from its lookout tower. It can be reached by car, or by hiking from Kikitsu or Ichinuno.

Koto-no-o Dake
You can walk from Hongawachi train station to the top of Koto-no-o Dake in about one and a half hours (see Hiking). Hongawachi, in Nagayo-chou, is on the Nagayo line to Nagasaki. You can also drive to the peak. This area is famous for its ikiriki mikan. A beacon pit near the top was first used in 1647 to warn the populace about the approach of two Portuguese warships. At the top, there are picnic tables, vending machines, bathrooms, and a lookout with a wonderful view of Omura Bay and all of Nagasaki's mountains.

Sotome
Sotome-chou is on the west coast of the Nishisonogi Peninsula. The area was a bastion of "underground" Christians during the Shogunate. There is the historic Shitsu Church, a town museum, and a museum devoted to Père de Rotz, who came as a missionary to Sotome in the 1860s. De Rotz's hometown in France is Sotome's sister city. Off the coast is an arch rock, with the coal mining island of Ike Shima to the north of it. Sotome can be reached by Seihi bus from Nagasaki.

Nagasaki Bio Park
This zoo (admission: ¥1,500), with many outdoor pens exhibiting animals from all over the world, is in Seihi-chou, in the northeast of the Nishisonogi Peninsula. You can get a discounted pass for both the Bio park and the Holland Village. Nagasaki buses leave for here from the Nagasaki train station.

Horanda Mura
The original Nagasaki Dutch Village is in Seihi-chou, just north of the Bio Park. It proved so popular that the owner built Huis ten Bosch. Horanda Mura (admission: ¥2,500) is still open to tourists, but it's small and more for children. Huis ten Bosch is easier to get to and is just much larger and more varied in its offerings.

Nanatsugama Limestone Caves
These caves are in Saikai-chou, the northwest part of the Nishisonogi Peninsula. Lighted stairs and passageways lead through about 600 meters of caverns.

Enyu-ji Garden
This small former temple garden now has a shrine, terraces with cherry trees, 'sun' and 'moon' ponds, and rock garden with 'dry' falls. Walk down the street to your left as you leave the train station, then turn right at the intersection. Keep going until you see a sign for the garden.

Omura Kouen
The park in Omura is best visited in April (for cherry blossoms) and June (irises). The distinctive multi-petaled blossoms on the cherry trees belong to two local varieties: kushimazakura and oumurazakura. From the train station walk towards the coast and bear south. The bus can drop you off at the southeast corner of the park. There is also a partially-reconstructed castle (Kushima Jou) with a shrine, tower, sumo ring, and a 400-year-old maki (fir) tree. Behind the castle along the now dry moat there is a protected stretch of native forest with shady trees. The park is right on Omura Bay, where there are the remains of the feudal lord's 17th century boat docks. During the Cherry and Iris Festivals, booths which serve sushi, udon, yakitori, ice-cream, etc., are set up at the park.

Kouri River Valley
The Kouri Gawa runs out of the heart of an old volcanic crater and into the sea at Omura. At the head of the valley, trails go in three directions, towards the crater rim peaks of Kyou-ga Dake, Tara Dake, and Gokahara Dake. Allow about two hours of hiking up to each of the peaks. The trail to Gokahara Dake follows a pretty stream with waterfalls and swimming holes. The upper valley floor is a peaceful tapestry of rice terraces and farm houses. There is a campground near the Kuroki bus stop. Shiitake mushrooms are cultivated at the forest edge. About one km. below the Kuroki bus stop is the Kouri Gawa Sabou Kouen, a landscaped picnic park on the river (Itakawauchi bus stop). Further down is Kayaze Dam. The valley is in for big changes: the dam wall is being raised, a tunnel is being blasted through the north ridge to connect Omura with Saga Prefecture, and new roads are being constructed to skirt a larger lake (scheduled for completion in 1997). Buses run up the valley from Omura Bus Terminal.

Nagasaki Suko Coffee Park
They actually grow their own coffee and make their own blends here. There's a restaurant and a museum relating the history of coffee in Nagasaki. It's on the bay, about 1.5 km. southwest of Matsubara train station.

Nodake Lake
A few buses run up here from Omura Bus Terminal (¥480). Red pines rim the artificial lake. There is a campground, picnic area, playground, and boat rental. Nearby, at Iwamoto-en, are tennis courts, mini-golf, and bungalows for rent. Above the lake is the Omurawan Country Club golf course. You can hike up the road from the bus stop to the trailhead for Kouri Dake.

Ryuutousen Falls
These pretty falls are a summer swimming venue, and are also known for fall leaves. There are no buses, so you have to go by car. The alternative is to take a Sasebo bus and get off at the Sawata Shuuku bus stop on Route 34; from here it's a 3-hour hike up Road 190 to the falls.

Hasami
Hasami is part of one of Japan's major ceramics areas, the art here perfected by potters of Korean origin. The Hasami Pottery Festival is late April/early May. There's a corresponding event in neighboring Arita (Saga Prefecture). You could take a Sasebo-bound train to Haiki junction, and then change for Hasami, or simply go on the NWJC trip with the dormitory students around April 29-May 5, during the Ceramic Fair. There is a rather expensive onsen in Hasami.

Osaki Natural Park
This is a children's amusement park in the middle of the Osaki Peninsula, a part of Kawatana-chou which juts into Omura Bay. There are go-carts, a monorail, pony rides,etc., but the park's principal distinction is all the peacocks strolling about the grounds. You can get here from Ogushigou train station.

Huis ten Bosch
The admission fee is ¥3,900 to this 'Dutch village' theme park. There are various other entry tickets which include discounted 'stars', the ratings for the various attractions (A King Card has 30 stars, and a Prince Card has 10). You can also get return train fare/admission tickets at a discounted rate from the Isahaya train station office. The attractions include animation shows, canal boat rides, a simulated sea voyage, a tall ship dock, and some historical museums, and you can purchase European wines, cheeses, chocolate, etc., here. Different 'festivals' are held during the year to attract tourists. There are many different ethnic restaurants, but some are prohibitively expensive. Many of the staff are genuine Dutch gaijin. By far the best thing about Huis ten Bosch is simply the layout of its buildings and their design: the Japanese come here to be transported away from Japan. During the World Ceramics Exposition (mid-July to mid-October), you can get advance tickets to Huis ten Bosch and the branch ceramics exhibit there for ¥2,700. A 40-minute ferrry ride takes you across the bay to Holland Village and the Bio Park.

Sasebo City
The second largest city in the prefecture is home to U.S. and Japanese Self-Defense Force naval bases. The Sasebo City Museum is one block north of Sasebo Chuuou Station. Miura Church and the main shopping arcade are near the Sasebo Station. Ishi Dake, across the bay, has a small animal park and offers pretty views of the 99 Islands. About 5 km. northeast of the city is a site with 17th-century Christian graves.

Saikai-bashi
This bridge at the mouth of Omura Bay connects the Nishisonogi Peninsula with Sasebo. Those interested in spectacular natural phenomena gather here in early April to watch the swirling whirlpools. It is also famous for its 1,500 cherry trees. Reached by Seihi bus from Sasebo or Ken-ei from Nagasaki.

Ninety-nine Islands
Sightseeing cruises through the 99 Islands by motorized Chinese junk (¥880 for 50 mins.) start from Kashimae Port, about 7 km. west of Sasebo Station. There are city buses to Kashimae from the Sasebo train station. These islands, with parts of Hirado and the Gotos, make up Saikai National Park.
 

Yutoku Inari Shrine
These beautiful buildings in Kashima  are one of the most important fox shrines in Japan. Take the train to Hizen Kashima Station, on the Tosu line, and then get a bus up the river valley to the shrine, or walk the 3 km. from the station.

Arita
The Kyushu Ceramics Museum is near Arita Station, and the Arita Folklore Museum and the Arita Ceramic Art Museum are both near Kami-Arita Station. The galleries of some kilns can be visited. The Arita Porcelain Park is a few minutes by bus from the station. The World Ceramics Exposition, held in Arita in the summer and fall, displays stunning ceramic pieces from around the world, as well as corporate and theme pavilions (¥2,500 admission). Connect with a train to Arita from Haiki Station on the Sasebo line.

Imari
This is another stop for ceramics buffs. There are two ceramics display centers and  the "Village of the Secret Kilns" is a few minutes south of town by bus. Imari can be reached from Arita by train.

Takeo Onsen
This spa town is on the Sasebo - Saga train line. The public baths, entered through a vermilion gate tower, start at ¥260 per person, but also have more expensive family bath rooms. Mifuneyama Park is a short bus ride south of the city and is noted for its 50,000 azaleas, which bloom in May. Keishuen is another noted Japanese garden in the area.

Ureshino
This well-known onsen town is set among hills terraced for green tea cultivation. Near Ureshino is steep-sided Kokuuzou-san, with a view of Saga and Omura Bay, a one-hour hike from the parking area. The 80-year-old Furu-yu spa is only ¥240, (closed for renovation at the beginning of 1997). The other inexpensive onsen  is Moto-yu (¥300; ¥500 on Sundays). The most expensive hotel in town, the Wataya Besso, lets you use their large onsen for ¥1,000. An outdoor rock pool overlooks a pretty landscaped section of the river. On a hill above the town, there is a walled, thatch-roofed replica of an Edo-period village complete with costumed inhabitants and a ninja show. Reach Ureshino by bus from Sonogi Station (Sasebo line) in 25 minutes, or from Takeo or Kashima Stations.

Karatsu
Karatsu, on a wide beach-fronted bay, can be reached by train (change at Saga). Niji-no-matsubara, east of the city, is one of the last intact coastal pine forests in Japan. It borders a long, clean, sandy swimming beach; even in winter it's good for strolling and collecting seashells. Behind the forest, Kagami-yama gives wide-ranging views from the top. Karatsu Castle is on the point at the entrance to the harbor. There is a small museum inside. The castle is part of Maizuru Park, famed for its blooming wisterias in the spring. Remnants of the old castle town structures, such as gates, moats, and walls, are scattered through the town. A few blocks north of Karatsu Station is the Hikiyama Exhibition Hall, which contains the 14 spectacular floats from the well-known Karatsu Kunchi Festival (November 2 - 4). Across from it is Karatsu Shrine. The Nabatake Archeological Site is next to the Matsuro Exhibition Hall, which catalogs early rice paddy cultivation in Japan. The Nanatsugama Sea Caves are several km. north of the town; March through November there are boat tours. Kashiwajima Island can be reached by ferry; it has several important sites which shed light on early Japanese culture and the origins of manyo poetry. Karatsu is one of three major ceramics centers in Saga Prefecture and several kilns have exhibits for the public. There are ceramics shops situated throughout the main shopping arcade and on the 2nd floor of the Alpino Furusato-kaikan, to the right of the main station exit. If you're spending the night, try the new Karatsu City Hotel, on the west side of the station (¥6,800 single). They have large, clean rooms and a great ofuro on the 5th floor.

Saga City
There's not a lot to see here, apart from the ruins of the castle and the prefectural museum. The city's biggest claim to fame now is the World Balloon Festival held here every November.

Yoshinogari Ancient Village
This archeological site holds the ruins of a Yayoi period village about 2,000 years old. Some dwellings have been reconstructed. Admission is free. It's a short walk from Kanzaki Station, northeast of Saga City.
 

Hirado
Hirado can be reached by Nagasaki Ken-ei bus from Isahaya. If you go by train, you will have to change in Sasebo, then take a bus from Hirado-guchi over the bridge to the island. Hirado town is quaint and quiet with a few relics from the early days of trade with European nations. The most interesting sight is the Matsura Family Museum, perhaps the best historical museum in the prefecture, which is housed in a feudal mansion. The museum displays heirlooms and objects obtained during trade with Europe in the 17th century, and has its own traditional tea house. There is also a castle (Kameoka-jou) and the 17th-century Saiwai Bridge. Yuukou-ji Temple's gate is also about 300 years old. The Francis Xavier Church and the Saikyo Temple are also worth a look. On the hill above the town is Sakigata Park and the gravesite of Will Adams. The best beach on Hirado is Neshiko, reached by Seihi Bus; get off at the Neshiko bus stop. Showers are available. Ikitsuki Island, off the northwest coast of Hirado, can now be reached by car and is noted for its basalt cliffs. Ikitsuki has the strongest kakure kirishitan (Hidden Christian) community in Japan.

Goto Islands
Ferries and the faster, but more expensive, hydrofoil run to Fukue, Naru, and Narao (southern Gotos) from Nagasaki. For the northern Goto ports (Arikawa, Shinuo-nome, Ojika, and Uku), you will have to leave from Sasebo. There are also inter-island ferries. You can fly to Fukue, Ojika, and Uku from Nagasaki Airport. Fukue Island has nice beaches, the best being Shiraraga-hama and Taka-hama in the northwest, and some interesting sights in Fukue City: Ishida-jou Castle and garden, Mt. Oni-dake (an extinct volcano), a 'samurai' street, and a Chinese well. The Sunset Half Marathon is held in Fukue in August (¥2,500 entry fee). The Osezaki Lighthouse is the westernmost point in Japan. Near Tomie, there is a lava tube (Iana Cave), and at Kashinoura there is a famous Chinese banyan tree (akou). The Dondonbuchi Falls, also on Fukue, are about 160 m. high. You can go diving or snorkeling at Takenoko-jima, a few km. north of Fukue. Dousaki and Uragashira Churches are in the northeast part of the island. Nakadouri Island, which has clear waters and attracts fishermen, is very hilly, with rocky shores and pretty scenery. The best beach is Hamaguri-hama, with 300 meters of white sand. The Kashira-ga-jima stone church is in Arikawa-cho. Narao-cho, in the south, has a banyan tree with a street running through it. Ojika Island is reached from Sasebo. The Nokubi Church on Ojika is 90 years old. East of Ojika is Nozaki-jima (take a ferry from Fuefuki), which has hiking trails, a good beach, and a popular campground. Uku is the northernmost of the Gotos. The biggest beach is Ou-hama; the top of Shiraga Dake offers a view of the entire island.

Iki
This island is easily reached by ferry from Yobuko (to Indoji-ko) or Fukuoka (to Gonoura and Ashibe), or by flights from Nagasaki. Well-known as a fisherman's and beach-goer's haven, it's busy with tourists in the summer, but relatively quiet at other times. Katsumoto-chou, in north Iki, has some castle ruins and Kinzou-ji Temple, housing rare icons and a 15th-century bell. In Ashibe-chou, a battlefield marker commemorates the Mongol invasions of 1274 and 1281. Also in Ashibe are Onu-dake, a shrine with monkey statues; Joukou-ji's sitting Buddha; Oni-no-iwaya, a 6th-century stone grave; the 5th-century burial mounds at Outsuka-yama; and the site of Ankoku-ji, a 14th-century temple. Just north of the airport in Ishida-chou is Hakusa Hachiman Shrine. Iki hosts a major road cycling event in the summer.

Tsushima
You can fly to Tsushima (The airport is in Mitsushima-chou), or take a ferry from Fukuoka or Yobuko. The two main islands of Tsushima, Shimoagata in the south and Kamioagata in the north, are joined by a bridge over the narrow Manzeki Straits. It was near here that Japan defeated the Russian navy in 1905. The main industries are pearl culture, fish cultivation in the bays, and shiitake mushrooms. The largest town in Tsushima is Izuhara, in the south. It has interesting 16th-century castle ruins (Shimizuyama-jou), the traditional residence of the Sudou family, and the fine temples of Daikou-ji and Housei-ji. Also in Izuhara is the Tsushima Prefectural Historical Museum. Mitsushima-chou boasts the rugged peaks and forests of Sumoshira Dake and 6th-century gravesites. The center of Toyotama-chou, in the southern part of the north island, is the town of Nii, with an interesting culture center and museum. Nagasaki Wesleyan exchange students make a trip here for a weekend homestay every November. Don't miss the trip - the islanders are extraordinarily friendly! Sights in Toyotama-chou include the view from Eboshi Dake over Asou Bay: you can see to Korea on a clear day; Watazumi Jinja, dedicated to the protection of fishermen; near the jinja, the shed housing two funegoro rowboats, used every year for a race to Korea; and an ancient well next to the shed where a legendary prince and princess met. Kaijin Jinja, in Mine-chou, has a valuable relics and a protected forest. Entsuu-ji Temple is also worth a visit. The northern part of the island is remote and heavily forested: the Tsushima deer and Tsushima wildcat roam here. Kamigata-chou has a recently-opened buckwheat flour mill powered by a waterwheel.
 

BUS

     The two bus terminals in Isahaya, Nagasaki Ken-ei and Shimatetsu, are located close to each other and to the train station. Schedules and large route maps are posted in the terminals. Be warned that some of the times and destinations that are posted have been cancelled. You need to be familiar with the kanji for your destination if you want to read the schedule. Nagasaki Ken-ei long distance buses to Kumamoto, Karatsu, Yobuko, Oita/Beppu, Fukuoka,  Kitakyushu, Hiroshima, Osaka, and Kyoto can be boarded at the Isahaya Interchange on the tollway; take a Nagasaki Eki-mae bus to the Kaizudanchi Iriguchi bus stop to get there. A taxi from the station to the interchange costs ¥1,270. The highway buses offer large, comfortable seats, movies (with headsets), coffee and green tea, and a toilet.
      For local buses, you can buy a ticket at a vending machine in the station, or you can pay as you leave the bus. Most buses have an electronic fare table above the driver and a recorded voice announces the stops. As you enter the bus, take a numbered slip. When you get off, the fare will be posted on the table below your number. Put the slip and your fare/ticket in the fare box by the driver. For longer distances, you can buy round-trip tickets at a small discount. Local buses are scarce after about 8:30 p.m. and some routes have greatly reduced service on weekends.
     Long distance buses (about two hours or longer of travel) are cheaper than trains, but, for shorter runs, e.g. to Nagasaki, taking the train will save you money. City buses, of course, will carry you to many more local destinations than trains will. At the bus station, you can get books of bus coupons in different yen amounts (e.g. ¥120, ¥150) at a 10% discount. They can be used in combination with, or in lieu of, cash with any of the five Nagasaki-ken bus companies (Ken-ei, Shimatetsu, Nagasaki, Seihi, Sasebo Shi-ei).
     As you leave the Nagasaki train station, you will see guide maps outlining the various bus stops and destinations (in kanji) near the station. Tour buses of the city leave on the hour from in front of the tour bus office, on your left after you leave the station. The Ken-ei bus terminal in Nagasaki is opposite the train station. The terminal for Nagasaki city buses is in Shinchi-machi, opposite the Irie-machi streetcar stop, southeast of Dejima.

Takenoshita (north end of Isahaya Arcade)  -  ¥130. Door #6 in the Nagasaki Ken-ei terminal. Other buses going east will also stop at Takenoshita. Coming back from the Arcade, you can catch any bus going west along Route 207.
Isahaya Kyoku-mae - ¥140. This stop is one block east of the Arcade, good for Daiei and the main post office. Take a Higashi Kousei-chou bus from Door #6.
Nagasaki Wesleyan Univeristy  -  The free NWU shuttle runs to the college from the back of the train station 10 times per day, 8:20 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Monday - Saturday. Otherwise, if you can't walk, take the Warigoi-myo bus (¥130) from Door #1 at the Nagasaki Ken-ei Terminal. Get off at the Nishi Eida bus stop, opposite Cobleigh Dormitory. Buses do not run frequently. The schedule is the one on the far left above Door #1.
Nishi Isahaya Friendship Plaza  -  ¥140; from Door #1 on the Tsumizu-Shiraiwa-machi or Tsumizu-Masaki buses. Get off at the Fureai Hiroba-mae bus stop across from the junior high school baseball field.
Isahaya Sports Park  -  ¥130; many Ken-ei buses stop at the north entrance (Kyougiba Kitaguchi), including the Nagasaki Eki-mae buses on the Oohato and Tsutsuji-ga-oka routes (Door #2); Enoura buses (Door #7); and Isahaya Eigyousho buses (Door #2).
Kaizudanchi Iriguchi  -  ¥200 from Door #2. This is the bus stop near Hamakatsu and MacDonald's. It is also where you change for expressway long distance buses. For these, walk five minutes west to the Isahaya Interchange (kousokudouro basu noriba) bus stop and wait there.

Omura Kouen  -  ¥380 from Ken-ei, Door #5. You take the airport (kuukou) bus.
Nagasaki Airport  - ¥570 from Door #5 in the Ken-ei terminal.
Kuroki (from Omura)  -  ¥490 from Omura Bus Terminal (one block straight ahead of the train station). Take the 8:15 a.m. bus if you're hiking. Kuroki is a major access point for Gokahara-Tara-Kyouga Dake hiking trails.
No Dake Lake (from Omura)  -  ¥480 from Omura Bus Terminal. Four buses a day to this recreation and hiking area.
Bio Park (from Nagasaki train station): ¥640. Seven buses per morning leave from bus stop #7, on your left as you leave the station.
Holland Village (from Nagasaki train station): ¥660. Same buses as the Bio Park.
Hirado  -  ¥2250 by Ken-ei bus (Door #5).

Tomigawa Ravine  -  ¥360. Door #2 at the Nagasaki Ken-ei Terminal.
Tanakake  -  ¥340. Tomigawa bus (Door #2). Last stop in the Yuuno-o Valley.
Ochouzu  -  ¥240. Ken-ei bus from Door #6. There are 6 buses a day, but only 2 in the morning. You must walk 800 meters from the Ochozu bus-stop to the grotto.
Shirake Mine  -  ¥380. Take the Ken-ei Kokuritsu Shizen-no-ie bus from Door #4 to the Shirake Mine Kougen bus stop.
Shizen-no-ie  -  ¥440. The bus leaves from Door #4. Kokuritsu Shounen Shizen-no-ie is its final stop.
Todoroki-no-taki  -  ¥600. One bus a day (July 20th - September 1st only) at 9:50 a.m. from Door #4. This bus originates in Nagasaki and returns there via Isahaya at 4:50 p.m. The bus also stops at Ikoi-no-mura. In between, the bus makes two return trips between Todoroki and Yue Station (11:00 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. from Todoroki). There are also two trips between Yue and Ikoi-no-mura.
Misakae-no-en  -  ¥720. Several departures a day with Ken-ei (Door #4). Walk from here up the road to Sazanka Kogen (half an hour) when the buses aren't running all the way up there.
Sazanka Kougen  -  ¥800. Four departures a day (May 15th - November 4th only) with Ken-ei from Door #4.

Nomozaki Peninsula (from Nagasaki train station): Buses for destinations on the Nomozaki Peninsula leave from the bus stop in front of the London Park amusement arcade, across from the Nagasaki train station.
Nagasaki Aquarium  -  ¥540. Take a Shimatetsu Nagasaki bus, or a Ken-ei Nagasaki Eki-mae/Tsutsuji-ga-oka bus (Door #2) to the Aba-dou bus stop (after Yagami) and walk down the stairs to the aquarium.

Hajino-o: ¥240 from Door #7 by Enoura, Iimori, or Hajino-o bus. From here, hike up Hatten Dake or along the Kyushu Nature Trail to Hana-no-ki (west) or Uki (east).
Kogakura Dam  -  ¥240 from Door #7 (Kogakura bus or some Uki buses).
Uki Harbor  -  ¥350 by Ken-ei (Door #7). Get off at the harbor.

Hanzou  -  ¥210, Door #4. The stop is on the east side of the Hanzou Bridge. Get off here for A - Price or to walk along the Hanzou - Hon Myou dykes.
Yu Yu Land  -  ¥270 to the Kantaku-no-sato-mae bus stop on the Shironuhi-bashi or Higashi Kawauchi bus routes (Ken-ei bus), or ¥270 to the Onojima bus stop by Shimatetsu bus.
Shiranuhi-bashi  -  ¥230. Take the Shiranuhi-bashi bus from Door #6 or Door #4. Walk from the bridge to the dykes at the Isahaya Bay mudflats.
Karako Onsen Center  -  ¥580 by Ken-ei bus. Leave from Door #3. Several buses a day, but only three on weekends.
Chijiwa  -  All Unzen, Obama, and Kuchinotsu buses for Shimatetsu and Ken-ei (Door #4) go through Chijiwa. The first stop in Chijiwa, Shioya, is good for the beach (¥630). The next two stops are ¥660 from Isahaya. It's ¥700 to Tachibana Jinja on the south end of town.
Obama  -  ¥910 by Shimatetsu or Ken-ei bus (Door #4).
Mt. Unzen  -  ¥1200. Door #4 in the Ken-ei terminal, or take a Shimatetsu bus.
Taira  -  ¥970 by Shimatetsu. Taira is the ferry port for Nagasu (Kumamoto-ken), across Shimabara Bay. From Nagasu, get another bus to Kumamoto.
Shimabara  -  ¥1250 by Shimatetsu to the Shimabara train station, or ¥1300 to the ferry dock. You can buy a ticket for ¥1700 which includes the ferry to Misumi, in Kumamoto Prefecture. Ken-ei also runs to the Shimabara ferry dock for ¥1300.
Nodahama Beach  -  ¥1350. Shimatetsu or Ken-ei bus (Door #3) for Kazusa and Kuchinotsu. Get off at the Noda bus stop.
Kazusa  -  ¥1350. Same bus as Nodahama. There's a good sand beach here.
Kuchinotsu  -  ¥1450 by Shimatetsu or Ken-ei. The ferry for the Amakusa Islands (to Oniike on Shimo-shima) leaves from here (¥320). This is a scenic way to Kagoshima. Bus from Oniike to Honda, then catch the 15:45 ferry to Minamata, of mercury poisoning fame, across the Yatsushiro Sea (over 2 hours). The ferry makes one stop at Goshoura Island. From Minamata ferry terminal (ferii noriba), get a local bus to the train station, then catch a local to Kagoshima (about 2 hours).

Kumamoto - ¥2220 with Nagasaki Ken-ei. Part of the journey will be across Shimabara Bay (from Taira to Nagasu) by ferry. One bus a day at 8:55 a.m. from Door #5. Ten highway buses a day from Nagasaki stop at the Interchange (¥3330).
Fukuoka  -  ¥2500. Nagasaki Ken-ei has departures from Door #5 at 9:45, 11:45, 15:45, and 17:45. Shimatetsu also runs to Fukuoka at 8:00, 14:00, and 19:00. Round-trip tickets (use within 10 days) cost ¥4,500.
Yufuin  -  ¥3,650. This arts and crafts tourist town is easily reached from Isahaya since the Beppu-Oita bus stops here.
Beppu  -  ¥4,200. Five buses a day stop in at the Isahaya Interchange. It takes about three and a half hours from Isahaya Interchange.
Hiroshima  -  ¥6,250. Meet the bus at the Isahaya Interchange.
Osaka  -  ¥10,550. Meet the bus at the Interchange.
Kyoto  -  ¥10,850. Meet the bus at the Interchange.
 

There are taxi queues in front of and at the back of the train station and next to the Ken-ei bus terminal. You can also flag a taxi down in the street if it is unoccupied. From the front of the train station to NWJC is ¥730; if you tell the driver to drop you off at Chinzei High School (chinzei koukou mae), it is ¥550 (from back of train station). ¥550 is the basic rate for up to one kilometer. Back doors in taxis are driver-controlled: don't open or close them yourself.
 

Trains run in four directions from Isahaya: 1) to Nagasaki by two routes - the slower bay route [Nagayo line], or the more direct route, mainly tunnels [Ichinuno line]; 2) to Omura and Sasebo; 3) the Shimabara Peninsula as far as Kazusa; 4) to Saga, Tosu, and Hakata (Fukuoka). Note that part of the Shimabara line was knocked out by the 1991 Unzen eruption, so you have to do the stretch between Minami Shimabara Eki and Fukae Eki by a bus that meets the train. Express trains (kyuukou), marked in red on the schedules, will cost about 50% more than the posted fares. 'Rapid' trains (kaisoku) are marked in blue on schedules, and locals (futsu) are in black. The latter two have identical fares. Long-distance trains have first class carriages called 'Green Cars'. You can buy commuter passes (teiki-ken) and 10% discount coupon tickets (kaisuu-ken) at JR counters. Train fares may change (i.e. increase) on April 1st, at the beginning of the school year.

Nishi Isahaya  -  ¥160. All locals to Nagasaki stop here.
Kikitsu (Tarami-cho)  -  ¥220. Take any Nagasaki-bound local or limited express.
Hongawachi  -  ¥350 (Nagayo line to Nagasaki). Walk from here to Koto-no-o Dake.
Michi-no-o  -  ¥530 (Nagayo line to Nagasaki). Toys "R" Us is near the station; hike west from the station to the top of Iwaya San.
Urakami  -  ¥440. Get off here if you're walking to the Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Museum, and the Urakami Cathedral. It's a short walk west across the river from this station to the Mt. Inasa Cablecar Station.
Nagasaki - ¥440 for locals or limited express trains.

Omura - ¥260. Take the Sasebo train.
Huis ten Bosch  -  ¥890. The station is right across from the theme park.
Haiki  -  ¥1,060. This is the junction where you change trains for Arita and Takeo Onsen in Saga Prefecture.
Sasebo  -  ¥1230. North of Sasebo is a private line, so you must change here for points north (Hirado-guchi, Matsuura, etc.).

Hon Isahaya  -  ¥130. This station is just to the west of the south entrance to the Arcade. Take a train on the Shimabara line (Platform 0).
Kantaku-no-sato  -  ¥200. This is the train stop for Yu Yu Land (Platform 0).
Shimabara - ¥1,210 to the main Shimabara station. Always leaves from Platform O.

Yue  -  ¥260 (Tosu train). Buses leave from here for Todoroki-no-taki. Yue is the point from which the grand dyke of the controversial Isahaya Bay Reclamation Project is being constructed.
Saga  -  ¥1,400 (Tosu train). Taking the Kamome (Hakata express) is much more convenient and faster, but more expensive.
Karatsu  -  ¥1,060 (This is the local train fare from Saga Station).
Tosu  - ¥2,030. You change trains here for Kumamoto and if you're taking a  local to Hakata.
Hakata Station (Fukuoka) - ¥3,710 on the express. Takes about 2 hours. You can get round trip express train (kyuukou) tickets for ¥7,100 if you complete the trip within four days. Passengers under 30 can get 40% off 'Nice Going' passes. If you have the time, you can take a local train to Hakata Station for ¥2,370. In this case, take a Tosu-bound train from Isahaya and then change in Tosu for one of the frequent trains from there to Hakata. To the Fukuoka Airport from Hakata Station (if you don't have a lot of luggage), take the subway (¥220); it’s about ten minutes. Taxis from the station to the airport are ¥900.

Note: The fares below are for locals. The daily Tokyo and Kyoto trains are expresses (add about 50% to the fares below).
Kumamoto - ¥3,500 (change at Tosu)
Hiroshima  - ¥6,800. Take Tokyo or Kyoto train.
Okayama  -  ¥8,860. Take Tokyo or Kyoto train.
Osaka  -  ¥10,300. Take the Tokyo or Kyoto train.
Kyoto  -  ¥10,610. Once daily from Isahaya at 20:07; arrives Kyoto at 7:59 a.m.
Tokyo  -  ¥14,420. Once daily from Isahaya at 17:16; arrives Tokyo at 11:29 a.m.
 

The Ouhato ferry terminal is a few blocks south of the train station in Nagasaki, west of the Ouhato streetcar stop. These ferries leave from there:

Ioujima: (¥590) 12 times daily.
Takashima: (¥890) 10 times daily.
Fukue (Goto Islands) - ferry: (¥2,360 2nd class, ¥4,350 1st class) 3 hrs.; 3 times daily.
                                    - jetfoil: (¥5,970 or ¥11,510 round trip) 85 minutes; 2 - 5 times daily, depending on the season.
Narao (Goto Islands) - ferry:  same fare as Fukue, twice daily.
                                    - jetfoil: 75 mins.; same fare as Fukue, 2 - 4 times daily
Narujima (Goto Islands) - some ferries to Fukue connect to here.
Kushikino (Kagoshima Pref.) - (¥4,500; ¥8,550 round trip) The 'Sea Bird' sails twice daily. It takes 2 hours and 50 minutes.
Kumamoto New Port - (¥4,500). Twice daily.

The ferry service from Nagasaki to Shanghai was cancelled in December, 1996.
Ferries leave from Mogi Port (east Nagasaki) for Kumamoto New Port (¥3,100) and Tomioka (Shimo-shima, Amakusa Islands).
From Taira, on the Shimabara Peninsula, take the ferry to Nagasu, in Kumamoto.
From Shimabara Port, take Ariake Sea ferries to Omuta (Fukuoka Pref.), New Kumamoto Port, and Misumi, on the Uto Peninsula, Kumamoto.
From Kuchinotsu, frequent ferries run across the Hayasaki Straits to Oniike Port, on Shimo-shima, Amakusa Islands (¥320).
 

Nagasaki Airport (nagasaki kuukou) is west of Isahaya on an island in Omura Bay. You can get there by taking a bus from Door #5 in the Ken-ei bus terminal, or by taking a train to Omura Station, and then a bus or a taxi to the terminal. The airport services the following domestic destinations with direct flights: Tokyo, Osaka (Itami and Kansai International), Sapporo, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Tsushima, Iki, Goto (Fukue-shima), Kamigoto (Nakadouri-shima), Ojika (Ojika-shima)  and Okinawa. International flights go to Shanghai, Pusan, and Seoul. You will have to go to Fukuoka for other international connections. International flights from Fukuoka and Nagasaki are not greatly discounted compared to Osaka and Tokyo. For domestic flights, you can usually get a 50% discount on a round-trip ticket (somewhat less on Fri. - Sun.) if you buy it at least one month in advance (for example, Tokyo round trip from Nagasaki for ¥29,600, Osaka r-t ¥18,500). You will only get a 50% refund with this deal, so you have to be certain about your plans. The 50% discount will usually match the local train (futsu) rates for your destination, and you save a lot of time! Most of August and some other holiday periods do not carry a discounted rate. Super discounts do not apply to children. Check with a travel agent for special rates and package tours.
 

WHAT TO BRING

Clothing: Teachers should bring a dark suit for formal occasions. Bring both summer and winter wear. Bring light pants for the hot and humid summer. Shorts are also O.K. for outdoor wear in the summer.
Shoes: Make sure that you bring shoes that are easy to slip on and off. You'll be taking off your shoes a lot if you visit Japanese homes and even some schools and businesses.
Linens: Bring towels, since good large towels are expensive in Japan.
Cosmetics: If you have a favorite brand, then by all means bring a year's supply. You probably can't get it in Japan. Good cosmetics, such as skin lotion, are very expensive in Japan; however, the $1 shampoo in the ¥100 Store seems to be O.K.
Gifts: You should consider bringing o-miyage for distributing at opportune moments after people do you favors. Things that have a flavor of your part of the world, such as postcards, picture books, small coloring books for children, alcohol for men, English language phrase books, specialty foods and candy, etc., are appropriate.
Coffee: You probably won't find your favorite brand in Japan, so bring some for a special occasion. Coffee such as Starbuck's also makes a great gift.
Baking paraphernalia: You may have access to a toaster oven, so bring small cookie sheets, bread pans, muffin pans, and baking soda. It's hard to get all of these in Japan.
Squeedgee: Bring a small one for the shower. Mould will build up during the humid summer if you don't keep the standing water to a minimum.
Passport photos: Bring a few extra for your alien registration card and for visas if you're going to do international travel.

Books: (for teachers) Nagasaki Wesleyan has an ESL Room with a comprehensive selection of textbooks. Unless you have a favorite resource text, there is no need to bring your own texts. As for personal reading, there are probably sufficient volumes in the school library and the exchange teachers' office to keep you entertained for a year. Do bring the latest guidebook on Japan and an English-Japanese pocket dictionary.
Lots of clothes: You can fill your baggage with too many clothes. The washing machines are small, so you will be forced to do laundry rather frequently unless you want to do several loads at once. This means you'll always have clean clothes on hand.
Lots of household items: Most things can be purchased in Isahaya in places like the ¥100 Store. Don't load up on toothpaste, toothbrushes, Q-tips, potato peelers, etc.

** in the NWU library
•• can be purchased at Kobundo Bookstore, in Nagasaki.
underlined titles are web links

Gaijin! Gaijin! ** (Kenneth Fenter: Cross Culture Press) The book that made Isahaya a household word. Fenter and his family came to Isahaya from Oregon in 1977. He and his wife taught English at  Chinzei High School and College (the old name for NWU). This is the story of their experiences.

Isahaya: Your Home Away From Home  (Isahaya International Council)  The only guide in English (and Chinese and Japanese) to Isahaya. Nice photographs and a lot of information. Put together by the  team from NWU. Be sure to get your copy.

Navigating Nagasaki ** (Nagasaki International Association) The best English language guide to Nagasaki Prefecture. Includes information on survival services, the government and bureaucracy, health, festivals, shopping, places to visit, etc.

Nagasaki-ken no Yama-aruki •• (Masayasu Hayashi) This book is an excellent guide to hiking in Nagasaki Prefecture, especially since it assumes you'll be using public transportation; many maps, but it's all in Japanese.

Crossroads: A Journal of Nagasaki History and Culture ** (ed. Lane R. Earns and Brian Burke-Gaffney: Crossroads, Inc.) English-language annual publication.

The Nagasaki Beat (Nagasaki Prefectural Government International Affairs Division) Free English-language monthly.

Japan Handbook (J.D. Bisignani: Moon Publications) Over 900 pages and a comprehensive guide to tourist destinations in the country.

North-east Asia on a Shoestring (Robert Story, Chris Taylor, and Clem Lindenmayer: Lonely Planet) The best guide to this part of Asia. Includes information on all the major destinations in China, Hong Kong, North Korea, South Korea, Macau, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Japan.

Dave Barry Does Japan (Dave Barry: Fawcett Columbine) The Japanese exposed and analyzed by a rank outsider with no previous experience. A good book to peruse after you've been there a few months.

Yohan English-Japanese Japanese-English Dictionary •• (ed. Fujihiko Kaneda: Yohan Publications, Inc.) A good pocket dictionary because it gives kanji as well as romaji for Japanese words.

Kanji and Kana ** (Wolfgang Hadamitzky and Mark Spahn: Charles E. Tuttle) A systematic guide to the Japanese writing system and essential for finding kanji.

Reading Japanese Around You •• (J. Robert Magee: Yohan Publications,  Inc.) A very useful guide to reading the kanji on signs and in forms. Helps you at the train station, bank, restaurants, etc.

A Guide to Food Buying in Japan ** (Carolyn R. Krouse: Charles E. Tuttle) This practical guide discusses food types, stores, and reading food labels.