Kobe and Nagasaki
I took a five-day vacation in August. After checking the weather, I decided to travel west. Using the ticket “Seishun 18 kippu”, I took a local train. Even though I took the first train, it was already afternoon by the time I arrived in Kobe. I had already visited this city, so there was nothing new.
I walked in an area with some western-style buildings. It was hot and there were many inclines, so I sweated a lot.
Then I went to a Chinatown. They were selling food here and there, but I bought nothing because I couldn’t find any trash cans on the street.
At night, I went to the observatory of the city hall and then the port to see the night view. Then I wanted to go to see Akashi Bridge, but it started raining when I was waiting for the train, so I couldn’t. I had left my umbrella in the bag of my hotel room, so I had to buy another one at the supermarket of the station.
On the second day, I took the Shinkansen to Hakata, and then rode the local train to Nagasaki. I stayed at a hotel in front of the station for three nights. It was my first time visiting Nagasaki. I visited some parts of the city, using a one-day ticket for streetcars.
I visited a Peace Park, the area destroyed by the atomic bomb.
Then I visited Dejima, the only place of trade with other countries during the Edo Period. I ate Chanpon, a kind of Ramen special in Nagasaki.
At night, I went up to the top of a nearby mountain by cable car and enjoyed the night view of the city.
On the third day, I went to Shimabara. I rented a car and drove to see Mt. Heisei-shinzan, which appeared after the eruption of Mt. Unzen in 1991, when many people were killed by the pyroclastic flow. Then I went to Unzen Jigoku, where vapor was coming up everywhere and it smelled of sulfur. Afterwards, I took a walk in the center of Shimabara. I went back to Nagasaki and visited the Chinatown, but many shops were closed at that time. At night, I visited the Glover Garden. Some western-style buildings were illuminated.
On the fourth day, I took a ship and visited Gunkan Island, which was recently designated as a World Heritage Site. It used to thrive as a city because of the coalmining business, but it turned into ruins after the energy revolution. Then I visited an atomic bomb museum. I saw some objects affected by the bomb.
Then I visited Glover Garden again, and then a nearby church. It was really hilly, so I was tired after walking around.
On the last day, I flew back to Tokyo. Before my departure, I saw a ceremony on TV in the gate. It happened to be the memorial day of the destruction of Nagasaki by the atomic bomb.
※この文章はアメリカ人の先生の添削を受けて修正済みです。
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