10 Things to Do in Nagasaki on a Small Budget

Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown is the country's oldest Chinatown and features a variety of shops and restaurants with plenty of budget-friendly options. Champon and Sara Udon are especially popular in Chinatown, and the local shops offer special ingredients for these dishes as well as custom handicrafts.

Even if you don't feel like spending on food or crafts, the district is suitable for a lovely stroll. The Chinese-style gate at the entrance is iconic, and the buildings within are often notably Chinese in style with narrow lanes between them. It's all located just a short distance south of the city centre past Shinchi Bridge.

The Nagasaki Electric Tramway is a public tram system that makes it easy to get around town efficiently without digging into your budget. The comprehensive network stretches all around the city with 5 distinct routes.

The fare is relatively cheap, but you can help your budget by using a smart card instead. Additionally, you can purchase a one-day pass to ride the tram as much as you like throughout the valid period of your pass. Tram route stations are located all across town in locations like Akasako, Tsukimachi, Hotarujaya and more.

Nagasaki Peace Park is a memorial for the atomic bombing of the city in 1945 that features 2 parks and a museum dedicated to those lost in the tragedy. Inside the park, you'll find a black monolith marking the epicentre of the blast that devastated the city. A piece of the Urakami Cathedral is still visible nearby as well, which is the last remnant of an iconic structure that was otherwise annihilated in the attack.

Inside the museum portion of the park, you can learn about the horrors of war and this kind of attack complete with a memorial hall nearby. Access to this park is free, and it's located in Heiwamachi on the north side of town.

The Mount Inasa viewpoint is an iconic spot at the top of a mountain that allows you to gaze out over the city with particularly alluring nighttime views. The viewpoint is 333 metres upwards and overlooks the entire Nagasaki and bay area where the twinkling lights of the city dance on the water at night.

To get to this viewpoint, all you have to do is choose your favourite route. A rope way, taxi, bus and hiking trail are available as options. It's located a few miles west of the city centre and is free to visit.

Inasa-yama Park is a picturesque park on top of the mountain of the same name that's known for its colourful blooms and frequent festivals. Cherry blossom season is especially popular at this park, as the pink petalled trees show off their colour.

If you're a fan of azaleas, plenty of these flowers can be found here too, as 80,000 of them bloom every year from late April to early May blanketing the park in a picturesque vibrant haze. Plus, the park has its own venue for live musical performances that are held fairly often. See it for yourself just a few miles west of the city centre.

Hashima Island is an oddity a few miles off the shore of mainland Nagasaki that's completely abandoned, showing how nature takes over old buildings. The island was once a spot for coal mining, but when Japan switched to petroleum in the 1970s, the island became abandoned.

Take a tour of this island to see green overgrowth taking over the remnants of towering concrete structures like something out of a post-apocalyptic film. Tours are cheap, so it's easy to see how nature can seize abandoned infrastructure. The island is accessible via ferry from the port.

Nagasaki Seaside Park is a vibrant green space on the edge of town near the water with walking trails, grassy areas and seating. This park allows you to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city without actually leaving the Nagasaki area.

Accessing this park is free, so you don't have to worry about your budget when you take part in its offerings, whether you want to walk the trails or take your shoes off and feel the grass underneath your feet in the green space. It's located in Tokiwamachi near the centre of town.

The Koshibyo Confucius Shrine is a Chinese-built shrine dating back to the late 19th century that's dedicated to the famous philosopher and has a museum. The design of the shrine is colourful and atmospheric with a bridge and pond to greet visitors before they reach traditional Chinese-style buildings.

Confucius isn't quite as popular in Japan as he is in China, so having an entire shrine dedicated to him is quite rare in the country. You can explore it on the north side of Oura Higashimachi just south of Shinchi Chinatown.

Urakami Cathedral is an iconic Catholic church that was rebuilt after its original iteration was destroyed in 1945 and houses relics from the attack. The original cathedral was just 500 metres from the epicentre of the atomic bomb and was effectively annihilated, save for a few pieces.

Today's standing cathedral was finished in 1959, and several artefacts from the bombing are housed inside. See it for yourself just a short distance east of the epicentre memorial in Peace Park in Heiwamachi.