() is the
capital and the largest
city of
Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of
Kyūshū in
Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century. It was formerly part of
Nishisonogi District. It was a center of Portuguese and European influence in the 16th through 19th centuries. Nagasaki became a major
Imperial Japanese Navy base during the
First Sino-Japanese War and
Russo-Japanese War.
During
World War II, the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki made Nagasaki the second and last city in the world to be subject to
nuclear attack.
History
Medieval and early modern eras
thumb|left|300px|Founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century, Nagasaki was originally secluded by harbors. It enjoyed little historical significance until contact with European explorers in 1542, when a
Portuguese ship landed nearby, somewhere in
Kagoshima prefecture. The
Navarrese Jesuit missionary St. Francis Xavier arrived in another part of the territory in 1549, but left for
China in 1551 and died soon afterwards. His followers who remained behind converted a number of
daimyo (feudal lords). The most notable among them was
Ōmura Sumitada, who derived great profit from his conversion to the "
Kirishitan" religion through an accompanying deal to receive a portion of the trade from Portuguese ships at a port they established in Nagasaki in 1571 with his assistance.
right|thumb|Kameyama Ware Jar With Nagasaki Dutch Trading Ship, 19th CenturyThe little harbor village quickly grew into a diverse port city, and Portuguese products imported through Nagasaki (such as
tobacco,
bread,
textiles and a Portuguese sponge-cake called
castellas) were assimilated into popular Japanese culture.
Tempura, while not Portuguese in origin, takes its name from the Portuguese word, 'Tempero,' another example of the enduring effects of this cultural exchange. The Portuguese also brought with them many goods from
China.
Due to the instability during the
Sengoku period, Sumitada and Jesuit leader
Alexandro Valignano conceived a plan to pass administrative control over to the
Society of Jesus rather than see the Catholic city taken over by a non-Catholic daimyo. Thus, for a brief period after 1580, the city of Nagasaki was a Jesuit colony, under their administrative and military control. It became a refuge for Christians escaping maltreatment in other regions of Japan.
[Diego Paccheco, Monumenta Nipponica, 1970] In 1587, however,
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign to unify the country arrived in Kyūshū. Concerned with the large
Christian influence in southern Japan, as well as the active and what was perceived as the arrogant role the Jesuits were playing in the Japanese political arena, Hideyoshi ordered the expulsion of all
missionaries, and placed the city under his direct control. However, the expulsion order went largely unenforced, and the fact remained that most of Nagasaki's population remained openly practicing
Catholics.
In 1596, the Spanish ship
San Felipe was wrecked off the coast of
Shikoku, and Hideyoshi learned from its pilot that the
Spanish Franciscans were the vanguard of an
Iberian invasion of Japan. In response, Hideyoshi ordered the
crucifixions of twenty-six Catholics in Nagasaki on February 5 of that year (i.e. the "
Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan"). Portuguese traders were not ostracized, however, and so the city continued to thrive.
thumb|300px|right|Meganebashi (Spectacles Bridge)In 1602,
Augustinian missionaries also arrived in Japan, and when
Tokugawa Ieyasu took power in 1603, Catholicism was still tolerated. Many Catholic
daimyo had been critical allies at the
Battle of Sekigahara, and the Tokugawa position was not strong enough to move against them. Once
Osaka Castle had been taken and
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's offspring killed, though, the Tokugawa dominance was assured. In addition, the
Dutch and
English presence allowed trade without religious strings attached. Thus, in 1614,
Catholicism was officially banned and all missionaries ordered to leave. Most Catholic daimyo
apostatized, and forced their subjects to do so, although a few would not renounce the religion and left the country for
Macau,
Luzon and
Japantowns in
Southeast Asia. A brutal campaign of persecution followed, with thousands of converts across Kyūshū and other parts of Japan killed, tortured, or forced to renounce their religion.
Catholicism's last gasp as an open religion, and the last major military action in Japan until the
Meiji Restoration, was the
Shimabara Rebellion of 1637. While there is no evidence that Europeans directly incited the rebellion,
Shimabara Domain had been a Christian
han for several decades, and the rebels adopted many Portuguese motifs and Christian icons. Consequently, in Tokugawa society the word "Shimabara" solidified the connection between Christianity and disloyalty, constantly used again and again in Tokugawa propaganda.
The Shimabara Rebellion also convinced many policy-makers that foreign influences were more trouble than they were worth, leading to the
national isolation policy. The Portuguese, who had been previously living on a specially-constructed island-prison in Nagasaki harbor called
Dejima, were expelled from the archipelago altogether, and the Dutch were moved from their base at
Hirado into the trading island. In 1720 the ban on Dutch books was lifted, causing hundreds of scholars to flood into Nagasaki to study European science and art. Consequently, Nagasaki became a major center of
rangaku, or "Dutch Learning". During the
Edo period, the
Tokugawa shogunate governed the city, appointing a
hatamoto, the
Nagasaki bugyō, as its chief administrator.
thumb|right|[[Ōura Church built in 1864 is a
national treasure of Japan]]
Consensus among historians was once that Nagasaki was Japan's only window on the world during its time as a closed country in the Tokugawa era. However, nowadays it is generally accepted that this was not the case, since Japan interacted and traded with the
Ryūkyū Kingdom,
Korea and
Russia through
Satsuma,
Tsushima and
Matsumae respectively. Nevertheless, Nagasaki was depicted in contemporary art and literature as a cosmopolitan port brimming with exotic curiosities from the Western World.
[Cambridge Encyclopedia of Japan, Richard Bowring and Haruko Laurie]In 1808, during the
Napoleonic Wars the
Royal Navy frigate
HMS Phaeton entered Nagasaki Harbor in search of Dutch trading ships. The local magistrate was unable to resist the British demand for food, fuel, and water, later committing
seppuku as a result. Laws were passed in the wake of this incident strengthening coastal defenses, threatening death to intruding foreigners, and prompting the training of
English and
Russian translators.
The
Tōjinyashiki (唐人屋敷) or Chinese Factory in Nagasaki was also an important conduit for Chinese goods and information for the Japanese market. Various colorful Chinese merchants and artists sailed between the Chinese mainland and Nagasaki. Some actually combined the roles of merchant and artist such as 18th century
Yi Hai. It is believed that as much as one-third of the population of Nagasaki at this time may have been Chinese.
thumb|right|Nagasaki Prefect Office, Meiji periodthumb|right|Nagasaki City Office, Taisho period Modern era
thumbnail|250px|left|Mushroom cloud from the atomic explosion over Nagasaki rising 60,000 feet into the air on the morning of August 9, 1945thumb|right|One legged Toriithumb|right|Part of Urakami Cathedral that remained standing after the atomic bombing
With the
Meiji Restoration, Japan opened its doors once again to foreign trade and diplomatic relations. Nagasaki became a
free port in 1859 and modernization began in earnest in 1868. Nagasaki was officially proclaimed a city on April 1, 1889. With Christianity legalized and the
Kakure Kirishitan coming out of hiding, Nagasaki regained its earlier role as a center for Roman Catholicism in Japan.
During the
Meiji period, Nagasaki became a center of heavy industry. Its main industry was
ship-building, with the dockyards under control of
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries becoming one of the prime contractors for the
Imperial Japanese Navy, and with Nagasaki harbor used as an anchorage under the control of nearby
Sasebo Naval District.These connections with the military made Nagasaki a major target for
bombing by the
Allies in
World War II.
World War II and atomic bombing
On August 9, 1945, Nagasaki was the target of the world's
second atomic bomb attack (and second plutonium bomb; the first was tested in New Mexico, USA) at 11:02 a.m., when the north of the city was destroyed and an estimated 40,000 people were killed by the bomb nicknamed "Fat Man." According to statistics found within
Nagasaki Peace Park, the death toll from the atomic bombing totaled 73,884, as well as another 74,909 injured, and another several hundred thousand diseased and dying due to fallout and other illness caused by radiation.
Reconstruction after the war
The city was rebuilt after the war, albeit dramatically changed. New temples were built, as well as new churches due to an increase in the presence of Christianity. Nagasaki is the seat of a Roman Catholic Archdiocese led by Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami. Some of the rubble was left as a memorial, such as a one-legged
torii gate and an arch near
ground zero. New structures were also raised as memorials, such as the
Atomic Bomb Museum. Nagasaki remains first and foremost a port city, supporting a rich shipping industry and setting a strong example of perseverance and peace.
Geography
Nagasaki and Nishisonogi Peninsulas are located within the city limits. The city is surrounded by the cities of
Isahaya and
Saikai, and the towns of
Togitsu and
Nagayo in
Nishisonogi District.
Nagasaki lies at the head of a long bay which forms the best natural harbor on the island of Kyūshū. The main commercial and residential area of the city lies on a small plain near the end of the bay. Two rivers divided by a mountain spur form the two main valleys in which the city lies. The heavily built-up area of the city is confined by the terrain to less than 4 square miles.
Nagasaki in Western music and song
Nagasaki is the title and subject of a 1928 song with music by
Harry Warren and lyrics by
Mort Dixon. See
Nagasaki (song). Nagasaki is also the setting for
Puccini's opera
Madama Butterfly.
Schools
Universities
Junior Colleges
Transportation
The nearest airport is
Nagasaki Airport in the neighboring city of
Ōmura. The
Kyushu Railway Company provides rail transportation on the
Nagasaki Main Line, whose terminal is at
Nagasaki Station. In addition, the
Nagasaki Electric Tramway operates five routes in the city. The
Nagasaki Expressway serves vehicular traffic with interchanges at Nagasaki and Susukizuka. In addition, six
national highways crisscross the city:
Routes 34,
202,
251,
324, and
499.
Tourism
Sights
thumb|230px|right|Monument at the atomic bomb hypocenter in Nagasakithumb|230px|right|Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims- * Former Glover Residence
- * Former Ringer Residence
- * Former Walker Residence
Events
thumb|240px|right|Nagasaki Lantern FestivalThe
Prince Takamatsu Cup Nishinippon Round-Kyūshū Ekiden, the world's longest
relay race, begins in Nagasaki each November.
Kunchi, the most famous festival in Nagasaki, is held from 7-9 October.
The Nagasaki Lantern Festival , celebrating the Chinese New Year, is celebrated from 2/18 to 3/4 in 2007.
Foods and souvenirs
Shopping
- Hamanomachi Shopping Arcade
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
thumb|150px|This sculpture at Peace Park commemorates Nagasaki's sister-city relationship with Saint Paul, MinnesotaThe city of Nagasaki maintains
sister-city or friendship relations with other cities worldwide.
Within Japan
Outside Japan
See also
- Hiroshima (film) (about the decision process behind the dropping of the nuclear bombs)
