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Nagasaki is Kyushu’s best-known city, made infamous on 9th August 1945 as the site of the second atomic bomb.

The understated Peace Park and museum are a likely point of interest for every visitor, but Nagasaki’s topography mercifully protected the city from being totally destroyed and today it is a vibrant, forward-looking place.

The blend of Western and Japanese architecture at the Glover Gardens and the foreign enclave of Dejima show what life was like for these original foreign visitors, and the story of Nagasaki’s secret Christians displays a darker side of Japan.

Around Nagasaki

Traveling across Ariake Bay to Kumamoto brings you to one of the country’s finest castles, with its excellent museum and panoramic views. A short train ride from here into Kyushu’s wild interior is the vast and stunning spread of the world’s largest caldera, with volcanic Mount Aso smoldering in the center.

In sharp contrast the eastern coast offers the quintessential Japanese resort of Beppu, where travelers flock to visit the famous ‘hells’, multi-colored pools bubbling with volcanic gasses, wreathed in steam.