Nagasaki Chinatown (Shinchi Chūkagai)

photo by そらみみ (Soramimi) · CC BY-SA 4.0

photo by Drivephotographer · CC0

Created in 1859 by filling in the sea: 40 shops on a 250-metre crossroads.

The district came into being in 1859 as ‘new land’ (新地), won from the sea by filling in the bay to make a storage area after a fire in 1698: today the central crossroads, 250 metres long, is home to about forty restaurants and shops selling Chinese goods. During the Lantern Festival, in February, nearby Minato Park becomes the main stage of the celebrations.

One of only three officially recognised Chinatowns in Japan, together with Yokohama and Kobe, and smaller than the other two, it grew up around the Chinese community that settled in Nagasaki after the port opened to international trade in 1859.

ℹ️ The alleys can always be walked freely; individual restaurants keep their own hours. Reachable by tram or bus in the centre of Nagasaki.

🚉 Nishihamano-machi · 5 min walk

Sources: ja.wikipedia.org · knt.co.jp

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