Nagasaki Museums

(Nagasaki, Kyushu, Japan)

The city of Nagasaki is extremely proud of its cultural heritage and many of the museums found throughout the area are testimony of this. There are also a number of educational facilities within Nagasaki, suiting a broad spectrum of visitors.

The Atomic Bomb Museum is a sad reminder of the devastation caused in 1945, while for children visiting Nagasaki, the City Science Museum is always a big hit and comes complete with a small planetarium and many astronomical delights. The city's main museums are below.

Atomic Bomb Museum

Address: 7-8 Hirano-machi, Nagasaki, 852 8117, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 095 844 1231
Some people may find some exhibits at the Atomic Bomb Museum a little disturbing, as it documents one of the most significant events in Nagasaki's history. You will find information on the atomic bomb, as well as details of the devastation caused. Photographic displays document the city before and immediately after the bomb was dropped, and there are also fascinating personal accounts of the day the city was destroyed.
Open hours: daily - 08:30 to 17:30
Admission: charge

City Science Museum

Address: 7-2 Aburagi-machi, Nagasaki, 42, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 092 842 0505
This museum is fairly small, but is a great place to take children. Many exhibits at the City Science Museum are in Japanese, although there are enough sights and sounds to impress even the most restless of children. You will find an enormous space theatre and a mini planetarium.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:30 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Higashi-yamate Building

Address: 3-7 Higashi-yamate, Nagasaki, 42 850 0911, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 095 827 2422
This building was constructed the first year of the Meiji era, in the late 1860s. It was the original Russian Consulate before being transformed into the US Consulate, after which it became a private home. Today, Nagasaki's Higashi-yamate Building has become a research centre for historical documents and is open to the public.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: call for details

Memorial to the Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan

Address: 7-8 Nishizaka-machi, Nagasaki, Japan, JP
The poignant history of the martyrdom is documented at this memorial hall. The hall itself was constructed in 1962 and is divided into two themes - relics handed down from Christian times and contemporary items created to help clarify history. The history of Christianity is detailed dating from the time of Saint Frances Xavier's visit through until the actual Meiji period. Exhibits at the Nagasaki Memorial to the Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan include letters to King John III (king of Portugal) from Saint Francis Xavier, details about the Battle of Shimabara, prominent sculptures and also a number of Japanese paintings, which are well displayed to their best advantage.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Nagasaki Branch Museum

Address: 4-27 Matsugaeda, Nagasaki, 42 850 0921, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 095 827 8746
This impressive architectural construction was designed and built at the beginning of the 20th century and has a huge stone façade on the first floor in the style of an ancient shrine. Circular columns at the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Nagasaki Branch Museum run up to the third floor, above which is an impressive pedestal.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 16:40
Admission: charge

Museum of History and Culture

Address: 1-1-1 Tateyama, Nagasaki, Japan, JP
Tel: +81 095 818 8366
The city's Museum of History and Culture was established when the Nagasaki Prefecture and city worked together, the first such effort in the country. The exhibition comprises three main zones. Historical Events and Culture features documents from various past exchanges with the People's Republic of China, Korea, Portugal, the Netherlands and Spain, together with an interactive workshop. The second zone is the Nagasaki Magistrate's Office, featuring a reconstruction of part of the Tateyama government magistrate's office and enlightening re-enactments of various courtroom scenes from that era. The final zone is the Project Exhibits, boasting crime notebooks from the Nagasaki's magistrate office and much more besides.
Open hours: daily - 08:30 to 19:00
Admission: charge