Praying for peace in Nagasaki in 2025, 80 years since the dropping of the atomic bomb

2025 marks 80 years since Nagasaki was hit by an atomic bomb. Nagasaki, a place of day-to-day prayer even before WWII, continues to pray for the spirits of the victims of the bombs, and for peace.
The city is home to many destinations that serve as symbols of peace, including the remnants of the scarring from the bombing, the Peace Park, and Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.
Present-day Nagasaki also attracts large numbers of people for its sightseeing spots that represent Japan; Nagasaki, as a place of prayer, contains Christian cultural locations, as well as sites of the industrial revolution that symbolize Japan’s post-war economic recovery, and a unique culture all of its own that has developed from Nagasaki’s long-time status as a window to foreign culture.
You can also make the most of some of Japan’s best night scenery here.

Overview

Present-day Nagasaki has grown to have wonderful streetscapes!
Efforts being carried out in present-day Nagasaki
You can still see the remnants of the bombing in Nagasaki’s streets.
Long-rooted faith in Nagasaki
Nagasaki of prayer
Urakami Cathedral’s Angelus Bell—sharing the tragedy of war and prayers for peace
The significance of visiting Nagasaki in the future
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum Area Map

Present-day Nagasaki has grown to have wonderful streetscapes!

(1) A glittering city: some of Japan’s best night scenery

Nagasaki boasts a popular photogenic spot selected together with Kitakyushu and Yokohama as Japan’s new top three night views in 2024, and in 2021 this was chosen as one of the new top three night views in the world, along with Monaco and Shanghai, by the World Night View Summit.
It’s not only the night view—on fine days, you can also look out onto the streets of Nagasaki, and even see Mt. Unzen, the Amakusa area, and the Goto Archipelago.
Enjoy a trip through the air with a 360-degree view from the glass-sided gondolas of the ropeway to the mountain peak.
We also recommend the period when the darkness falls in stages from the blue moment after sunset and the lights increase in number.

(2) Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown

Take a tram for just 10 minutes from Nagasaki Station, and you’ll find Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown, one of the three largest Chinatowns in Japan, together with those in Yokohama and Kobe.
There’s an array of stores here—you can get a meal, Chinese confections, or even general goods.
Nagasaki is an area where you can explore Japanese, Chinese, and Dutch cultures: enjoy this Chinatown in the streets of Japan.

(3) Glover Garden

This garden contains the residence of Thomas Glover (granted World Heritage Status in 2015), a Scottish merchant who was active in Nagasaki in the mid-19th century, when Japan was really modernizing from the age of the samurai, which had lasted around 700 years.
He supported the regions fighting the government of the time by providing arms and selling ships, significantly influencing one of Japan’s major historic turning points.
Glover Garden is a great location to look out over Nagasaki Port, and is one of Nagasaki’s representative sightseeing spots.

Efforts being carried out in present-day Nagasaki

(1) Training guides for foreign visitors to tell them about peace
The city trains guides for foreign visitors. These guides tell visitors to Nagasaki about the thoughts and feelings of people living on the site of an atomic bombing and their firm determination that it must never happen again.
Now, as the people who experienced the war are aging, the city is training young members who can tell their stories in their own words.

(2) Nihon Hidankyo, which has carried out valuable peace activities over approximately 70 years and called for the abolition of nuclear weapons from the standpoint of the bomb victims, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize—a representative attended the prize-giving ceremony in Oslo, the capital of Norway.
Nuclear weapons are extremely inhumane weapons, and the organization calls for their immediate abolition.

You can still see the remnants of the bombing in Nagasaki’s streets.

Below is a torii gate standing on one pillar. It originally had four pillars, but these collapsed in the intense bomb blast; only one of the pillars on the right survived, and this still stands today.
The blown-off pillars from the left side have been preserved on a road close by, and pass on the tragedy of the bombing to the modern age from their position quietly overlooking the city in a residential area.

The atomic bomb dropped from the American B29 bomber exploded around 500 m in the air. The black granite stone monument stands as a marker of ground zero.

The One-Pillar Torii Gate (Sanno Shrine)

The Sanno Shrine, situated 900 m from the center of the blast, was instantly obliterated by the explosion and the 4000°C heat wave vaporized nearby trees. The only thing that remained is the torii arch standing on a single pillar, reminding us of the tragedy that took place.
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Nagasaki Hypocenter Park

On August 9th, 1945, an atomic bomb detonated 500 meters above Matsuyama in Nagasaki City at 11:02am. The area within a 2.5 kilometer radius of the hypocenter was utterly devastated, and the rest of the city was left in ruins. After the bombing, which destroyed all plant life around the hypocenter, people said that no plants would grow there for the next 75 years. However, one month after the atomic bombing, about 30 kinds of plants started to grow again. Today, there are about 500 cherry blossom trees in the Hypocenter Park, as well as flowers and lush greenery that can be seen throughout the year. It truly captures the power of revival.
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Long-rooted faith in Nagasaki

Around 400 years ago, the practice of Christianity was strictly forbidden in Japan. If Christians were found, they were tortured and those who would not renounce their faith were exiled or executed in a very painful way; continuing to practice Christianity was an act of life and death.
Around five minutes away from modern-day Nagasaki Station is a hill where 6 Franciscan missionaries and 20 Japanese Christians were executed. It is said that the Christians asked to die here because the hill resembled Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, and it was used as a site to execute many people after these 26 Martyrs.
People continued to practice their faith even in these circumstances for over 250 years, despite the absence of missionaries. Then, in 1865, Father Bernard Petitjean was visited by local people while praying in Oura Cathedral, which had been built in Nagasaki, and they confessed to him that they were Christians.
They were the descendants of the hidden Christians, who had continued protecting their faith in secret even amid terrible oppression. Oura Cathedral, where this event took place, is listed as World Heritage as Japan’s oldest extant cathedral, a historic place that symbolizes the miracle of faith.

Site of the Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan

In 1962, in commemoration of the centennial of the Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan that occurred on Nishizaka hill, the Memorial Relief of the Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan was constructed concurrently with the adjoining Saint Filippo Nishizaka Church. The Memorial Hall that stands quietly behind the life-sized bronze statues of the 26 saints is divided into two themes - things handed down from Christian times and things created today in order to clarify history. It introduces the history of Christianity from the time of Saint Frances Xavier's visit until the Meiji period. Exhibitions include a letter by the priest Nakaura Julien from the Tenshou youth facility, letters addressed to Portugal's King John III from Saint Francis Xavier, the record of the battle of Shimabara, the Maria Kannon sculpture, and a bronze Pieta from the 16th century, as well as frescoes and Japanese paintings.
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Oura Cathedral / La cathédrale d’Oura

Oura Cathedral is one of the components that demonstrates what triggered the end of Hidden Christians’ hiding. Hidden Christians met the missionaries for the first time in two centuries (the ‘Discovery of Hidden Christians’). Hidden Christian leaders throughout the Nagasaki region visited the cathedral, and such contact with the missionaries brought about the transition and subsequent end of Hidden Christians’ hiding. In the transitional phase, Hidden Christian communities split into three groups: those who rejoined the Catholic Church, those who decided to continue their unique way of practising the faith that they had developed during the ban on Christianity, and those who converted to Buddhism or Shinto.
Oura Cathedral is located on a hill facing the Port of Nagasaki in the south of the Nagasaki region. Its precincts contain the parish house, the church building that was initially built for the foreigners within the Nagasaki Foreign Settlement, a seminary and a catechist school (both of which were established for missionary work after the lifting of the ban on Christianity).
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Nagasaki of prayer

Overcoming the calamity of the bombing, the atomic bomb survivors and citizens of Nagasaki pray for everlasting world peace without nuclear weapons.

The Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony is held on August 9, the day the atomic bomb was dropped, praying for the spirits of the victims of the atomic bombs and sharing the Declaration of Peace with the world.
There are various other activities that pray for peace, including a memorial service held for the spirits of the Nagasaki atomic bombing by a union that encompasses all religions, and the peace lights, lit candles inscribed with wishes for peace and pictures. These activities transcend countries, religions, and generations in their wish that the calamity of the atomic bombings will never be repeated.

Urakami Cathedral’s Angelus Bell—sharing the tragedy of war and prayers for peace

Urakami Cathedral was Japan’s largest Catholic church during WWII, but on August 9, 1945, it suffered catastrophic damage from the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki.
In an instant, even this place where Christians offered daily prayers was reduced to rubble and many precious lives were lost; at this time, the two bells on the left and right of Urakami Cathedral were also damaged.
After the war, the bells were dug out from where they were buried in the rubble, and one was rung for Christmas that year. When it rang, the sound echoed through the streets of Nagasaki as a symbol of hope and peace overcoming the tragedy of war.
These bells, still scarred by the bombing, are a memento signifying reconstruction, and serve as a symbol of prayers for peace after war.
One of the bells dug out from Urakami Cathedral still rings in the cathedral today, and the other bell remains in its destroyed state and is kept carefully in this site of worship.
The sound of this bell recalls the oaths of peace of all the people who visit, as well as those of local residents.
Urakami Cathedral’s Angelus Bell plays a role as a bell of peace, and its chime carries mourning for the lives lost in war and the determination that such faults will not be repeated.
It serves as a symbol to remember the war, and its wonderful chime will continue to be heard in the future.
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The significance of visiting Nagasaki in the future

Nowadays, Nagasaki attracts large numbers of people as a sightseeing destination that represents Japan. But it is also a place that is incredibly meaningful to visit, with many examples of scars and ruins from the atomic bombing, an act that must never be repeated.
There are numerous sites that symbolize peace, including those below, as well as the Christian cultural sites that made Nagasaki into a place of prayer.
These are combined with sites of the industrial revolution, symbols of Japan’s economic recovery, and hidden Christian heritage to form a tourist destination that enables visitors to learn about peace, the industrial revolution, the hidden Christians, and more.

■ Sites related to peace

Peace Park

Nagasaki Peace Park is built on a low hill to the north of the hypocenter of the atomic bomb blast. It was created to represent the wish for world peace and a vow that such a tragic war would never be repeated. The park features the 9.7-meter-high Peace Statue symbolizing the Nagasaki citizens' wish for peace. Sculptor Seibou Kitamura, a Nagasaki native, created this statue as a symbol of the divine love and mercy of Buddha. The raised right hand points to the heavens to signify the threat of atomic weapons while the left arm is raised horizontally to represent the wish for peace. The figure's eyes are lightly closed in prayer for the souls of the atomic bomb victims. Every year on August 9, the anniversary of the atomic bombing, a peace memorial ceremony is conducted in front of this statue and a peace declaration is made to the people of the world. The park also features the Fountain of Peace, which was built in remembrance of a little girl who wandered in search of water. Visitors can also view a row of monuments contributed by various nations that form the zone of symbols of world peace.
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Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum

On August 9, 1945, at 11:02 a.m. - three days after the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima - the second atomic bomb was dropped over the Urakami district of Nagasaki. This bomb killed or injured 150,000 people.

Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum covers the history of this event in the accessible form of a story. It begins with the disastrous scene of the attack and includes the events leading up to the dropping of the atomic bomb, the reconstruction of Nagasaki up to the present day, the history of nuclear weapons development, and the hope for a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons.

Comparing the scenes of Nagasaki immediately after the bombing with the appearance of the city today, one cannot help but be impressed by the remarkable spirit of survival and the immutable strength of the people of Nagasaki.
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Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims

Opened July 6, 2003, this hall serves as a memorial to those lost to the atomic bomb and as a place to pass along testimonies of those who survived to the next generation. Around 70,000 lights are lit up at night to represent those who died in Nagasaki by December of 1945.
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Urakami Church

When the government repealed its prohibition of Christianity, the adherents of Urakami who had regained their freedom took on the building of a church as their first project. Due to funding difficulties, however, construction did not get underway for another 20 years. Finally, in 1914, this impressive structure was commemorated as Asia's leading Romanesque-style cathedral of brick construction. It featured Angelus bells from France in the front pair of towers, but these were unfortunately destroyed in the atomic bombing of 1945. One of the Angelus bells was actually blown away, along with the belfry, by the force of the blast. The building you see today was reconstructed in 1959; in 1980, it was remodeled with brick tiles and restored to its original appearance. The bombed remnants of stone statues have been arranged in the surrounding area, including the one bell that withstood the atomic bomb blast and continues to announce the hour three times a day.
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Nyokodo

Adjacent to the Nagai Takashi Memorial Museum is Nyokodo, Dr. Nagai Takashi's hospital room and study.

It was built as a new home for Dr. Nagai through the generosity of the people of Urakami and his fellow Catholics, who were left penniless by the atomic bombing. He named the building "Nyokodo," meaning "love your neighbor as yourself," and spent the last years of his life here.
Dr. Nagai spent his final years here, battling the onslaught of leukemia and becoming bedridden, but he continued to work desperately on his writing.
From his mere two-mat room, Dr. Nagai continued to encourage the people of Urakami, publishing novels and essays such as "Rosary Chain," "Leave This Child," "River of Life," and "The Bells of Nagasaki," which was made into a movie and "Leave This Child" into a record, and is still sung today as a famous postwar song.
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■ Christian cultural sites that were the basis of prayer in Nagasaki

Oura Cathedral / La cathédrale d’Oura

Oura Cathedral is one of the components that demonstrates what triggered the end of Hidden Christians’ hiding. Hidden Christians met the missionaries for the first time in two centuries (the ‘Discovery of Hidden Christians’). Hidden Christian leaders throughout the Nagasaki region visited the cathedral, and such contact with the missionaries brought about the transition and subsequent end of Hidden Christians’ hiding. In the transitional phase, Hidden Christian communities split into three groups: those who rejoined the Catholic Church, those who decided to continue their unique way of practising the faith that they had developed during the ban on Christianity, and those who converted to Buddhism or Shinto.
Oura Cathedral is located on a hill facing the Port of Nagasaki in the south of the Nagasaki region. Its precincts contain the parish house, the church building that was initially built for the foreigners within the Nagasaki Foreign Settlement, a seminary and a catechist school (both of which were established for missionary work after the lifting of the ban on Christianity).
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Dejima

Dejima Protestant Seminary, a restored and preserved wooden two-storey building constructed in 1877, was Japan's first Protestant seminary. Here, we have experimented with exhibitions using models and graphics that take two perspectives - "Dejima, the Center of Trade," which focuses on Dejima's trading history, and "Dejima, the Center of Culture," which highlights the island's function as a window on cultural exchange. These exhibitions provide details on Dejima's creation as well as its transition, articles of commerce, life on Dejima, and the history up to the period of foreign settlement after Japan was opened to the world. This history is essential not only to an understanding of current Nagasaki culture, but also to a wider understanding of the very development of Japanese culture. It is full of highly interesting discoveries as well as buildings currently undergoing restoration. For example, the annex building, a restored former stone warehouse constructed after Japan's opening to the world, contains exhibits of archeological finds on Dejima.
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The Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument

On February 5, 1597, twenty-six Catholics were executed here under the orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, marking the beginning of a two century long period of harsh Christian persecution in Japan. Today, this spot on Nishizaka Hill has been designated as a Japanese National Sanctuary. Pope St. John Paul II visited this site on February 26, 1981 as a pilgrim for the martyrs. Pope Francis also visited the Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument and the Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum on November 24, 2019.
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Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture

Built in the Suwa area, this museum contains many valuable items such as historical documents related to foreign cultural exchange, art, and ancient manuscripts. A recreation of a part of the Nagasaki Magistrate’s Tateyama Office is also inside the museum.
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