Kyushu, Japan: free and easy 3: Nagasaki and Shimabara

Nagasaki Bomb Museum
Nagasaki Bomb Museum
Exhibits with strong human elements
Exhibits with strong human elements
Interesting information and not too crowded
Interesting information and not too crowded
Melted cross, the church endures
Melted cross, the church endures
11 o'clock
11 o'clock
Simple lunch at museum
Simple lunch at museum
Posing at the Peace Park
Posing at the Peace Park - photo by Wee Khoon
Taking the electric tram
Taking the electric tram

Nagasaki bomb museum

When you are in Nagasaki city you have to visit the bomb museum. It was a mere 10minutes tram ride away from our Business Royal Hotel. It exhibits some of the damaged architectural and actual artefacts as well as the human stories that needed to be told. One was a clock that showed the time the atomic bomb melted Nagasaki. Another showed melted sacred icons of the Catholic community that lived there at that time. Interestingly there were POW Caucasians as well as Korean immigrants who were also killed. We had a simple lunch at the café in the museum. Next to the museum building was a large Peace Park for visitors to ponder the serious matters of world peace.

Hot steam rising -small onsen town by the sea
Hot steam rising here and there in the small onsen town by the sea
Seafood, glorious fresh live seafood
Seafood, glorious fresh live seafood - photo by Wee Khoon
Choose what you want - photo Wee Khoon
Choose what you want - photo by Wee Khoon
Jabez and Jasmine with timers
Jabez and Jasmine with timers - photo by Wee Khoon
Shell fish steamed
Shell fish steamed - photo by Wee Khoon
Oyster and crayfish
Oyster and crayfish - photo by Wee Khoon
Crab
Crab
Different extras
Different extras
Satisfied customers
Satisfied customers
Soaking your feet by the sea in warm sulphuric volcanic springs
Soaking your feet by the sea in warm sulfuric volcanic springs- photo by Wee Khoon

Obama in Kyushu

We then took the local bus to Obama, a tiny hot spring town by the sea. In this town we see steam rising from various places. It is said the hot spring here can go up to 100 degrees Centigrade, the hottest in Japan. This is obviously volcanic area and onsens must be available in many of the hotels. We looked for lunch at a fresh seafood restaurant about 10minutes walk from the local bus station. The concept was simple. You choose from the live fish and shell fish in the tanks. It is weighed and you pay for it. Then you bring it out where it is steamed in volcanic steam tapped from natural sources by the restaurant. You are given a timer and when it buzzes you go get your cooked food and eat it with the available sauces. There are times to go back to eating fresh and unflavoured and steamed seafood. It tastes great and it does not cost you as much as it does in Singapore. Thanks to Abenomics.

Shimbara Toyo City Hotel
Shimbara Toyo City Hotel
Hungry by 8 plus
Hungry by 8 plus -photo by Wee Khoon
Udon and sushi set
Udon and sushi set - photo by Wee Khoon
Passing the puffer fish to the pharmacist
Passing the puffer fish to the pharmacist- photo by Wee Khoon
Restaurant owner showing us the shortcut to the hotel
Restaurant owner showing us the shortcut to the hotel
Hotel breakfast
Hotel breakfast
Ladies fellowship
Ladies fellowship during hotel breakfast

Japanese hospitality at Shimabara

Later we took a bus to the Shimabara Toyo City Hotel. It would have the largest hotel room we would stay in compared to the other hotels in our Kyushu trip. It would also serve the best breakfast of all. But the stay was only for the night. After checking in late evening, we went to search for dinner. The hotel staff recommended us a sushi joint and we searched and found it and had udon and sushi set. The chef was generous and gave us free extra helpings of the dangerous puffer fish sushi and other freebies. They were very cheerful and the restaurant owner even guided us back to the hotel using a short cut. We were impressed by Japanese service and hospitality.

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