Nagasaki Higashiyamate Western-style Houses & Oranedazaka
July 2018 #NagasakiTravel
#In the city of Nagasaki, the opening of the port is an indispensable turning point in history. After the opening of the port, Western powers came in and their cultures mixed together, creating Nagasaki's own identity. There were spots where you could see traces of Westerners living during the opening of the port. They are #Higashiyamate Western-style Houses (#東山手洋風住宅群) and #Orandazaka (#オランダ坂).
If you climb the stairs up the hill behind the Nagasaki Confucius Shrine, you will enter a neighborhood with a good view overlooking Nagasaki Port. Western-style buildings were located around this area. The exterior was maintained as it was in its original form, but some were used as cafes and others as museums, each with their own unique characteristics. It was fun to take a light stroll around the neighborhood and look around.
Then, a gentle uphill road leading into a narrow alley appeared, and that was Orandazaka. It is said that the Dutch people who lived in this neighborhood used this uphill road to go to church.
The Japanese called them Oranda, the Japanese pronunciation of Holland, the English name for the Netherlands, and called it Orandazaka because it was a hill used by the Dutch people.
It seems that when it comes to traveling, you see as much as you know.
#Japan #JapanTravel #KyushuTravel #WorldTravel