6 March 2011

We passed over the disappointing breakfast experience in favour of bread rolls and yogurt in our room. It was a rainy day in Nagasaki, but we pressed on with our planned itinerary. First up was Dejima, which was the only foreign enclave allowed during the long period that Japan closed itself off from the world. All that was to be seen now was a pier housing a few shops and restaurants, a pleasant enough place to hang out for a short while but nothing particular to show that it had a special history.

After that we spied a nice looking seaside park and wandered around there, as the rain became gradually heavier. As usual we had a disagreement about where to eat, but this time we finished up 'dining' in Starbucks as it was just too wet to spend much time traipsing about looking for a Japanese restaurant that I approved of.

Ten minutes up the road was the start of a string of temples and shrines spread out along the hillside. The first, Sofukuji, was built in the Ming style and had a rather attractive gate.

Up some stone-flagged steps was the main complex, where we could furl our umbrellas a while. Emily took a dislike to it because there was one room full of stern stone figures, including the one she calls the ghost buddha (actually a bodhisattva, Pindaro).

After missing our way a couple of times we made our way down the street and to the next temple, Daionji, pausing on the way to admire Hosshinji bell, cast in 1438. We found a heavenly-scented plum tree in a graveyard along the road.

After seeing a number of sights in the downpour we felt that Emily had done very well staying on her feet and decided to search out a cafe for some respite from the rain. This we found in a long covered arcade. Nearby was the Nakashima river, spanned by no fewer than ten 17th century bridges (most of which are modern reconstructions of originals that had been washed away in floods). Most famous is Meganebashi; Spectacles Bridge, so called because the bridge and its reflection look like a pair of glasses.

Emily was happy exploring along the riverside despite the continuing deluge, but we'd had enough and wanted to get back to the shelter of the mall. We spent a good half hour looking for somewhere to have an early dinner but in the end we turned to the guide book and I am so glad that we did. The place we chose, Ginnabe, was fantastic and I would happily have eaten there all three days if we had found it sooner. It was a Japanese restaurant with all the usual favourites, but done very well, and some with a bit of a modern twist. We over-ordered but really enjoyed the half dozen or so dishes. It had a lovely ambience, with wooden decks and footwells for seating, each table divided by a transparent hanging screen, to Emily's delight.

We got back to the hotel fairly early and once Emily was asleep we had time to relax and enjoy the night view for a couple of hours.