Nagasaki: From Solemn Bombsite Visit to Enchanting Miniature Art
Days 96-98, 2026 Grand World Voyage
Friday to Sunday, April 10-11, 2026; Nagasaki, Japan, and at Sea.
Just steps from the docked Volendam I discovered a world of miniature art that, once again, challenges me to think beyond simply replicating a scene. After all, a photograph will do that.
Artist Tatsuya Tanaka’s exhibit featured miniature dioramas focusing on everyday items. It’s a form of mitate – art that employs allusions, puns, and incongruities. For example, a woman is “ironing” wavy potato chips to make them smooth, or a sushi role masquerades as a pie chart.
A piece of sushi might go shopping for new clothes.
Sometimes, full-size sets offer patrons the opportunity to pose in the scene.
My last-minute visit to the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum capped two full days in Nagasaki. All but one Holland America excursion included a visit to the Atomic Bomb Museum, marking the second dropping of an atomic bomb on Japan leading to the end of World War II in the Pacific Ocean. It’s a sobering place that I visited in 2024, but Elaine hadn’t yet. So, on Friday morning we headed there on the city’s easy-to-use tram that stopped near the pier. Many public transit systems around the world are becoming tap-on, tap-off with credit cards.
A misty rain spoiled my plans to sketch outside while she visited the exhibits, but by the time we walked from the museum to the hypocenter (below where the bomb exploded in air) and Peace Park we hardly needed our umbrellas – although they do add a bit of color to a grey day.
We’ve missed the cherry blossoms here (except possibly a few late-blooming varieties), but the plum blossoms have made their appearance. And the dogwoods, a gift from the United States to Nagasaki, are in full bloom.
Japan has become one of my favorite destinations, in part because of the neat gardens full of flowers, the clean sidewalks and, at least in tourist areas, signs in English as well as Japanese. Google Translate comes in handy, too. And who doesn’t like a covered escalator next to long flights of stairs?
By Saturday the rain was gone and the sun made an appearance. We’ve been lucky with the weather this cruise; even when the forecast calls for rain, it doesn’t always appear. Elaine and I headed out on foot, starting at the Dutch Slope.
When most of Japan was closed to the outer world, Nagasaki was an exception. Portuguese and then Dutch used the port for trading, and “Dutch” became a Japanese description for foreigners. We walked up the steep cobblestone street where many of the foreigners (who were mainly Dutch by the mid 19th Century) lived. A few of their houses remain open to visitors.
Our next stop was the Confucius Shrine and Museum, where I sketched while Elaine and other visitors from our ship explored the adjoining Museum of Chinese History. The complex is not particularly old, as the original was largely destroyed by the atomic bomb.
We retraced my steps from 2024 up narrow passageways and steps through a residential neighborhood to the Triangle of Prayers, where the Oura Church, Myōgyōji Temple and Oura Suwa Shrine are next to each other. It is an unusual convergence of religions in Japan but indicative of the open nature of Nagasaki over the years.
The Oura Church, or the Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan, is a Catholic minor basilica atop a long flight of stairs. The name refers to 26 Catholics who were executed by crucifixion in 1597 during a time of religious turmoil.
Next to the church is Glover Garden, an extensive park built by a Scottish merchant. It covers a steep hillside, and the best way to enter is from the top so you can walk downhill. We were at the bottom and decided to save it for next time.
Among those who have joined the ship in the past few days are two reporters writing about world voyages. They interviewed Elaine and me about selling our houses and “retiring” to cruise ships. It’s a topic that always generates curiosity. It will probably be months before we see any coverage.
Holland America Culinary Ambassador and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto also has joined us, bringing along a 150-pound tuna. On Sunday he “broke down” the fish on the World Stage, chopping off the head and tail, then fileting the body into steaks that were served that night at dinner.
I originally met him on the Majestic Japan cruise in 2024, and once again on this cruise he oversaw Morimoto at Sea dinners in the Pinnacle Grill. I guess we can’t get enough of his specialties; we benefited from a last-minute cancellation Saturday night for a repeat performance. The highlight will be his upcoming Omakase dinner – which I will leave for the next blog. I hope everyone isn’t getting tired of reading about food.
