Nagasaki sunset

The good ladies of Nagasaki

Three years ago we visited Nagasaki - coincidentally also on Silver Shadow, and also just for a day.  As we left the port, we were approached by small group of Japanese "radies" - dressed to kill in smart skirts, twin sets and pearls, and offering to be our guides for the day in exchange for an opportunity to practice their English. It turned out they were students of Kazue Kitamura who (smart cookie that she is) dragged them down to the dock that day because she knew our ship was full of English speaking visitors, and therefore brimming with opportunity.

Our group of 15 or so split up between the ladies, and all of us had a wonderful day, in this utterly charming city.     Lots like Hobart, or Dunedin perhaps.  Mountains running down to the sea, lots of bridges, and islands.  Very lush (courtesy the high rainfall).   Population is around 450,000.    It is a very remote place, by Japanese standards - if you take a look on a map you will see it is in the extreme south west of the country, and is a small spit away from being an island.   Foreign tourists are generally confined to those who spend a day as we have done, on a port call during a cruise.  Land-based tourists tend to get as far south west as Hiroshima, and then double back towards Kyoto, Tokyo etc.

So, in 2008 - a year after we met, Kazue visited Melbourne and Hobart with a group of students, and we were thrilled to billet them, and ensure they had the best possible time in our country.  Since then, each time someone books at Wings Away, and Nagasaki is on the itinerary (almost always on a cruise), they are referred to Kazue, and her "radies", and they are treated to a wonderful day.

Three years down the track, today we visited ourselves for the first time since 2007.  The ship docked at 7.00am, and there they were waiting for us inside Nagasaki's lovely new terminal (a new addition in the time since we were here, and spectacularly built Canberra Parliament House style with a sloping grass roof).     Unfortunately it was pouring rain, accompanied by a big thunderstorm, so it was 8.30am before we could get off.   When we did, we were warmly greeted by Kazue and some students - old and new, and off we went in a fleet of cars (mostly the small "pie vans" which suit Japan so well.), to see Kazue's condominium.  All the way she was apologizing in advance for its tiny size however, it was actually quite spacious.  Kazue lives alone although at present she is hosting a visiting American student.  She did say the apartment would usually be occupied by a family with two kids.   We enjoyed tea and slices of persimmon, and fresh tangerines, before walking a short way to the building which Kazue rents to use as a classroom for her English lessons, and also the craft shop which she opened this

Then we drove further out of town to a very large home in the hills belonging to the parents of Yuko, one of the students who visited us in Melbourne.  Yuko is young - 30!  She still lives at home with her parents, who had gone out for the day and turned the house (with its massive dining room) over to the radies to treat us to lunch - each of them had cooked a dish.  The house was fabulous, and so was the lunch, and we had a wonderful time.  Gifts exchanged in all directions - by some miracle I had exactly the right amount of presents.  Phew!  Then we drove in convoy back to town, and took a walk in the Peace Park - very different to Hiroshima, but no less beautiful, and thought provoking.   By now the rain had stopped, so we had the opportunity to stroll at leisure.  From there we took a ride on one of the 100 year old trams down into the centre of town.  Can you imagine a 100 year-old tram?  Nagasaki has so many of them - survivors of the bomb in 1945, and it is such a joy to ride on one.  Ours had pink and blue velour seating - spotless of course.  Our destination was the new CocoWalk entertainment complex in the heart of town, and our target there was the Ferris wheel which sits on top of the building, and which is free today.   We had a great ride, with a breathtaking view all over Nagasaki.  Again, the weather remained kind when we needed it to be.

Much conferring among the ladies, and it turned out that while we were on the tram, someone had told them that there was a dress rehearsal for a performing arts concert which is to be held next week in conjunction with the city's major international festival, and we could possibly attend.  So, again we find a car park - we learn that this is quite a feat, cheap though, and into the Performing Arts Centre we go, in time to see something quite amazing - and free again!!   We saw three special presentations - each involving dancing/music/drumming etc: most interesting, and very entertaining, as was being in an auditorium of cheering Japanese.    Our day is running out, and we decide we must get back to the ship, but not before we have one last cup of tea together at a café near the ship.    Fond farewells are exchanged, and our lovely friends remained inside the terminal to wave us goodbye - I have a wonderful picture of them all waving madly through the glass.   

Eventually they left, and before we sailed we enjoyed a fabulous brass band recital by a group of very young children - maybe 10-12 (no written music by the way!), and a very enthusiastic farewell from them all as we sailed - which we all did with heavy hearts indeed.    We had had such a fantastic day, but this was also the end of our time in Japan, and each of us was very sad about that.