ABSTRACT
Nagasaki (meaning “long cape”) is located in southwestern Japan on the island of Kyushu. Known today primarily as the second (and, at thispoint, last) city to suffer an atomic bombing, Nagasaki also has an extensiveand fascinating history as a regional and international place of contact. For more than four centuries, its long, deep, narrow harbor has been renowned as one of the most beautiful in the world. The lush green hills that rise sharply from the harbor offer not only a striking first impression to incoming visitors who arrive by ship, but also provide protection from seasonal typhoons. Many travelers have noted how the view of the city’s encircling hills from the water gives the appearance of entering a natural amphitheater. These same hills protected the downtown area of Nagasaki from suffering even more damage than it did during the atomic bombing of the city in 1945, and they have provided a final resting place for thousands of Japanese, Chinese, and Westerners buried in the myriad cemeteries there.
