Going all the way back to May again, it was a beautiful sunny late morning when I started my explorations of Nagasaki. My first stop was a hilltop collection of Western-style homes called Glover Garden.
To get to Glover Garden, you walk up a hill next to some beautiful homes and buildings. This is a garden where some wedding photography was being held.
You could climb the steps to visit the old church as well - this is Oura Cathedral. It was built in 1864 for the westerners and is the only Western building to be declared a national treasure in Japan (admission 300 yen). But my destination was a bit further up the hill to the right of this photo.
Ah, here we are. Glover Garden. There was no way I was going to be able to get a photo without people in it, so this Japanese woman posing for her boyfriend or husband ended up in my shot.
The homes all seem to be somewhat Victorian in nature, though how Victorian they are can vary. This was a tea house on the way up the mountain. You take a series of moving walkways up the hill, and then stroll back down at your own pace.
At the top is this large building with a pond. Everyone enjoyed just sitting around enjoying the warm day.
Inside were some exhibits/displays. This is an office with some clothes.
Here is a parlor ready for a relaxing evening and some tea.
This water feature built into the mountain seemed out of place but really cool.
It doesn't match any of the buildings, but made for a nice plaza for more people to relax.
I forget what exactly this was. Maybe an old train station.
You can rent costumes and walk around as if you were from the time period. These adorable young ladies let me take their picture.
More buildings can be seen as you walk down the hill.
Inside thsi one was a bunch more furniture.
A different, yet similar water feature.
Wouldn't you like to live in one of these homes?
This is more ranch-style.
Due to limited space in front of many of the houses, I had to take extreme corner photos most of the time.
Inside the above house, a room is set for tea.
In the hallway, you can see what school desks were like. Or should I say school benches.
The first paved (asphalted) road in Japan! Way up here! And there's just a little bit left.
I really liked the garden in front of this house. I believe this is the actual Glover residence, which the garden was named after. The Glover house and some of the other buildings are original to the area, but others were moved here from throughout Nagasaki to preserve the Westerner cultural history.
From a different angle. You can see there were a few little islands of plants.
Off in the corner near the bottom of the hill is a Japanese garden.
And at the bottom, in one of the buildings is a display featuring parade boats.
They also had several parade dragons as you see above.
Bonzai!
One last view of a house at the bottom before I head on my way.
Westerners were an important part of Nagasaki's past and this garden/collection of houses gives a glimpse into their life in the city a hundred years ago. Admission is 600 yen for adults (cheaper for children) and the garden opens at 8AM daily (closing at 6pm or later). Access is easiest via the #5 tram, Oura Tenshudo-shita station, then following the signs or people toward the cathedral and along the road to the garden (note the pictures above leading to the Glover Garden entrance gate).
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