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Come walk the streets of Japan’s oldest Chinatown in Nagasaki

15 Comments
By Elizabeth Sok

Out of the three main Chinatowns in Japan, the Nagasaki Chinatown is the oldest. With the closing of Japan to most foreign trade from the 17th to 19th centuries, Chinese merchants were forced to trade with their Japanese counterparts from Tojin Yashiki, an area that would later develop into today’s Chinatown. While the city’s Dejima district is famous for facilitating Dutch trade during Japan’s era of seclusion, the historical Chinese Quarters had both a larger population and a greater volume of trade.

Chinatown covers about 250 square meters of the downtown core and contains roughly 40 shops and restaurants.

There are four primary entrances and each is marked by a massive gate and an accompanying guardian figure. On the north end resides a black tortoise, an azure dragon to the east, a vermillion bird on the south side and a white tiger at the western gate.

Sampling Nagasaki’s Specialty Foods

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A town brimming with local flavor, literally Image: PIXTA/ K321

As you make your way around Chinatown, why not explore the restaurants for some local specialties that blend Chinese and Japanese influences? In the early 20th century, a Chinese restaurant owner created a dish drawing on Fujian cuisine that was cheap for Chinese students studying abroad in Nagasaki.

The result was chanpon, a noodle dish combining seafood, pork and vegetables in lard before being joined with thick noodles and a pork-based broth. Check out the famous main branch of Kozanro to try the popular dish!

Sara udon, another Nagasaki specialty dish, has fried vegetables, such as bean sprouts, Chinese cabbage and other vegetables accompanying pork and seafood on a bed of fried noodles. Pop into the Taiwanese restaurant Lao Lee to taste the rich flavors of this nostalgic dish.

Nagasaki Lantern Festival

Click here to read more.

© GaijinPot

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15 Comments
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I’ve been to Nagasaki’s Chinatown. Shops shut down early in the evening. The Chinatowns in Yokohama, Honolulu and San Francisco are much larger. But I must say it is quaint at and compact

1 ( +1 / -0 )

NYC Chinatown is pretty dirty and kind of disgusting. But that's probably cause most of NYC is that way.

This might be a bit controversialist, but isn't that how they should be?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

NYC Chinatown is pretty dirty and kind of disgusting. But that's probably cause most of NYC is that way. San Fran is a bit nicer. Both Chinatowns in Nagasaki and Yokohama are nicer.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Yes, you are right I forgot about Liverpool the first Chinatown in Europe.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

.....That said, I've never been to the NYC one so I might be being a bit hasty

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The best Chinatown is in London.

Nope. It's in NYC.

Both wrong. It's in Liverpool. The oldest one in Europe.

Wallace should know this.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The best Chinese New Year dinner I had was in Chinatown in London. We went to 11 different restaurants and each one had the dish of the house.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

NY and SF are good too.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

wallace

The best Chinatown is in London.

Nope. It's in NYC.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The best Chinatown is in London.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Way overrated in my opinion and too small. Hoboken New Jersey has a larger Chinatown. Some good food though and nice people are always fluent in Japanese and fun to practice Mandarin with.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Nagasaki is great but the airport is a bit far from the city (as it is everywhere in Kyushu other than the wonderful airport in Fukuoka).

4 ( +4 / -0 )

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