Glover Garden

Must visit if you have extra time after Peace Park and the bomb museum. It is basically an estate converted to a museum/exhibit garden. Details the time after Japan's period of isolation and its rapid industrialization. There is a great showcase of boat floats near the gift shop, don't miss it.

We visited Glover Garden during our trip to Nagasaki, and honestly, it felt like stepping back into a romantic chapter of history. Set on the hillside of Minami-Yamate, the garden is full of charming Western-style buildings from the Meiji era, including the famous Glover Residence—the oldest Western-style wooden house in Japan. Walking along the cobblestone paths lined with seasonal flowers, I loved how the architecture blends Western design with Japanese roof tiles and beautiful gardens. Inside the Glover House, the period furniture and sunlit rooms really made it easy to imagine life back then for foreign merchants living here. The views over Nagasaki Harbor from different spots were absolutely breathtaking—the crisp air, distant mountains, and sparkling bay made for some of my favorite photo moments. One fun surprise was finding the “Heart Stones” hidden along the paths—there’s a local legend that couples who find and touch them will stay together, which added a cute, romantic touch to the visit. What I really appreciated was the peaceful vibe of the whole place. It wasn’t overcrowded, so we could take our time exploring and just soak in the atmosphere. The garden is easy to navigate with escalators and plenty of benches to relax on, making the visit comfortable and leisurely. If you’re visiting Nagasaki, I’d definitely recommend Glover Garden. It’s a beautiful mix of history, architecture, and nature that makes for a really memorable experience.

A beautiful historical site showcasing well preserved European style houses from the late 19th century. This landmark offers a glimpse into Nagasaki’s international past, highlighting the influence of foreign merchants during Japan’s period of modernization. The entrance fee is ¥620 as of March 2025. With fewer crowds on weekdays, it's a pleasant place to explore at a relaxed pace. The gardens and scenic viewpoints add to the charm, making it a great spot for history and architecture enthusiasts alike.

Props to the guy in TripAdvisor who gave this advice/hack: “take the tram to the terminus of Line 5 at Ishibashi; it's only a short walk from there (150m) to the Glover Sky Road where you can ride the funicular/elevator to the upper entrance/exit (Gate 2) of Glover Garden. Once in the Garden itself, it's much more of a gentle downhill stroll to take in the various properties on your way down to the lower exit near Oura Cathedral.” Trust me this is the way to do it otherwise you will be hoofing it uphill and a lot of stairs. There are escalators taking you up to various parts of the garden but it is MUCH easier to start at the top and work your way downhill. I was super chuffed :) Our ship docked just a quick walk to the tram station, and it’s only 150¥ pp to ride (you can pay cash). They do sell day passes at the information center by the cruise port - which will give you access to all over Nagasaki if you want to visit the Peace Park or Atomic Bomb museum. The garden itself was lovely - not the most amazing place I’ve seen in Japan - but definitely worth a visit. You can enter the homes which are very neat to see but nothing life changing if you’ve seen western style colonial homes before. Also FYI the vending machines just outside of Glover Garden are much cheaper than the ones inside. No sweet potato machines but there’s a very cool massive capsule machine when you exit the gift shop! Upon exiting there is a little street running downhill full of amazing shops, a lot selling the famous Nagasaki cakes - but my favorite was the glass shop (you can’t miss it) - so much beautiful jewelry and glass souvenirs!