National Geographic Resolution sailed this morning to Dejima Wharf in Nagasaki Harbor, Japan. Arriving at the very place where the West was confined in Japan for over 200 years was an incredible way to connect with history, and that theme continued throughout our day. In the morning we visited the Sofuku-ji Temple, a Chinese Buddhist temple dating back to the 1600s. We also explored the Catholic Oura Church in Nagasaki, and learned about the sad history of persecution that took place there; held in the context of history, many things must be made relative. To continue the contemplative note of the day, in the afternoon we visited Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum to learn about the destruction that took place there on Aug 9, 1945, 11:02am.
9/23/2024
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National Geographic Resolution
Uwajima, Japan
Yesterday, we visited Yakushima, the southernmost point of our journey, and now we head northeast into the Seto Inland Sea. Today, we visited the small town of Uwajima in Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. Uwajima is famous for its delicious seafood, such as squid, sea bream, and yellowtail, as well as its pearl farms that produce beautiful pearls with the help of local oysters. Half the day was spent in the Date Samurai Museum and on the small hilltop in the center of town which houses the impressive Uwajima Castle. Some of us visited the Doi Pearl Farm and some got to take the pearls home. The other half of our outing was spent up in the mountains of Ehime Prefecture visiting the town of Uchiko, once home to around 30% of Japanese wax production. Japanese wax is of high quality and was expensive in many countries for a long time. This led to Uchiko becoming a very affluent and prosperous town, evidenced by the impressive architecture still visible today. We leave Shikoku behind and head over to the main island, to Hiroshima and Itsukushima for our next adventures.
