Landmark sights in Japan
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Fukuoka Tower
Standing above the Momochi district, a modern mix of corporate headquarters, hotels, large shopping and entertainment venues and apartment blocks, is the 234m-tall Fukuoka Tower, a symbol of the city and mostly hollow (its main purpose is as a broadcast tower). At 120m, the classy Sky Lounge Refuge cafe is a great place to soak up the views, especially at dusk. While you're here, drop into the Robosquare nearby.
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One-Pillar Torii
The blast knocked down half of the stone entrance arch to the Sanno-jinja shrine, 800m southeast of the hypocentre, but the other pillar remains.
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Oasis 21
Yes, it's a bus terminal, but if all the world's bus terminals were as interesting as OASIS 21, a recipient of good-design awards, everyone would take public transport. The 'galaxy platform', a fantastical glass disk, seems to hover storeys above the ground, and you can climb it via stairs and go for a walk, particularly at night when it's adventurously lit.
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Midland Square
Home to Toyota Motor Corporation, this skyscraper (247m) is Nagoya's tallest and the fifth-tallest in Japan. There is a chichi shopping centre on the lower floors, offices occupy the middle floors, and the top floors comprise the Sky Promenade, home of Japan's tallest outdoor observation deck (closed in bad weather), reached via passageways with some adventurously designed light murals.
Architecture fans should check out the exterior of the new Spiral Towers, a couple of blocks south.
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Karasujima Observation Point
South of the visitors centre is this observation point, where the 1914 lava flow engulfed a small island that had once been 500m offshore. There's now an ashi-yu (footbath), Japan's second longest.
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Inasa-yama Lookout
From the western side of the harbour, a cable carascends every 20 minutes to the top of 333m-high Inasa-yama, offering superb views over Nagasaki, particularly at night. Buses 3 and 4 leave from outside JR Nagasaki Station going towards Shimo-Ōhashi; get off at the Ropeway-mae (ロープウェイ前) stop and walk up the stone steps through the grounds of Fuchi-jinja (淵神社).
Elsewhere on the mountainside is Onsen Fukunoyu. In addition to the wet baths, try the gabanyoku stone baths (additional ¥700), with temperatures from a balmy 38°C to the are-you-nuts? 70°C. There's a free shuttle from JR Nagasaki and Urakami stations (20 minutes, twice per hour).
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Giant Kaleidoscope
Our hands-down favourite attraction in Kurokabe Square is the Giant Kaleidoscope, which is located off a shopping arcade north of the Kurokabe Museum of Glass Art. From the museum, walk north to the next street and take a right. About 30m after entering the arcade, you will see a sign reading 'Antique Gallery London'. It's in an open area behind this shop.
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Arimura Lava Observatory
Continuing along the south coast, Arimura Lava Observatory is one of the best places to observe the smoky Minami-dake and the lava flow.
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