Glover Garden
An open-air hilltop museum of Western-style residences built by Meiji-era foreign merchants. Thomas Glover's stone villa (1863) is Japan's oldest surviving Western-style house, with sweeping harbor views.
1.5–2 hours
¥620 adults
8:00–18:00 (21:00 during summer light-up); open year-round
Year-round, autumn colors in November
15 min walk from Oura Tenshudo-Shita tram stop
Location
Why Visit
- 1
The outdoor escalators up the hill are surprisingly useful and free to use
- 2
A bronze statue of Puccini's Madame Butterfly stands in the garden — the opera was partly inspired by Nagasaki
- 3
Walk down through the Hollander Slope — a cobblestone street of historic foreign residences
Local Tips
The hilltop garden contains the oldest surviving Western-style buildings in Japan. Take the stairs down (not the moving walkway) for the best garden views. At the summit, the panorama over Nagasaki harbour is outstanding. Combine with Dejima and Urakami Cathedral for a full Nagasaki colonial and wartime history day.
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