{"id":470,"date":"2009-07-31T08:15:25","date_gmt":"2009-07-31T07:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/insidejapanblog.com\/?p=470"},"modified":"2015-06-15T16:05:51","modified_gmt":"2015-06-15T15:05:51","slug":"hirado-gem-of-nagasaki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2009\/07\/31\/hirado-gem-of-nagasaki\/","title":{"rendered":"Hirado &#8211; Gem of Nagasaki"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F470&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F470\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F470&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F470&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F470%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F470\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F470\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p>The island of Hirado has more than enough breathtaking scenery to attract plenty of visitors who are \u201cin the know\u201d, but it doesn\u2019t hurt that this small southern island also has more than a few historic oddities. This is the first place beer was ever enjoyed on Japanese soil and the landing place of the English \u2018samurai\u2019 William Adams, the principle character in James Clavell\u2019s \u201cShogun\u201d, who made his way here nearly 400 years ago. Hirado is the first place in Japan that green tea plants were grown and the home to a Japanese castle that looks out over an island dotted bay. In Hirado one can still find Japan\u2019s famous hidden Christians, whose ancestors were converted by Francis Xavier when he visited in 1550. (I was looking forward to a bit of hide and seek but, much to my surprise and slight dismay, they are no longer actually hiding, just practicing a form of Christianity that isn\u2019t found anywhere else in the world.) If none of this piques your interest than maybe you will be more interested in the birthplace of a Chinese hero who is worshiped as a god in Taiwan. (Although don\u2019t get your hopes up, his birthplace is little more than a rock with a plaque on it near one of Hirado\u2019s swimming beaches. Still, you do get the feeling that this island has witnessed some amazing history.)<\/p>\n<p>As night settled in, I arrived at my ryokan with just enough time to have a dip in the onsen before dinner. Jumping in to a bath with a bunch of naked Japanese may not sound like an afternoon well spent but I assure you that it is more relaxing than it sounds and utterly addictive. A few minutes in the sauna and I was properly roasted and ready for dinner. I have had the benefit of living in Japan for a few years now so the thought of raw fish, octopus, egg custard with unidentifiable ingredients, and a soup of seaweed actually whets my appetite. If nothing\u2019s moving then I generally don\u2019t complain, but for my less adventurous companions a grill with Hirado\u2019s home grown beef was prepared. After a bit of karaoke and a few beers with the kitchen staff I was more than ready for my futon.<\/p>\n<p>The following day I went hiking on trails with 360-degree views of the surrounding islands and learned all about Japan\u2019s whaling industry (like it or not) and \u201ccrybaby\u201d sumo (a tournament unique to Hirado where the first baby to cry wins).\u00a0 I spent lunch sitting on the beach where Christian martyrs had been killed and enjoyed a view that looked like a tropical scene from Thailand. (Although, the lack of fat western old men in speedos walking with young Thai women meant I was clearly not in Phuket.)\u00a0 In the afternoon I hopped on to a converted fishing boat for a look at Hirado\u2019s well-known \u201c99 islands area\u201d, a name used because it sounds better than the \u201c208 islands area\u201d (the actual number of islands just off the coast of Hirado). As the sun set and the lights on Hirado Bridge came on I sat down by the sea with a pint of the stuff that had first been brought here almost 400 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Since my first visit to Hirado last year, I have been back 7 times working as a tour leader and I can say with no exaggeration that I am looking forward to being back next week. Whether you are interested in Japanese history or just a bit of stunning scenery, I can\u2019t imagine many places better than Hirado.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, fantasy; color: #404040; font-size: small;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<h4>Like this post? 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