Shinchi Chinese Town

Shinchi Chinatown is one of Japan’s Chinatowns, alongside Yokohama and Kobe. It originated around the mid-Edo period (Genroku era), when land was reclaimed to build warehouses for trade goods from China, forming a district of cargo storage facilities. After the Meiji Restoration, Japan opened to the world, and the Chinese residents—said to have numbered as many as 60,000—moved to other areas closer to the port, and over time Nagasaki’s distinctive Chinese district took shape. Its local specialties are “Nagasaki champon” and “Nagasaki sara-udon.” These dishes represent how Chinese cuisine evolved in a uniquely Nagasaki style and are must-try local foods when you visit. As you stroll through the streets, you will find that the total east–west–north–south area spans about 250 meters, paved with stonework completed with cooperation from Fujian Province, a sister region of Nagasaki City. Along the streets, Chinese restaurants, Chinese confectionery shops, stores selling Chinese ingredients, and souvenir goods line the way. From upscale Chinese cuisine to shops offering unusual ingredients, plus street eating and shopping, it is a spot full of international atmosphere. Access to Shinchi Chinatown by public transportation is from JR Nagasaki Station: take the tram on Line 1 bound for Shofukuji for about 8 minutes, get off at “Shinchi Chinatown,” then it is about a 1-minute walk. By car, exit the Kyushu Cross-Island Expressway at “Nagasaki Mangatsuka IC,” then travel via the Nagasaki Oita Line, Nagasaki Expressway, Nagasaki Dejima Road, and National Route 324 for about 8 km, taking roughly 10 minutes.