Warm and nostalgic, fresh and exciting! Showa retro tour in Nagasaki during Reiwa-1

Warm and nostalgic, fresh and exciting! Showa retro tour in Nagasaki during Reiwa

``Showa Retro'' is currently booming, especially among the Z generation and digital native generation, such as pure cafes, city pop, and cassette tapes. The nostalgic atmosphere and colorful pop colors that give you a feel of the Showa era have captured the hearts of the younger generation, and combined with the nostalgic feel, it has been accepted by a wide range of generations. In Nagasaki, where foreign cultures intersected and carved out a colorful history, there are many Meiji and Taisho retro buildings that remain, but there are also many things that give a glimpse of the vibrant lives of people in the Showa era. remain. With the theme of "Showa Retro in Nagasaki," we'll be introducing old and new spots, such as a cafe that retains the atmosphere of those days and a rare department store rooftop amusement park! While you're on your trip, it's fun to take a breather while visiting famous places, and visit spots in Nagasaki city that give you a taste of the Showa era. Of course, take photos with "Sharun"!? Enjoy a Showa retro tour in Nagasaki during Reiwa!

 

Located in the center of Nagasaki city
Look for Showa retro around the arcade!


Nakamise 8th Avenue is a tenant building that has existed for a long time in front of Nagasaki Hamaya. Known for appearing in Masaharu Fukuyama's song "Fellow," this spot has a retro feel to it everywhere, from the signboard to the flooring and the logo of Omagari Yogasa Store, which has been in business for over 1 years, on the first floor. Another thing is that on Yorozuya Street in Yorozuya-cho, which you will come across as you walk along the Bernardo Kanko Street arcade, there is a streetlight with a whale on it. It's on the street next to it180Enjoy more types of Turkish ricespecialty store The,This is a shop where you can fully feel the dignity of the restaurant, which was founded in 1973. Take a breather while touring the famous places, and soothe your mind with the retro Showa era as you walk through Nagasaki city.
 

Right angle and red. Flashy but calming
Showa retro sofa seat


A pure cafe town. There are so many cafes in Nagasaki that you'll want to stay for a long time. If you are heading towards Dejima, please go to Erina. There was a tall high chair at the counter, and a sofa seat made of bright red fabric with a right-angled backrest that was tightly attached to the seat behind it. This is a coffee shop that was founded in 1977 and has a true Showa atmosphere, and is still open as it was when it first opened in Dejima, the birthplace of coffee. The coffee brewed using a well-used siphon is delicious and is popular with regular customers. As you sit on the sofa and take a breather, time passes slowly.

Erina 
4-12 Dejimacho, Nagasaki City
Take the tram bound for Sofukuji from Nagasaki Ekimae tram stop, get off at Dejima tram stop, and walk 4 minutes.
095-821-9744
9:00~18:00 *Sunday only 12:00~17:00
Closed: Irregular

This is the royal road to pure cafes.
Nostalgic space & menu


If you're headed to Suwa Shrine, a tourist attraction in Nagasaki City, take a walk along the Nakashima River, where Megane Bridge crosses, and head to Fuji, a cafe in Shindaiku-cho. When you walk into the store, the floors, walls, and ceiling all give you a good old-fashioned feel. With a retro Showa-era interior, you'll be able to feel the "intelligence" of the Showa era by drinking coffee while reading an Iwanami Bunko book. Recommended items are the ``Cream Soda'' and ``Fruit Sandwich,'' which have beautiful green fresh lemons and frozen strawberries. The gentle taste spreads throughout your mouth.

Cafe Fuji
2-19 Shindaikucho, Nagasaki City
From "Nagasaki Ekimae tram stop", take the tram bound for Kazueiya and get off at "Shindaikucho tram stop", then walk for 4 minutes.
095-823-8255
9:00~ 18: 30
stop:1/1
 

 

A fun retro goods store to choose from

Take the tram and get off at the Iwayabashi stop. Nearby is Gacha Gacha-ya, a miscellaneous goods store run by the owner, Mr. Miyaji, who was born in the Showa era and was addicted to it. He fell in love at first sight at an antique market and bought a cupboard made by someone older than himself, and became so engrossed in the Showa retro world that he even opened a shop there. Feel the charm of retro miscellaneous goods that reflect the times, such as magazines from over 40 years ago, Dakko-chan dolls, glass vessels, and tin toys.

Gachagachaya
6-7 Ohashicho, Nagasaki City
Take the tram bound for Akasako from Nagasaki Ekimae tram stop, get off at Iwayabashi tram stop, and walk for 2 minutes.
095-846-1995
12:00~ 19: 00
Closed: Wednesdays

 

Ride in a car

Stretch your legs a little and listen to Showa retro music!

"Seiryu to Tanada no Sato", located in the Kotoumi district, about an hour's drive from the center of Nagasaki city, is a popular spot as a camping facility where you can enjoy playing in the river and experiencing a tent sauna. The ``Showa House'' here is lined with records and cassettes that the owner, Mr. Yoshikawa, who is in his 1s and loves music, collects as a hobby. There are many rare items among the donut discs that are irresistible to analog record lovers! Although they are not for sale, you can listen to nostalgic Showa songs on the player. Why not take a break in a space that feels like the Showa era?

Village of clear streams and terraced rice fields Showa no Yakata
2258 Kotomitonemachicho, Nagasaki City
Approximately 1 hour by car from Nagasaki city center
090-4359-4743
10:00~17:00
Closed: Year-end and New Year holidays, Obon holidays, and other irregular holidays

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*Rooftop Playland closed on May 2024, 5 (Monday/Holiday).

The Showa era remains “attractive over time”
Rooftop playland that you want to take photos of


Located on the rooftop of Nagasaki Hamaya, a department store that opened in 14, this is a playland that every Nagasaki citizen knows. Playland is a rooftop amusement park. It is said to have had its heyday between the 30s and 40s, and is now a valuable spot in danger of extinction. Vehicles with cute wolves sitting on them, and mini carts that have probably been repaired and adjusted many times, are still in use and continue to stimulate the curiosity of children. In this Reiwa era, where the prices of cheap sweets are rising, there are still games that can be played for as low as 10 yen. Adults can also ride here. Fueled by the Showa retro boom, many tourists have been visiting in recent years to enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere and take photos of the old and new tacky designs. Mr. Yoshihama, who will celebrate 2024 years of service in 6, said, ``Maybe it's word of mouth? Maybe it's the power of SNS? We still have a lot of people coming.'' He jiggles the keys to manage all the games. He is smiling while doing so.


Nagasaki Hamaya Rooftop Playland
7-11 Hamacho, Nagasaki City

*Closed on May 2024, 5 (Monday/Holiday)

Special voices of Nagasaki citizens
When I listened to the voices of the citizens, I realized that there was so much Nagasaki that I didn't know. This year, let's go to Nagasaki that you don't know about.

Yoshiaki Kodama

Yoshiaki Kodama

My childhood in the Showa era was filled with setting off firecrackers bought at candy stores, playing tag on graveyard walls, and fishing for gobies in the Nakashima River. I got scolded by an adult in the neighborhood for being a tease (meaning "very" in the Nagasaki dialect). Even in the streets of Shindaiku, Oura, and Hamamanmachi, if you turn a corner or wander into a back alley, you'll find that there are still many back alleys in Nagasaki that retain the atmosphere of the past. The brick wall of Katabuchi's Nagasaki Prison ruins, Kunniki (= Nagasaki dialect), the many temples surrounding the city, the starting point of the Nagasaki Highway, the Showa-era retro building, and Japan's oldest existing reinforced concrete building. Public housing, Uonomachi housing complex, etc. It doesn't get much attention as a tourist destination, but why not take a look at this place?

Administrator of the SNS group "Everyday Nagasaki" that posts deep Nagasaki stories, back alley photographer
Yoshiaki Kodama

Akemi Tagawa

Akemi Tagawa

Nagasaki is a city with an exotic feel. If you walk into an alley, you might come across a retro shop. My recommendation is to wear an antique kimono and have tea at Cafe Nanban Chaya. The retro exterior and antique interior will transport you to a nostalgic world. A blissful moment listening to old records and drinking coffee brewed by the master. Another favorite is Gotetsu, a retro fashion store with a Showa feel. Cute and pop clothes from the 60's and 70's are lined up all over the store. Clothes from the past were well-stitched, and their designs, which don't overlap people, are eye-catching. When you wear it, you will be transported back to the Showa era.

Antique Kimono Beppin shop owner
Akemi Tagawa

Rika Miyaji

Rika Miyaji

The old glass sugar cubes that you would find in a coffee shop, the sound of a black telephone, the sound of the tama noren curtain at my aunt's house, the candy store I took a detour to... things that make me feel warm. Cherish this warm space. It takes time to drop the needle on a record, wind a camera by hand, close a wooden shelf or glass window... Cherish even the slow moments that are a little inconvenient. We have items and old tools that are nostalgic, new, and extraordinary throughout the ages, such as pre-war bubble glasses, swaying glass, post-war floral and pop patterns, and retro vitamin-colored cups. I will continue to search for things from the good old days and historical buildings in Nagasaki... "Cherish the old things."

Gachagacha shop owner
Miya Jiyoshi

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Special Nagasaki according to local residents

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