Japanese-style "City of Water" Townscape
Shimabara City looks out across Shimabara Bay toward Kumamoto, Nagasaki's neighboring prefecture. Famous for its grand white, five-tiered castle, Shimabara City is flanked by Mt. Unzen to the west. Shimabara Castle offers visitors a chance to step back in time in style. Try on old samurai and ninja clothing while looking at castle artifacts and immersing yourself in history.
The quaint streets surrounding the castle are also worth exploring. From temples and shrines to restored samurai dwellings in the heart of the Teppo-machi district, Shimabara is more like a portal to the past than a modern-day holiday resort. Also known as the “City of Swimming Carp” for its koi-filled canals, the area lying south of Shimabara Castle allows you to observe the beauty and tranquility of these multicolored, graceful fish in historic surroundings.
At Shimeiso Spring Garden, you can relax in a tea house raised on stilts and surrounded by waters through which the carp come and go. Sit and enjoy a free cup of green tea as the koi swim beneath you, their beautiful golds and whites shimmering in the sun.
The quaint streets surrounding the castle are also worth exploring. From temples and shrines to restored samurai dwellings in the heart of the Teppo-machi district, Shimabara is more like a portal to the past than a modern-day holiday resort. Also known as the “City of Swimming Carp” for its koi-filled canals, the area lying south of Shimabara Castle allows you to observe the beauty and tranquility of these multicolored, graceful fish in historic surroundings.
At Shimeiso Spring Garden, you can relax in a tea house raised on stilts and surrounded by waters through which the carp come and go. Sit and enjoy a free cup of green tea as the koi swim beneath you, their beautiful golds and whites shimmering in the sun.
