Glover Garden

What this place is

Glover Garden (グラバー園, Gurabāen) is a park in Nagasaki, Japan, built for Thomas Blake Glover, a Scottish merchant who contributed to the modernization of Japan in shipbuilding, coal mining, and other fields. In it stands the Glover Residence, the oldest Western-style house surviving in Japan and Nagasaki's foremost tourist attraction. It is located on the Minamiyamate hillside overlooking Nagasaki harbor. It was built by Hidenoshin Koyama of Amakusa island and completed in 1863. It has been designated as an Important Cultural Asset. As the house and its surroundings are reminiscent of Puccini's opera, it is also known as the "Madame Butterfly House." Statues of Puccini and diva Miura Tamaki, famed for her role as Cio-Cio-san, stand in the park near the house. This house was also the venue of Glover's meetings with rebel samurai, particularly from the Chōshū and Satsuma domains.

Glover Garden (グラバー園) is one of the standout places to visit in Nagasaki. Give yourself unhurried time for photos, seasonal views, and nearby food stops. IC cards such as Suica, Pasmo, or ICOCA cover most trains and city buses.

Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Why it is worth the trip

A planting plan that guarantees something in bloom or colour in almost every month.

Paths, ponds and pavilions arranged so that the view reframes itself every few steps.

A local gathering place: morning walkers, picnic blankets, festival stalls and evening illumination.

What you can do here

Do a slow loop of the main path and stop at each designed viewpoint.

Bring a bento or grab something from a nearby konbini and picnic on the lawn.

Photograph the seasonal star — check the park's bloom calendar before you go.

Rent a bike where available; larger parks are far quicker to see on two wheels.

Photos