Glover Park

Glover Garden 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 is a lovely hillside landscaped garden and open-air museum with a breathtaking view overlooking Nagasaki harbor. The green and lush gardens sit on top of the Minami-Yamate hill and houses the former homes of the European tradesmen and their families who lived in Nagasaki during the city’s Meiji period in the second half of the 19th century. There are lovely views from here over the harbour.

We took two trains back to Nagasaki. As we wouldn't arrive until 8.00pm, we each received a bento box to eat on the train. They are crammed full of delicious food - another great experience!Read more