Whirlwind weekend as some friends and I made the beautiful 2-hour drive to Nagasaki to see the Chinese Lantern Festival, the yearly event that lights up the downtown area with lanterns to mark the new year. However, I chose not to concentrate on the festival because I have to admit I wasn’t at my best form as a photographer, in addition to a lack of preparedness for a Saturday night downpour. Instead, I focused on key landmarks, black and white and devoid of people, to give the city a timeless look. This was exactly how I felt about Nagasaki as I walked its laid-back streets, learning about its historical place in Japanese culture, the only major city open to foreign trade when Japan was in its 200-year-long period of isolation.

The black monolith marking the hypocenter of the atomic bomb blast three days after Hiroshima.

Peace Statue. You can read about the meaning of this pose here.

Oura Church, recognized as a National Treasure and is said to be the oldest church in Japan.