Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki-Shi

I must admit that this is a very heart-wrenching place to visit. However, my uneasy with the situation was completely off-set by the extremely friendly and receptive staff. This was despite the fact that I was the only Caucasian (and only non-Asian) in the place and that I happened to be wearing a commemorative D-day T-shirt (oops!) The exhibits have commentary written in both English and Japanese that is self-effacing and even self-deprecating (at least the English portion, that is.) The centerpiece of the exhibit is a circular, walk-around, topographical model of Nagasaki prefecture that is several meters in diameter. The model includes a very informative presentation with special lighting effects that demonstrate the stages of the atomic blast in painstaking detail. There is also a full-scale model of the atomic bomb ("Fat Man") used in Nagasaki and many items recovered from the ruins of Nagasaki. The scenes and images presented are very disturbing and, for this reason, are not recommended for those with a weak stomach -or even a full one.