Nagasaki is home to Japan’s oldest Chinatown. This is not surprising because Nagasaki was the country’s only city to allow the Chinese (and Dutch) to conduct trade from their port during the period of isolation (1633 – 1858). Their homes were restricted to the Tojin Yashiki neighborhood and their business was conducted on a reclaimed island near the harbor. Today, Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown is a one-block square area bustling with shops and restaurants. Shinchi means new land.
