The 63rd anniversary of the atomic bomb drop on Nagasaki was just the other day. When I was there on August 1st and 2nd, I could see preparations being made for memorials on the anniversary.
Nagasaki was particularly unlucky, because on August 9th, they were actually the second choice as a target for the atomic bomb drop. The first target was the city of Kokura but it was too overcast that morning. So the planes flew on to Nagasaki where a break in the clouds allowed them to drop the bomb over Urakami suburb of Nagasaki.
I visited Hypocenter Park to see a marker of the hypocenter and remnants of a church wall.
The black column (hard to see) is the hypocenter of the atomic bomb
A wall of a church that survived (not its original location)
Chains of origami cranes which symbolize peace (and health and long life)
Just a block away from Hypocenter Park is Peace Park.
Water fountain at Peace Park. The water is in the shape of a pair of dove wings.
The sign in front of this statue read: "... dedicated as an appeal for lasting world peace and a prayer that such a tragedy would never be repeated. The elevated right hand points to the threat of nuclear weapons, while the outstretched left hand symbolizes tranquility and world peace. Divine omnipotence and love are embodied in the sturdy physique and gentle contenance of the statue, and a prayer for the repose of the souls of all war victims is expressed in the closed eyes. Furthermore, the folded right leg symbolizes quiet meditation while the left leg is poised for action in assisting humanity."
Half of this torii (entrance to a shrine) was knocked down by the atomic bomb blast, but half remained (and remains) standing.
After a sombering morning seeing the sights related to the atomic bomb, I moved on to less recent history: Nagasaki's role as Japan's primary link with the outside world. In 1542, the Portugese accidentally landed in Nagasaki. Of course, the Portguese had brought along Christianity and, soon enough, missionaries. In 1587, Christianity was outlawed in Japan, and ten years later, 26 European and Japanese Christians were crucified in Nagasaki.
Monument to the 26 Christian martyrs (three of them were boys).
During this period of persecution, Japanese Christians made statues of Mary that looked like the Buddhist goddess of mercy, Kannon.
I checked out Glover Garden and Dejima, both tourist sites with replicas of buildings that the early foreigners lived in in Nagasaki.
It was too hot to be bothered with taking photos at Glover Garden (plus the buildings just looked like Western buildings, so to me they weren't especially interesting). But I learned that the opera Madame Butterfly is set in Nagasaki and may be based on actual events.
Dejima is the artificial island where the Dutch had a trade port from 1641 until 1853 during Japan's period of isolation. The island was originally built for the Portuguese traders and priests. But then the Portuguese were thrown out of the country for trying to convert the Japanese to Christianity. Then the Dutch were forced to move onto the island. It was attached to the mainland by a small bridge that was heavily guarded by the Japanese. The video shown said that business must have been very lucrative for the Dutch to have stayed on during the imposition of these strict rules.
The island is now within the city (much of Nagasaki was built on reclaimed land it seems).
One last famous sight in Nagasaki: Megane-bashi (Spectacles Bridge). The water level was a bit low, but when it's right, the bridge and its reflection look like a pair of spectacles. 
More photos of Nagasaki
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