Japan’s Nagasaki, Okinawa Make N.Y. Times’ 52 Places to Go in 2026

Jiji Press

12:32 JST, January 7, 2026

NEW YORK (Jiji Press) — Japan’s Nagasaki and Okinawa have been selected for The New York Times’ list of “52 places to go in 2026.”

The U.S. daily placed Nagasaki City 17th on the list.

The newspaper said that as the U.S. atomic bombing of the city in the closing days of World War II missed its mark, the urban core escaped damage. “This gives the city center a kind of sliding-door surrealness,” it said. “This was all supposed to be gone, but somehow it survived.”

“As the threat of nuclear proliferation spreads around the world, travelers have a potent reason to visit,” the newspaper said.

It introduced attractions such as an 800-year-old camphor tree and food spots including a confectionery shop that has sold cakes since 1624.

Okinawa was 46th on the list. The New York Times noted that Shuri Castle, which burned down in a fire in 2019, is set to reopen this autumn after reconstruction work.

Until then, visitors can enjoy the Ryukyu Lantern Festival in the village of Yomitan, which runs through the end of March, and other events, the newspaper said.

Placed first were events and sites linked to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, which the paper labeled “Revolutionary America.”

Since 2005, The New York Times has released its list of places to go around the world. Among Japanese locations, Morioka and Fukuoka were selected in 2023, Yamaguchi in 2024, and Toyama and Osaka in 2025.

Some of the selected sites have seen upticks in tourist numbers.