Maskay guide

Where can you try champon in Nagasaki after visiting Glover Garden?

Shikairo combines history and harbour views; Kozanro offers another take on champon in Chinatown.

Glover Garden looks down from the hillside towards Nagasaki harbour, a setting shaped by centuries of trade and exchange with the outside world. After the walk, two restaurants continue that story through champon: Shikairo, which claims the dish’s origin and occupies a panoramic building on the slope, and Kozanro Chukagaishinkan, inside Shinchi Chinatown. The choice changes both the meal and the route back towards the city centre.

Shikairo was founded in 1899 by Chen Ping Shun, an immigrant from Fujian, and says he devised champon as a filling, nutritious meal for Chinese students using Nagasaki ingredients. A bowl brings together noodles, chicken-and-pork broth, vegetables and seafood; sara udon is a drier version with toppings and sauce over noodles. The restaurant occupies the fifth floor, with windows over the harbour, and a free museum is on the second floor. Reviews value the setting and view, while also mentioning long queues and mixed preferences over which dish to order.

Kozanro stands by Chinatown’s eastern gate and turns the end of the visit into a broader meal: alongside champon and sara udon, diners can order Chinese dishes such as shumai, fried rice or Dongpo pork with buns. Comments often praise the seafood broth and flavour, while others mention waits, uneven service and high prices on certain days. The branch featured here is the New Building at 13-13 Shinchimachi; it should not be confused with the former main restaurant, which closed at another address.

From Glover Garden, Shikairo is downhill beside Oura Cathedral; if you can wait to eat, walking down lets you take in the harbour and hillside buildings. For Kozanro, a tram towards Shinchi Chinatown shortens the route and leaves only a few minutes’ walk through the quarter’s gates. At Shikairo, last entry may move earlier when it is busy and ordinary reservations are not accepted. Kozanro’s published hours differ across directories; call before travelling and check the menu and prices at the restaurant.

Shikairo’s champon comes with a historical story and a view that can make waiting part of the plan; Kozanro suits those who want to combine noodles with other dishes and stay in Chinatown. If the day includes a train connection, leave a buffer: both locations are popular and queues are unpredictable. Choose the experience you want, confirm the day’s hours and remember that champon is a regional dish with more than one version.

Bottom line

Shikairo pairs champon’s history with harbour views; Kozanro adds other dishes in Chinatown. Confirm hours and allow for queues.

Verification

Sources & references

Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.

  1. Official website of Shikairo Chinese Restaurant ↗ Primary source Shikairo official site · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  2. Official website of Shikairo Chinese Restaurant ↗ Primary source Shikairo official notices · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  3. Official website of Shikairo Chinese Restaurant ↗ Primary source Nagasaki City official tourism site · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  4. Official website of Kozanro Chinatown New Building ↗ Primary source Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown official site · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  5. Official website of Kozanro Chinatown New Building ↗ Primary source Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown official site · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  6. Official website ↗ Primary source Shikairo official site · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  7. Official website ↗ Primary source Shikairo official notices · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  8. Official website ↗ Primary source Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown official site · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  9. Official website ↗ Primary source Nagasaki City official tourism site · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  10. Official website of Shikairo Chinese Restaurant ↗ Primary source Official venue website · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  11. Official website of Shikairo Chinese Restaurant ↗ Primary source Shikairo official site · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  12. Official website of Kozanro Chinatown New Building ↗ Primary source Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown official site · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  13. Google rating and public reviews ↗ Secondary source Wanderlog (Google reviews for exact restaurant) · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Exact Shikairo at Matsugaemachi 4-5; Google rating 3.9/5 and 3,898 reviews checked 2026-10-11.

  14. Google rating and public reviews ↗ Secondary source Wanderlog (Google reviews for exact branch) · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Exact Kozanro Chukagaishinkan at Shinchimachi 13-13; Google rating 3.8/5 and 2,045 reviews checked 2026-10-11.

  15. Reviews and restaurant identity ↗ Secondary source Tabelog · Accessed October 11, 2026

    Exact Chinatown New Building branch; menu context and user feedback.