On February 17th 1904, Madama Butterfly, an opera heavily influenced by the experiences of Italian men who visited Nagasaki City in the early 1900s, premiered in Milan. The opera was not very successful at its first premier, but was revised into a beautiful piece of art. The opera became massively successful and continues to be one of the most popular pieces in the opera world today. Telling the sad story of a Japanese woman’s unrequited love for a sailor, the piece reflects the deep and complex history of Nagasaki’s ports.

Photo by Clyde McCaw