(4) The Dutch in Japan: Hirado and Dejima, Nagasaki

Cleaning out my inbox, I found an email to myself simply stating: “Hirado, Nagasaki”.

I. Hirado

The former Hirado Dutch trading house warehouse 平戸オランダ商館倉庫 is located in the Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture. The Dutch used this site from 1609-1641 (source). I’ve never visited, but it appears fairly remote, a 4-hour train trip to Nagasaki City, or 3 and a half hours to Fukuoka.

Here is Hirado harbor, as seen from above (source)(map)

II. Dejima

Having left Hirado, the Dutch moved south to Nagasaki, where they set-up shop on the artificial island, Dejima 出島, which would be theirs from 1641-1853 (source).

Here’s a map of current-day Nagasaki which shows the site of Dejima island (in orange), which has by now been absorbed into the city by the addition of reclaimed land. As a comparison, a historic map of Dejima (source)(map).

A marked aerial map (Wikipedia):

Map of Dejima, overlaid on today’s streets (source):

Model of the Dutch trading post at the Dejima Museum, Nagasaki (source)(map)

III. Maps from Official Guide to Eastern Asia Vol. II South Western Japan (1914):

And details:

Links:

• Dutch-Japanese relations

I. Hirado

• The Hirado harbour and the Trading Post site viewed from the sky
• Beginning of Exchange between Japan and the Netherlands
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirado,_Nagasaki

II. Dejima

• The most expensive tv stand in the world (2)
• Dutch Trading Post on “Dejima”
• Dejima tourism, Nagasaki city
• Kyoto -> Nagasaki, 2008
• Paper Trails: Deshima Island: A Stepping Stone between Civilizations, by Marc Jason Gilbert, North Georgia College and State University
• Dutch Factory on Deshima

Other:

The first home for Japan's only foreigners, Dejima Island offers and insight into the past …/buff.ly/2bbfjmF pic.twitter.com/d1iMd5O5fD

— Japan Cheapo (@JapanCheapo) August 17, 2016