Nagasaki - Dejima
Dejima is the former Dutch trading post and now a nationally designated historical site. I thought it was going to be a cheesy touristy place, but it was amazing. It was totally professional and historical and well worth the 510 yen admission price. When I'm on vacation (and all the time really) I try to get the most out of my day, so I was happy to find out this place opened at 8:00 am. I was extremely pleased that all of the signage was in English as well as Japanese.
In 1636, Dejima was contructed under the orders of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Portugese living in Nagasaki were originally housed there, but in 1639 Portugese ships were banned. The Dutch trading post was moved to Dejima and it became the only trading port between Japan and Europe. In 1859, other ports in Japan opened to foreign trade and The Dutch East India Company Trading Post at Dejima closed. Restoration and reconstruction is continuing.
I especially liked seeing the second floor living quarters, an interesting mix of Japanese and non-Japanese. I'm happy to learn more about the history of Japan.
9 comments:
It's so interesting to see photos of Deijima! It features in a David Mitchell's novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, which I really enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your visit.
The rooms are really beautiful. I will have to put Dejima on my list...
Hi Pamela,what an interesting place,so much to see,thankyou for sharing xx
Another chance to learn more about Japan.
I didn't know that Dutch clerks worked on a man made
island in Japan. Wow, I'll have to look into that.
Thank you for sharing Pamela, good to see the historic places are being preserved.
You really get a lot out of your days! Dejima is a fantastic place, I see.
Fascinating! I was unaware of the Dutch having a historical connection to Japan.
This kind of historical place is so interesting. We toured a historical farm in Canada on our honeymoon and it was a wonderful learning experience. I like that you were unsure if you would enjoy this place and was pleasantly surprised.
xx, Carol
That mix of lifestyles really is interesting to see. Sounds like another great trip and history lesson!
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