Site of the Dutch Trading Post — Attraction in Nagasaki

Worth the trip if you’re down around, Chinatown takes about an hour. Interesting historical perspective.

Dejima was a small, fan-shaped artificial island built in 1636 in Nagasaki Bay. Originally constructed to house Portuguese traders, it became the exclusive Dutch trading post in 1641 after the Portuguese were expelled. From that point, Dejima served as Japan’s sole official window to the West during the country’s isolationist sakoku period.

The Dutch, confined to the island under strict surveillance, were permitted to trade and bring limited Western knowledge—particularly in medicine, science, and technology—into Japan. This exchange, known as Rangaku (Dutch learning), played a vital role in Japan’s eventual modernization.

Dejima functioned as the only sanctioned point of contact between Japan and Europe until the isolation policy ended in the mid-19th century. Today, it stands as a historical site, partially reconstructed to reflect its...

Excellent reconstruction of the heritage island of Dejima, which now is in a portion of reclaimed land. Wonderful museum that takes you back to the days when Dejima was Japan's only window to the...

Excellent reconstruction of the Dutch trading post with some English interpretives and complete building interiors to aid visitors in empathising with living and working conditions on the...