Nagasaki Dejima

Dejima, constructed in 1636 (the 13th year of the Kan'ei era), served as Japan's only window to the West for 218 years until the Dutch trading post was closed in 1859 (the 6th year of the Ansei era). It played a significant role in Japan's modernization. In 1600 (the 5th year of the Keichō era), a Dutch ship drifted ashore on the coast of Bungo. This event marked the beginning of interactions between Japan and the Netherlands. The ship, De Liefde, had a navigator named William Adams, who was favored by Tokugawa Ieyasu and served as a diplomatic advisor. The Dutch, informed by Adams, sent two trading ships to Japan in 1609 (the 14th year of the Keichō era) and obtained permission to trade, establishing a trading post in Hirado. Following this, the British also opened a trading post in Hirado, intensifying trade competition among Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain, China, and Japan, which was engaged in Shuinsen trade. The Shimabara Rebellion in 1637 (the 14th year of the Kan'ei era) heightened the shogunate's vigilance against the Portuguese, leading to their expulsion. Meanwhile, the Dutch gained trust by bombarding Hara Castle during the rebellion, demonstrating their loyalty to the shogunate and eventually monopolizing trade with Japan.