Hirado

Hirado, located on the northwestern tip of mainland Nagasaki Prefecture, is often called the birthplace of Japan’s trade with the West. Its maritime links stretch back over a thousand years, but its golden age began in 1550, when the first Portuguese ships arrived. The Matsura clan, local lords of Hirado, rose to power through overseas trade, hosting Portuguese, Dutch, and English merchants until 1641, when the Tokugawa shogunate restricted international commerce to Nagasaki’s Dejima.
Reminders of this period are everywhere: the reconstructed Hirado Dutch Trading Post, the grave of English navigator – and later samurai – William Adams (Miura Anjin), and streets where churches and Buddhist temples stand side by side. In 1550, Francis Xavier, who introduced Christianity to Japan, came to Hirado. Christianity was later banned, yet many believers secretly maintained their faith, and the locations related to this group are now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region.
Overlooking the harbor, the Hirado Castle Hands-on Historical “Amuseum” within the Hirado Castle grounds offers sweeping views and exhibits about the Matsura family, who ruled the area for more than 800 years. Uniquely, you can now even book an overnight “castle stay” here. Even in Hirado’s main shopping street, lined with old buildings, you can get a feel for the city’s past. Hirado’s unique legacy connecting Japan with the West is still visible across the landmarks of this city that was pivotal to a period of great change in Japan’s history.