Dejima

Dejima, a small fan-shaped artificial island in Nagasaki Bay, played a unique role in Japanese history. Originally built in 1636 to confine Portuguese traders and curb the spread of Christianity, it soon became the location of the Dutch East India Company’s trading post. From 1641 until Japan’s reopening in 1859, Dejima served as the sole official channel of trade and knowledge between Japan and Europe.
During this period, the Dutch brought not only goods like sugar, textiles, and glassware, but also books, maps, and scientific instruments. These exchanges sparked the growth of Rangaku (Dutch Studies), which influenced Japanese medicine, astronomy, and technology.
Today, when you visit Dejima, you’ll find it restored to its early 19th century appearance, which includes some Edo era buildings. You can walk through carefully reconstructed streets and explore buildings including the Dutch chief factor’s residence, warehouses, and kitchens. There are exhibits to show what daily life was like on the island, archaeological finds, and displays of imported and exported goods.
Although Dejima was once swallowed by land reclamation, preservation and restoration efforts have recreated its original landscape, allowing you to step back into a time when officially only this tiny island connected Japan to the West.