Dejima

Dejima is a small artificial island in Nagasaki harbor, Japan. Created in 1634 during the Edo period, it was built to house a Dutch trading post and to isolate contact with the outside world under the sakoku policy. The island is connected to Nagasaki by a short bridge and is surrounded by seawalls. Its compound included warehouses, residences for Dutch merchants, and facilities essential for managing trade with Japan.

During much of the sakoku era, Dejima served as the sole channel for official Western trade with Japan. The Dutch East India Company operated there under strict supervision, with limited days of contact and controlled movements. The exchange included not only goods such as silver and spices but also books, instruments, and scientific knowledge, contributing to the development of Rangaku, or Dutch learning, in Japan. Japanese officials and interpreters oversaw the operation.

From the mid-19th century, Japan opened to Western powers, and Dejima's exclusive role ended. After the Meiji era, the site was repurposed; in the 20th century it was preserved as a historic district. Today Dejima houses a museum and preserved warehouses, and tours highlight its history as Japan's window to the West during the era of national isolation.