Dejima History 出島の歴史

Dejima was a small artificial island built in 1636, originally to house Portuguese merchants. Soon after, it became the only place in all of Japan where Europeans (later only the Dutch) were allowed to live and trade during the Edo period, when Japan was closed off to the outside world.

For over 200 years, Dejima was Japan's window to the world. From this tiny fan-shaped island, knowledge, medicine, science, and new technologies from Europe slowly entered Japan. At the same time, Japanese culture and products like porcelain, copper, and art reached Europe.

This unique role made Dejima not just a trading post, but a symbol of cultural exchange in an age of isolation. Walking around Dejima today, you are literally standing on the spot where Japan first began to connect with the wider world.
 

出島は単なる島ではなく、日本と世界が初めて握手を交わした「架け橋」です。

1636年に築かれた人工の島は、江戸時代の鎖国の中で唯一ヨーロッパとの交流が許された特別な場所でした。約200年間、出島を通じて医学・科学・技術などの西洋の知識が日本に伝わり、同時に日本の陶磁器や銅、美術品がヨーロッパへ渡っていきました。

出島を訪れることは、まさに日本が世界とつながり始めた歴史の現場に立つことなのです。