Dutch Trading Post

What to know

The Dutch Trading Post (Hirado Oranda Shōkan) was established in Hirado in 1609 as the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company in Japan. The current building is a warehouse originally built here in 1639 as part of the trading post, but it was demolished just three years later after the Dutch were relocated to Dejima Island in Nagasaki Port.

The warehouse was rebuilt in 2011, staying as faithful as possible to the original design. It showcases the facility's original Dutch architecture with interlocking stone blocks supported by large exposed wooden beams. The structure is topped with a Japanese-style tile roof, just like the original.

Inside, the warehouse houses an excellent museum that details the history of Japanese-Dutch relations and explains how international trade and commerce were conducted at the time. It shares information about the Dutch traders, the goods they exchanged, and the cultural impact of their arrival. The museum displays a variety of paintings, models, Western-style armor, lacquerware, and other items brought into the country.

Outside the warehouse are remnants of the original trading post, including the ruined foundations of the original trading house, part of the wharf built for loading and unloading ships, and a section of ruined walls that once surrounded the post. Further toward the town center is the "Dutch Bridge," built after the traders left Hirado but constructed using stone-laying techniques borrowed from the Dutch.

The Dutch Trading Post is about a five-minute walk east of Hirado Bus Terminal.