Dutch Trading Post

In the early Edo period, the Japanese branch of the Dutch East India Company was located in Hirado, and later in Dejima, Nagasaki. When formal diplomatic relations with the Netherlands were established in 1609 (Keicho 14), it was located in Hirado, with Specs as its first director. It was located in what is now Sakikata-cho, Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture, at the eastern end of Hirado Port, and 72 houses were evicted to build the trading post (the site of the trading post is a designated national historic site). In 1640 (Kan'ei 17), the shogunate ordered the demolition of the trading post building, on the pretext that the Gregorian calendar year was inscribed on the gable, and in 1641 they ordered the relocation to Dejima, Nagasaki, which had been vacant since the Portuguese were banned from sailing there. From then until the end of the Edo period, the departure and arrival points for Dutch ships and the settlement of the trading post's employees were limited to Dejima, and they were not allowed to enter other areas without permission. Dejima was a fan-shaped artificial island with an area of ​​13,000 square meters, and there was a bridge between it and the town. It was divided into four sections by a road that ran through the center and other roads that intersected it, and there were 65 buildings on this island, including homes for Dutch residents, Japanese officials and interpreters, and various warehouses.

The Dutch people staying on Dejima numbered between 9 and 12-13 people, including the head of the factory (kapitan), his second-in-command (hetor), warehouseman, writer, surgeon, kitchen worker, carpenter, and blacksmith. They lived such a restrictive life that they called it a "national prison." The head of the factory visited Edo once a year (later once every five years) to meet the shogun. Employees who stayed there included Doeff (director), Thunberg (ship's surgeon), and Siebold (medical officer), who contributed to the development of Japanese medicine and Dutch studies, as well as Kaempfer (medical officer) and Titzing (director), who introduced Japan to the world. The Dutch factory was placed under the jurisdiction of the Nagasaki Magistrate, and the Dejima Otona, who was under the Nagasaki Town Elder, negotiated directly with the Dutch. The Dejima Otome lived on the island and were responsible for monitoring the Dutch, the unloading and shipping of export goods, payment of fees, entry and exit within Dejima Town, and supervising the Dutch's daily shopping. There were about 40 Japanese people under the Otome, including group leaders, writers, and servants. In addition, the interpreters, of which there were about 140 at the end of the Edo period, also had the closest ties with the Dutch. While entry and exit to the Dejima trading post was prohibited for the general public, Nagasaki Magistrate's Office officials, Nagasaki Town Elders, Dutch interpreters, Dejima Otome, group leaders, day care centers, Gosho Sukuro, and Dejima townspeople were allowed to enter only on official business. Merchants and townspeople applied to the Otome of the town in which they lived, and the Otome would then report the number of people and their purpose to the Dejima Otome before they were allowed to enter or exit. Towards the end of the Edo period, in 1855 (Ansei 2), Dutch people were permitted to walk around Nagasaki city, and the following year the Dejima Opening Order was issued, with the Dejima Onna and guards withdrawing from Dejima and visitors being given complete freedom of movement. In 1858, with the establishment of the Japan-Netherlands Treaty of Amity and Commerce, the chief of the factory was appointed diplomatic representative, and in 1860 (Man'en 1), the factory doubled as the Dutch Consulate General and the chief of the factory became Consul General.

[Yoko Nagazumi]

"Nagasaki City History: Geography, Scenic Places and Historical Sites" (1937, Nagasaki City)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸初期に平戸(ひらど)、その後長崎の出島(でじま)にあったオランダ東インド会社の日本支店。1609年（慶長14）オランダとの正式国交が開けたとき、平戸に置かれ、スペックスが初代館長となった。現在の長崎県平戸市崎方(さきかた)町、平戸港の東端部に位置し、民家72戸分を立ち退かせて商館を建設したという（商館跡は国史跡に指定）。1640年（寛永17）商館の建物の破風(はふ)に西暦年号が記されているのを口実に、幕府はその取り壊しを命じ、41年には、ポルトガル人の来航禁止以後空き家となっていた長崎出島への移転を命じた。以後幕末に至るまで、オランダ船の発着地、および商館員の居留地は出島にのみ限定され、許可がない限り、他の地域に立ち入ることは許されなかった。出島は面積3969坪（約1万3000平方メートル）、扇形の人工の島で、町との間には橋があった。中央を貫通する道路と、これと交差する道路により4区画に分かれ、ここにオランダ人居宅、日本人諸役人、通詞(つうじ)の家、各種倉庫など65棟が建っていた。

　出島に滞在するオランダ人は、商館長（カピタン）、次席（ヘトル）、荷倉役、筆者、外科医、台所役、大工、鍛冶(かじ)など、9人から12～13人で、彼ら自身「国立の牢獄(ろうごく)」とよぶほど不自由な生活を送っていた。商館長は年1回（のち5年に1回）江戸に参府し、将軍に謁見した。ここに滞在した社員には、日本の医学、蘭学(らんがく)の発展に寄与したドゥーフ（館長）、ツンベルク（船医）、シーボルト（医員）、日本を海外に紹介したケンペル（医員）、ティツィング（館長）らがあった。オランダ商館は長崎奉行(ぶぎょう)の管轄下に置かれ、長崎町年寄の下の出島乙名(おとな)がオランダ人との直接交渉にあたった。出島乙名は、島内に居住し、オランダ人の監視、輸出品の荷揚げ、積出し、代金決済、出島町内の出入り、オランダ人の日用の買い物の監督などを行った。乙名の下には組頭、筆者、小使など約40人の日本人がいた。このほか、幕末には約140人に上る通詞たちも、オランダ人ともっとも密接な関係をもった。出島商館への出入りは一般には禁止されていたが、長崎奉行所役人、長崎町年寄、オランダ通詞、出島乙名、組頭、日行使、五箇所宿老、出島町人は、公用の場合に限り出入りを許された。商人や町人はその居住町の乙名に願い出、この乙名から出島乙名に人数、用件を届け出て、初めて出入りが許可された。幕末に至り、1855年（安政2）オランダ人の長崎市内の散歩が許され、翌年出島開放令が出され、出島乙名、番人などが出島から引き揚げ、出入りはまったく自由となった。58年、日蘭(にちらん)通商条約の成立により商館長は外交代表に任命され、60年（万延1）には、商館はオランダ総領事館を兼ね、商館長は総領事となった。

［永積洋子］

『『長崎市史　地誌編・名勝旧蹟部』（1937・長崎市）』

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