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Introduction to Buildings – 【公式】出島〜dejima〜

Introduction to Buildings

Buildings from the Edo Period (around 1820) Recreated

Phase I (2000) Recreated Buildings
  • MAP
    Ⅰ-１
    First Ship Captain’s Quarters
    This building was used as quarters for the captain of the Dutch ship (first ship) and factory employees. The original appearance of the ground floor and second floor are recreated, the former as a warehouse and the latter with tables and beds.
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    Ⅰ-２
    No. 1 Warehouse
    Imported sugar was stored in this warehouse. The Dejima warehouses had thick earthen walls to resist fire. The displays inside introduce the process of restoration work. The foundation stones discovered during excavations are also on display.
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    Ⅰ-３
    No. 2 Warehouse
    Imported sappanwood (used to make dye) was stored in this warehouse. Entitled “Trade and Cultural Exchange,” the displays on the ground floor introduce the merchandise that passed through Dejima over the years.
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    Ⅰ-４
    Head Clerk’s Quarters
    This building served as a residence for the deputy chief factor (head clerk) of the Dejima Dutch Factory. The ground floor houses a shop selling crafts and souvenirs. The second floor features a hall and kitchen for special events. A multi-functional lavatory is also installed here.
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    Ⅰ-５
    Kitchen
    The Dutch employees gathered in the Chief Factor’s Residence twice a day for meals prepared in the factory kitchen. The Japanese officials and interpreters who visited Dejima took samples of European cuisine home and enjoyed them with their families.
Phase II (2006) Recreated Buildings
  • MAP
    Ⅱ-１
    No.3 Warehouse
    Sugar and various other merchandise were stored in this warehouse. The appearance of the original warehouse is recreated.
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    Ⅱ-２
    Dutch Clerk’s Quarters (Western Studies Pavilion)
    This recreated building was used for many years by the clerks responsible for bookkeeping and the composing of documents. The displays present information on the Western science introduced to Japan through Dejima.
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    Ⅱ-３
    Chief Factor’s Residence
    The largest building on Dejima, this was used as the office and residence of the chief factor and also a place to entertain visiting Japanese officials. The ground floor presents information on the history and daily affairs of Dejima, while the lifestyle of the chief factor is recreated upstairs.
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    Ⅱ-４
    Japanese Officials’ Quarters
    The Japanese officials assigned to manage trade and other affairs on Dejima used this building as their headquarters. The officials were selected from among the Nagasaki merchants who paid for the construction of Dejima. The ground floor introduces the work of the Japanese officials.
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    Ⅱ-５
    Sea Gate
    This iconic building served as a gateway for commercial, cultural and scholarly exchange between Japan and Europe. The passageways to the south and north were used for imports and exports, respectively.
Phase III (2016) Recreated Buildings
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    Ⅲ-１
    No. 16 Warehouse
    The warehouse formerly used to store cloves and other spices is in use as exhibition and storage space.
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    Ⅲ-２
    Dutch Clerk’s Quarters
    The displays introduce Dejima’s role as a commercial and cultural bridge between Japan and the outside world. (Washrooms, wheelchair access washroom, and a multi-functional toilet and elevator are available.)
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    Ⅲ-３
    No. 14 Warehouse
    In this warehouse originally used to store sugar, the displays introduce the excavation site under the floor, the construction of Dejima, and the bridge that connected the island to the town of Nagasaki.
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    Ⅲ-４
    Japanese Officials’ Office
    The officials assigned to Dejima controlled the comings and goings of people at the front gate.
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    Ⅲ-５
    Assistants’ Room
    The job of the assistant to the Japanese officials was to weigh and pack copper bars for export.
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    Ⅲ-６
    Copper Warehouse
    Recreated here is the scene inside the warehouse used to store copper, the main export item from Dejima, as well as visual media introducing the copper trade that connected Japan with the world.

Late Edo Period (1860s) Restored Buildings

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    Ｂ-１
    Old Stone Warehouse (Archeology Pavilion)
    This building was used as a warehouse by one of Japan’s first German (Prussian) companies at the end of the Edo Period. The displays feature artifacts unearthed during recent excavations.
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    Ｂ-２
    New Stone Warehouse (Information Office and Dejima Theater)
    Information is available here on facilities and events at Dejima. A video is presented in the Dejima Theater featuring guidance by a Japanese interpreter of old.

Buildings from the Meiji Period

  • MAP
    Ｍ-１
    Former Dejima Protestant Seminary
    Constructed in 1878, this is the oldest Protestant seminary building in Japan. The ground floor houses a fee booth, resting space and the Dejima Shop.
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    Ｍ-２
    Former Nagasaki International Club
    Prominent Japanese and foreign residents erected this building in 1903 to serve as a social gathering place. The ground floor houses a restaurant serving Nagasaki cuisine, while the second floor features displays on the history of the Nagasaki Foreign Settlement.

Dejima Attractions

Main Gate
Recreated in 1990, this gate building was originally located on the strip of land removed from the island of Dejima as part of the Nakashima River Diversion Project in the Meiji Period. During the Edo Period, visitors crossing the bridge from Edo-machi to Dejima were greeted by a guard stationed at this gate.
Miniature Model of Dejima
Built in 1976, this 1:15 scale model of Dejima as it looked circa 1820is based on a painting of the island by Nagasaki artist Kawahara Keiga (1786-1860).
Monument to Kaempfer and Thunberg (prefectural historic site)
During his stay at Dejima, German physician P.F. von Siebold erected this monument to honor the achievements of his predecessors Engelbert Kaempfer and Carl Thunberg.
  • Embankment Wall from 1867

    On the road to the south of Dejima, rivets demarcate the line of the embankment wall expanded in 1867. Visitors are asked to beware of cars and streetcars.

  • LandingJetty
    The jetty is a slightly protruding structure on the west side of Dejima, added later to facilitate the loading and unloading of ship cargo. Close inspection reveals differences in the restored stone wall indicating additions on three occasions over the years.
  • Foundation Stones (No. 1 Warehouse)

    The stones remaining from the foundations of Edo Period buildings provide valuable information about the size and position of structures. The foundation stones from the former No. 1, No. 2 and No. 14 warehouses are currently on display.

  • Foundation Stones (No. 2 Warehouse)

    The stones remaining from the foundations of Edo Period buildings provide valuable information about the size and position of structures. The foundation stones from the former No. 1, No. 2 and No. 14 warehouses are currently on display.

  • Tiled Gutter

    Gutters were built on both sides of the lane for rainwater drainage. They can be seen today in front of the recreated buildings. A gutter (triangular gutter) remaining from the foreign settlement period can also be seen stretching from the center to the east side of Dejima.
    Left: Tiled gutter Right: Triangular gutter

  • Site of the Flagpole

    A flagpole stood in front of the No. 2 Warehouse and was used to fly the Dutch flag on special occasions.

  • Time Bell

    Referred to as meizan in historical documents, the Dejima time bell was moved several times over the years. The bell hanging here, sounded by pulling a cord, was actually used in the Netherlands in the 18th century.

  • Irrigation Pond

    A pond measuring about2.7m by 7.2m was built to collect water for use in case of fire. It had a double structure with a rectangular vessel in the center. The surface is covered with water-resistant amakawa, an orange-colored mixture of clay and limestone. Steps are also evident in two places. The size of the pond is shown today by the circumscribing stone curb.

  • Balance Scales (replica)

    This device was used to measure sugar and other merchandise imported on the Dutch ships. The sugar packed in a basket or bag was placed at one end of the scale and measuring weights at the other. The weight of the sugar was then determined by balancing the two loads.

  • Sundial (replica)

    The original sundial was installed in the Dejima garden by Herman Christiaan Kastens, who served as chief factor from 1766 to 1767. The sundial shows the time of day from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the north-south line in the middle indicating noon.

  • Lot Boundary Stone from the Foreign Settlement Period

    In 1859, the Dejima Dutch Factory was abolished and replaced with a consulate. The island was absorbed into the Nagasaki Foreign Settlement in 1866. This stone marker shows the number assigned to one of the lots at Dejima in the foreign settlement period. At present, there are seven stone markers remaining along the road from the east side to the central part of the site.

  • Ceramic Gatepost

    Relocated in 1954, the gatepost is engraved with the insignia of the Petrus Regout kiln, a famous ceramics producer in Maastricht, the Netherlands. It was probably installed originally in the store on Dejima. The products of the Petrus Regout kiln were acquired by Edo-Period daimyo and merchants who were fascinated by the Dutch culture introduced through Dejima.