Dejima - Japan's Gateway to the World

So now I am in Nagasaki. Not far from my hostel, there is the small artificial island of Dejima. Okay, island is a lie. It used to be an island and now it is just enclosed by reclamation land.

Dejima was built in 1636 and served as living quarters for Portuguese traders. Three years later, it was closed as Japan cut itself off from the rest of the world. After two years, however, the Dutch were allowed back on the island. The reason for this: They just wanted to trade (which the Shogun also wanted), while the Portuguese were more interested in missionary work. For 218 years, Dejima was the only gateway to the outside world. The island was in the shape of a fan and foreigners were not allowed to leave it without permission. During the day, there were of course many Japanese traders and prostitutes there.

Since 1996, Nagasaki has been restoring the island to its original form.