"“Little Holland” “Japan’s first ◯◯” started in Dejima

Nagasaki has many firsts in Japan. Nagasaki is often described as such, but why does it have so many first-of-its-kind locations in Japan? If we turn back the clock, we can find out why.As you all know, throughout the early modern period (from the opening of the Edo Shogunate to the transfer of the capital to Tokyo during the Meiji Restoration), Nagasaki served as the only point of contact with the West during the period of national isolation (218 years!), and has a history of flourishing as a rich and vibrant town. there is. Dejima, a fan-shaped artificial island built to protrude into the sea, is truly a "Little Netherlands," and the very life of the Dutch people living on Dejima has become the "birthplace of ◯◯" and "Japan's first ◯◯." It became connected.

- He spread butter on his bread, ate with a fork and knife, and enjoyed coffee and wine while playing the guitar and harp.
・It was customary to serve Dutch food to Japanese visitors to Dejima and then show them a game of billiards.
・I wasn't able to go outside of Dejima freely, so I played badminton for fun.
- Beer was brewed on Dejima as shipping from the Netherlands often stopped.
・German doctor Siebold brought a piano with him, and when he returned to Japan, he gave it to a wealthy merchant with whom he had a close friendship.

There are countless episodes that give us a glimpse of the way of life at that time, and they are also recorded in literature and illustrations. Billiards, badminton, the piano, karuta, coffee, beer, chocolate, tomatoes, cabbage, parsley, paint, bricks... these pastimes, foodstuffs, and drinks spread from Dejima, the only link between Japan and the West, throughout the country. It is said that
 

After the opening of the country, many foreigners moved to Nagasaki, a new destination.

Time moves forward to 1859. After the Japan-US Treaty of Amity and Commerce opened the country, many foreigners came to Nagasaki. One of them,Scotlandmoved to Japan fromJapanese teaHe made his fortune through trade, including weapons.ScotlandThere was a merchant, Thomas B. Glover. He is one of the leading figures in Japan's modernization that began in Nagasaki, and is located in Glover Garden, a tourist spot that represents Nagasaki.Former Glover House” lived in.
1863built inFormer Glover House TheExistingIt is said to be the oldest wooden Western-style building in Japan, and he is said to have introduced several other firsts to Japan. In 7, seven years before the opening of railroads in Japan, the small steam locomotive ``Iron Duke'' was test run on Oura Coast near Glover Garden. The reason why Nagasaki is considered the ``birthplace of railways'' is based on this story.

By the way, ``Jyutei Cafe'' in Glover Garden is a cafe that was established on the site of the Western restaurant ``Jyutei'', which was opened by Japanese chef Jokichi Kusano during the Meiji period, and has a constant flow of customers due to its retro Meiji-era appearance. It is popular as a store. Please take a break while thinking about the Meiji era while enjoying the aromatic and rich Dutch coffee.

The most common way to access Glover Garden is from the uphill path lined with souvenir shops via Oura Cathedral, but if you take the free diagonal elevator ``Glover Sky Road'', you can reach the slope of Minami-Yamate where Glover Garden is located. You can enjoy the land to your heart's content, and from the round window you can see both Nagasaki Port and Mt. Inasa. The official name is Nagasaki City Road Aioi-cho Ueda-cho Route 2, and this is actually the first elevator built as a public road in Japan. Although the diagonal elevator is unusual for tourists, it is a daily necessity for locals. If you ride it first thing in the morning, you'll see a lot of students and businessmen commuting to school.

If you walk around the city, you can encounter something new in Japan. There are many other firsts in Japan in Nagasaki city.

Kameyamashachu, known as Nagasaki's first base for Sakamoto Ryoma, a patriot at the end of the Edo period (1865), was established as a trading company that carried out commercial activities beyond the framework of the domain, with the aim of overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate. It was established as "Japan's first trading company" that also served as a political organization.
Also, the iron bridge (official name: Kuroganebashi), which is located at the west entrance of Hamacho Arcade, Nagasaki's busiest shopping district, and which connects Hamacho and Chikimachi, dates back to 1869 when Ryoma Sakamoto was active. It is Japan's first iron bridge, built in XNUMX, and currently, the bridge is decorated with giant objects and lanterns during the Nagasaki Lantern Festival.

In fact, it was Nagasaki that started the first international telegraph service in Japan. In 2, two years after the iron bridge was built, with the completion of the telegraph line from Europe to Siberia, the Danish-affiliated Ohoku Telegraph Company laid submarine cables connecting Nagasaki and Shanghai and Nagasaki and Vladivostok. and international communications began. The monument to the ``Birthplace of International Telegraphy'' is located in front of the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Nagasaki, and the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture exhibits materials related to telegraph technology.
 

Japan's first company "Kameyama Shachu" founded by Ryoma Sakamoto

Iron bridge spanning the Nakashima River (official name: Tetsubashi = Kuroganebashi)

Birthplace of international telegraphy

As you walk through Nagasaki City, you will find other monuments marking the birthplace of ◯◯, such as the stone monument where Japan's first canned goods were manufactured, the birthplace of bowling in Japan, and the birthplace of modern letterpress printing. You can see the monuments here and there. You may come across them by chance during your travels. Even if you don't have time to go out of your way to see the monuments, it's worth knowing that Nagasaki City is full of Japan's firsts!

Everyone enjoys traveling in different ways. Do you like the word “first in Japan”?