About Nederland in Japan
Welcome to the official website of ‘Nederland in Japan 2008-2009’
The years 2008 and 2009 mark special moments in the long-standing friendship between Japan and the Netherlands! The year 2008 marks the 150th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, and in 2009 we will be commemorating the 400th anniversary of commercial relations, which date back to 1609, when Tokugawa Ieyasu issued an official trade permit to the Netherlands.
That is why we decided to take the seemingly ordinary to the extraordinary, and offer Japanese and Dutch communities a chance to explore the basis of our partnership. You are invited to join and catch up on each other’s worlds at concerts, art exhibitions, sports events and seminars. You can find everything about the 2008-2009 celebrations on this website. We hope you will enjoy ‘Nederland in Japan 2008-2009’.
For more information about celebrations in the Netherlands, please visit:
www.400jaarhandel.nl
www.japanleiden.nl
Foreword
Maxime Verhaegen
Foreign Minister of The Netherlands
"It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the official 'Nederland in Japan, 2008-2009' website."
Masahiko Koumura
Foreign Minister of Japan
“Japan’s long relationship with the Netherlands began over 4 centuries ago when a Dutch ship reached Oita on Kyushu Island in 1600.“
Japan and the Netherlands: 400 years and more
Japan and the Netherlands share a unique history that started back in 1600, when the ship “Liefde” (Charity) stranded in Kyushu. Captain Quaeckernaeck could never have expected that, when unfortunately his own ship got stranded, he was laying the foundations for a relationship that was to grow into what it is today.
Browse through 400 years of historic relations between Japan and the Netherlands.
