This year, we are celebrating the 425 years old relations between Japan and the Netherlands, although they have actually already lasted for 426 years. In 1600, when a Dutch ship from Rotterdam named De Liefde, ‘The Love’ in English, shipwrecked in Japan after a long and challenging journey.
De Liefde’s arrival in Japan in 1600 was the first direct communication between the Netherlands and Japan. Dutch sailor Jan Joosten van Lodensteyn was one among the survivors. The future shogun, Tokuga Ieyasu, was curious to learn more about Europe, seafaring, trade and foreign powers during a time of political transition. Consequently, instead of a prisoner, Jan Joosten became a respected advisor to the Japanese rulers and an intermediary between Europe and Japan. Jan Joosten was given a samurai title, and he was permitted to live in Japan as reward for his service. His journey from shipwrecked sailor to reliable advisor demonstrates how cooperation, respect and trust can build international ties.
Trade continued to strengthen Japan’s ties with the Netherlands. A formal trading presence in Japan began in 1609 with the establishment of a trading post on Hirado Island. In addition to binging European scientific knowledge, maps, medical books, and scientific equipment, the Dutch traded products like silk, spices, and porcelain. Consequently, Japanese academics were able to study Western science, which subsequently came to be known as Rangaku or Dutch learning. As part of Japan’s strategy to regulate international trade, the Dutch were relocated to the man-made island of Dejima in Nagasaki Harbour in 1641. The Dutch acquired a monopoly as the Tokugawa shogunate strictly limited trade with other Western powers and prohibited interaction with other nations. Dejima continued to be Japan’s sole official commercial route to the West for over 200 years. While the Netherlands gained access to a significant Asian partner and benefited from a unique trading privilege not available to most other European countries, Japan benefited from access to specific foreign goods and knowledge.
This does not mean, however, that gaining knowledge is a one-sided activity. In the West Japanese culture, which includes ideas like mottainai and hara hachi bu, is respected for its principles of cleanliness, discipline, and respect. Thus, after the FIFA World Cup match between the Netherlands and Japan, Dutch football fans saw with admiration how Japanese supporters started to clean the stadium after the game, while picking up trash and making the seating areas spotless again. Such actions, which represent “sustainability Japanese style,” demonstrate how culture can serve as a pillar for a more sustainable and healthier way of living. Therefore, Westerners can learn much from Japanese culture, as the Japanese were inspired by Western knowledge centuries ago.
Japan and The Netherlands continue to celebrate their friendship today. On Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the Handelsplein in Amstelveen, an event will take place as part of the celebrations. The event will draw attention to the two countries’ long-standing diplomatic, cultural, and economic connections.
Sources:
De onbekende, maar bijzondere band tussen Nederland en Japan – Journalistiek en Nieuwe Media
Het uitzonderlijke verhaal van een Nederlandse samoerai – Medium
De VOC handelspost Deshima – tokyo.nl
Japan Festival 2026 – japanfestival.nl
Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn – Wikipedia
Sustainable Living in Japan: Traditions, Reality, and What We Can Learn – japanphilo
Japan soccer fans pick up litter after game, continue World Cup tradition – NYTimes