Information from the city of the Hague, 3 September 2009
The commercial relations between Japan and the Netherlands
date back to 1609. During this year the The Dutch East India
Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in
Dutch) obtained permission to establish a permanent trading
post in the city of Hirado. The year 2009 marks the 400th
anniversary of these trade relations.
The museum pieces which are being put on display at the City
Hall of The Hague originate from the Matsura Historical
Museum in Hirado, Japan. They date back from 1600 to 1885
and symbolise trade relations in this period between Japan and
The Netherlands. The museum is owned by the renowned
Matsura family. Throughout the centuries many highly ranked
executives and military personnel hailed from the Matsura
family. The museum is home to around 30.000 objects, most
of which have been owned by the family for generations.