Feb 21, 2013 - 1 min read

Hollander Slope in Nagasaki

Foreign settlement in Higashi-Yamate

By Alena Eckelmann

Community writer

Western-style houses in Higashiyamate district of Nagasaki City

There are still seven Western-style houses on Hollander Slope in Nagasaki

Higashiyamate was one of Nagasaki's former foreign settlements

All houses on Hollander Slope are well-maintained and they are now used as exhibition space

Close-up view of Western-style house at Nagasaki's Hollander Slope

Two story Western-style houses offered much space for Nagasaki's foreign families in the old days

No.13, Higashiyamate, Nagasaki - This Western-style house is now a cafe

Inside house No 13, Higashiyamate, Nagasaki

Could this be somewhere in Europe? No, it is Nagasaki's Hollander Slope

Today nobody lives here but these houses were once rented to Nagasaki's wealthy foreigners

Western-style house with veranda at Hollander Slope

All non-Asian foreigners were once considered to be Hollanders

Nagasaki was international well before Tokyo, Yokohama or Kobe appeared on the scene as Japan's trading places with foreign nations. The city's rich foreign heritage is apparent wherever you go in Nagasaki. The former "foreign settlements" in Nagasaki's Higashi-Yamate, Minami-Yamate, Oura and Dejima districts, established in 1859 when Japan was opened to the world after centuries of isolation, are places steeped in history. They tell the stories of those Western settlers, mainly merchants and diplomats and their families, who settled here and often became successful in business or influential in politics. Although this slope is called "Hollander Slope", it was not just Dutchmen who lived here but people from a great number of countries. There is a little museum in one of the buildings and another building houses a cafe. The cafe's terrace is a nice open-air place to sit down and have a coffee after a walk up the slopes.

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By Alena Eckelmann

Community writer

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Kim Bergström 7 years ago

I've been looking for things to do for my Kyushu trip later this year and this was one of the articles I found when I was looking at things to add to my Nagasaki itinerary. It really does look European - I just love all the color! Definitely going to check it out when I visit.

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