Dutch cemetery Nagasaki (2016)

At the request of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands funerary expert Leon Bok of the Dutch foundation Dodenakkers.nl made two visits to the ‘Hollandsche begraafplaats’ in Nagasaki. Those visits took place in June and December of 2016. The aim of the visits was to conduct a preliminary investigation on this cemetery to provide a sustainable management plan. Purpose of this management plan is to clarify how the cemetery should be handled in the short, medium and long term, from the perspective of conservation of this funerary heritage which constitutes a tangible evidence of the Dutch presence in Nagasaki and provides valuable insights into the historic relationship between Japan and the Netherlands.

In december Leon Bok also visited Hirado, the former tradingharbour of the Dutch, and Kakegawa. In both places Dutch were buried and in Hirado advice was given on the possible spot of the cemetery there and other knowlegde about Dutch burials. In Kakegawa the gravemonument of Hemmij was visited and an advice written on the status of the monument.

In December lectures were given in Nagasaki and Tokyo on the subject of the Dutch cemetery of Nagasaki and its special history and connection with Dejima and the Netherlands.