Hirado Matsuura Clan
Over 1,000 Years of History
Hirado City is located in Nagasaki prefectureʼs western region. Before Japan decided to isolate itself from other countries such as Portugal, Holland, and various others, Hirado City was the trading capital of Japan. Now lies a museum that contains remnants and historical artifacts during the reign of the Matsuura feudal lord of Hirado city.
The Matsuura Historical Museum is located in the exact same location as where the Mastsuura lord resisded during the Kamakura period. This area is a key point of trade with the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.Some say you can still hear the footsteps of William Adams and other foreign dignitaries coming in to speak with Matsuura about business.This museum, which uses the Matsuura family’s private residence,“Tsurugamine House,” is a museum called Rakusaido in Hirado Castle, which was once established by Shizuyama Matsuura, the late Hirado lord of the Edo period. Here you can lay your eyes on various culturally rich collections that were inherited from past generations.
Special vehicles that were received as gifts when one were to get married to the Matsuura clan. There was also samurai armor that was used by the Matsuura family. There are over 30,000 items stored in the museum, can you imagine how long it must of taken to count every single piece.
Some of the more popular items in the museum is a “Katchu” made by the Bungo’s Sengoku daimyo “Sorin Otomo.” Another piece was a mobile carrying box, used to carry the lord himself, had beautiful sliding doors with the famous lion painter know throughout the Edo Shogunate as Kano Tan Yu. If these designs donʼt stop you, I donʼt know what else will!
Matsura Historical Museum
LOCATION: 12 Kagamigawacho, Hirado, Nagasaki 859-5152
OPERATING HOURS: 08:30~17:30
CLOSED: December 29th - September 1st
PHONE: +81 950-22-2236
URL: http://www.matsura.or.jp/en/home-2/
Kanun-tei was an exclusive relaxing place to partake in a tea ceremony. The famous Sinrikyu was known for being a key influencer of “Chanoyu,” a Japanese style of tea belief. The building is solely built with natural materials. The roof being made of 100% bamboo and the structure being held without any nails. Although there are a variety of different styles of tea ceremony, the one that visitors can experience here is “Chin-shin-ryu” along with delicious traditional “ubatama” and “Kasodosu” Japanese sweets. A tea ceremony takes years to master with many small complex rules that you shouldn’t break just for serving someone tea !
Matsuura Historical Museum
LOCATION: 12 Kagamigawacho, Hirado, Nagasaki 859-5152
OPERATING HOURS: 08:30~17:30
CLOSED: December 29th - September 1st
PHONE: +81 950-22-2236
URL: http://www.matsura.or.jp/en/home-2/
It was 1550 when the Japanese community laid eyes on a Portuguese ship when it entered Hirado. Thus started the trading era for the Hirado, and Japan! Later, trading houses in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom were opened in Hirado. Even now, Hirado Dutch Trading House, Japan’s first Western-style building, has been restored for visitors to take a tour of the inside.
Hirado Dutch Trading Post
LOCATION: 2477 Okubocho, Hirado, Nagasaki 859-5102
OPERATING HOURS: 08:30~17:30
CLOSED: 2477 Okubocho, Hirado, Nagasaki 859-5102
PHONE: +81 950-26-0636
URL: http://hirado-shoukan.jp/english
Kameoka Shrine which was dedicated to Lord Matsuura, is located in Hirado Castle,Mt.Kameoka. It overlooks Hirado and the surrounding sea. You can enjoy Hirado Kagura at Hirado Okunchi, which is held every fall. Kagura is a Japanese traditional live action play, involving acrobatic dancing and dangerous sword stunts. It is said that Hirado Kagura was completed by gathering the best Kagura from various countries. Among them, the dance of “Two Swords” is worth seeing. The kagura, which dances by pulling out two Japanese swords, is a very difficult performance and should be seen if possible !
Kameoka Shrine
LOCATION: 1517 Iwanouecho, Hirado, Nagasaki 859-5121
OPERATING HOURS: N/A
CLOSED: N/A
PHONE: +81 950-22-2228
URL: http://kameoka-j.jp/
