Nagasaki

Nagasaki, a seaport of Kyūshū, Japan, and for more than two centuries the only gate of communication for that empire with the outer world. Its harbour, famous for its beauty, is a narrow inlet about 3 miles in length. Near its head, beside the native town, is the low, fan-shaped island of Deshima, where the Dutch factory was situated. From 1637 to 1859 the Dutch traders were immured in this prison of 250 × 80 yards, the monotony of their lives being varied by the arrival of the yearly ship from Batavia, and the annual journey to Yedo, when presents were made to the Shōgun. Chinese traders were also permitted to carry on a limited trade. In 1859 Nagasaki became one of the five open ports. The great Takashima coal-mine, situated on an island 8 miles seaward of the entrance to the harbour, serves to give importance to Nagasaki as a coaling station. Nagasaki also possesses a fine dockyard and patent slip. The foreign settlement is situated on the flat land at the east side of the harbour. The Roman Catholic Church has a strong mission here, and in one of the valleys in the neighbourhood is a community of historical native Christians. Protestant missions are represented by the English Church Missionary Society, and the American Methodist, Episcopal, and (Dutch) Reformed Church missions. At the mouth of the harbour is the small island of Pappenberg (Takaboko), from which 300 Christians are said to have been hurled in the frightful persecutions of the 17th century. Pop. (1895) 72,321.