The Dutch Slope in Nagasaki, Japan

The Dutch Slope in Nagasaki, Japan

After Japan opened to trade in the 19th century, merchants were allowed to set up houses in designated areas. The Dutch slope is the first of these areas, but interestingly none of the buildings found on it are built by or for the Dutch.  The slope is one of several areas designated to foreigners after the country opened to trade. These were akin to enclaves, as western laws were followed there and they functioned outside of the Japanese jurisdi…