Treasures from Hirado tells the story of the opening of Japan to the western world in the seventeenth century, and features artefacts never before seen in the UK. Alongside the broader impact of western trade on Japan, the exhibition focuses on William Adams, a native of Gillingham in Kent, who was the first Englishman to reach Japan.
Adams became a confidant of Japan’s ruler (Shogun) and was buried in Hirado, from where the objects on display all originate.
The exhibition celebrates the opening of links between Britain and Japan while also encouraging their continuation by creating a link between ourselves and the Matsura Historical Museum in Japan who put together the display. It is hoped that the exhibition will inform the public and give them a view into Japanese history that they may not otherwise have considered.
For more information about the exhibition and opening times (10-5 Mon-Sat, 12-4 Sun.), please see the Museum’s website here
This exhibition is held in association with the Matsura Historical Museum, Hirado
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