Modernization

Even when Japan was closed to the rest of the world, only Nagasaki was opened to the West, serving as a door to the world and its cultural diversity. After the port of Nagasaki was reopened in the Ansei era, Nagasaki was bustling with vigor as a city of international trade and a representative tourist destination in Japan. The “Modernization” series of issues describes Nagasaki Prefecture as a pioneer in the introduction of Western knowledge, technology, and culture and the modernization of Japan.
Around Nagasaki Prefecture are still traces of the achievements of our predecessors, who strove to fulfill their dreams in modern Japan. The history of their efforts has led to our lives today.