Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tokyo

About the Netherlands

The Dutch – all 16 and a half million of them – live in 41,526 square kilometres, little more than half the size of Scotland. This makes the Netherlands one of the world's most densely populated countries.

The Netherlands is best known for its tulips, windmills and clogs. And for its low altitude and vulnerability to flooding. Less well known is that the Netherlands has the tenth largest economy in the world, and ranks sixteenth in GDP. Equally little known is that the Dutch have won Nobel prizes for chemistry, physics, medicine, economics and peace or that the world's planners and architects flock here to learn about Dutch solutions for this crowded country.

History of Japan / Netherlands Relations

Japan and the Netherlands share unique ties going back more than four centuries.  In the year 2000, exactly 400 years of relations were celebrated between our two countries, and during this time the Dutch Crown Prince and a large number of VIPs from the Netherlands visited Usuki in Oita Prefecture, where our shared history began.  The group then headed for Nagasaki and also visited Huis ten Bosch, Hirado, the Kansai area and Tokyo.

In 2008, Japan and the Netherlands commemorated that 150 years had passed since official Diplomatic ties between the two countries were forged in 1858. In 2009, we celebrated the fact that 400 years ago formal Commercial ties between our two seafaring nations were established. Commemorative events, both in the Netherlands and in Japan, include all facets of the arts, both modern and traditional, as well as economic events and academic exchanges.

2014 was a good year for bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Japan. His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima came to Japan for a state visit. This was the first State Visit of the new King outside Europe which further strengthened the friendly relations between Japan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.