Picture: Pam practices her Yoga near the mouth of the Hirado Harbor. The Castle can be seen on the hill behind.

The moment we pulled into the Hirado harbor we sensed the pleasant ambience of the place. The magnificent Hirado castle stood tall on the hill above the water. It seemed to welcome visitors and at the same time protect its inhabitants. The grandeur of the Dutch Trading Post at the mouth of the small harbor spread its dominance across the waterfront, true evidence of its multicultural heritage. The ancient stone "Dutch Bridge" (Saiwai) gracefully arching over the small river at the end of the harbor, a few feet from the main street. In the old days one would have had to cross the bridge to get from the town to the castle. It was originally a wooden bridge but was replaced by the present stone structure in the 1600's. On a hill to our right, as we slowly drifted into the harbor, we could see the belfry of St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church spiraling toward the heavens. And then, on the hour, we could hear the nostalgic sound of the bell echoing throughout the harbor. One street back from the waterfront is a vintage street lined with souvenir shops and restaurants built in traditional wooden Japanese style.

The town council mindfully brings lots of services to the public. The dock already had fenders so we did not have to use ours. The adjacent tourist center and bus/ferry terminal has excellent Wi-Fi, a clean environment and efficient air-conditioning. Needless to say, we spent many hours there. There is a covered pool with a fountain at the center of town offering tourists a place to rest and soak their tired feet. The park near the harbor is called "Hirado Exchange Plaza" where there are brightly colored plastic swivel chairs that fold up to look like giant tulips, commemorating the flowers of Holland. Plaques in Japanese and English explain that the word "exchange" refers to the on-going cultural exchange between Holland and Hirado. Also in the park there are some large rocks carved by a Dutch artist to look as if a family had been sitting there and left an imprint of their behinds. One can choose an "imprint" of suitable size and place ones own hind quarters there to rest. Both the tulips and the boulders are comfortable to sit in. We saw people, young and old, sitting there enjoying the tranquility of the setting.