Hirado, Nagasaki

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Grave of William Adams, Hirado

Hirado (平戸市; -shi) is a city in Nagasaki, Japan. It occupies an island connected to Kyushu by bridge.

During the Sengoku and early Edo Periods, Hirado was a major center for foreign trade, especially with the Ming Dynasty of China, and the Dutch. Later, the Tokugawa Shogunate moved trade to Dejima, an island in the present-day city of Nagasaki.

Also during the Edo Period, Hirado was the seat of the Hirado Han, whose castle is a landmark on the island.

As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 23,057 and the density of 136.65 persons per km². The total area is 168.73 km².

The city was founded on January 1, 1955.

Famous people associated with Hirado

The Taiwanese national hero Koxinga was born here. William Adams died here in 1620. Inagaki Manjiro was from here too.