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.
The Taiwanese national hero Koxinga was born here. William Adams died here in 1620.
