The Dutch presence in Japan during the Edo Period is one of the most intriguing episodes of Europe's global expansion. In contradistinction to other Europeans in Asia, the Dutch in Japan weren't there to physically or spiritually subdue the natives by spreading their religion or building an empire. They came as traders and, therefore, were tolerated by the shogunate.
As the only Europeans permitted in the land, the Dutch played a very important role during those 2 1/2 centuries, but Dutch-Japanese relations weren't always easy. Distrust and the perennial concern on the part of the Japanese government to keep the "southern barbarians" at a distance and in their place overshadowed regular business ties on many occasions. "Prisoners From Nambu" deals with an incident that troubled both the Japanese and the Dutch for years.
In the summer of 1643, 10 crew members of the Dutch yacht Breskens went ashore at Nambu in northern Japan, where they were taken prisoner. Brought to Edo (modern-day Tokyo) for questioning, they were held there for four months. After many interrogations they were released and eventually reunited with their ship.