Amsterdam and Japan Have More in Common Than Two Ajax Players

On June 14, the Dutch national football team will play against Japan in the World Cup. But Amsterdam and Japan have had a connection for a very long time. Four hundred years ago, Amsterdam and Japan already made contact with each other.

Dutch merchants from Amsterdam went to Japan by ship. They brought items such as silk and porcelain to Amsterdam. They also brought goods from the Netherlands to Japan.

In this way, they learned from each other. Amsterdam became an important city for trade with Japan. So the friendship between Amsterdam and Japan began a long time ago.

Today, you can still see things from Japan in Amsterdam, such as in museums.