When Japanese people hear “the Netherlands,” quite a few images come to mind.
Windmills, tulips, the canals of Amsterdam, wooden shoes, Gouda cheese, and Van Gogh.
There is also a strong image of a country built on low-lying land, constantly dealing with water. Dikes, canals, and bicycles are all part of the picture.
And Dutch people are very tall.
This is widely known in Japan.
International comparison data puts the average height of Dutch men at about 182.5 centimeters, compared with about 170.8 centimeters for Japanese men. For women, the figures are about 168.7 centimeters in the Netherlands and 158.3 centimeters in Japan.
That is a difference of roughly 12 centimeters for men and 10 centimeters for women.
So it is not surprising that Japanese visitors to the Netherlands often feel as if everyone around them is tall.
The country’s name can also be slightly confusing in English.
“Holland? Or the Netherlands?”
The official name is the Netherlands, but “Holland” has also been widely used for a long time.
In Japanese, however, the country is called neither of those things. It is called “Oranda.”
So for Japanese people, the name can actually become more confusing once English enters the conversation.
But what makes the Netherlands especially interesting from a Japanese perspective is not just its tourist image.
The Netherlands appears again and again in Japanese history classes.
Dejima in Nagasaki. Dutch trade. Rangaku, or “Dutch learning.” Siebold.
During the Edo period, when Japan severely restricted contact with foreign countries, trade with the Dutch continued.
Because of that, the Netherlands is remembered in Japan in a way that is slightly different from countries such as the United States or Britain.
It is a Western country that has been connected with Japan for a very long time.
Even the word “Rangaku” contains the character 蘭, which was used to refer to the Netherlands.
And in Nagasaki, the historical center of that relationship, there is still a place where Japanese people can experience something that feels distinctly Dutch.
Huis Ten Bosch.
Its canals, windmills, and European-style streets recreate a Dutch atmosphere on a large scale.
In other words, some Japanese people have walked through scenery that feels “Dutch” in Nagasaki even if they have never actually been to the Netherlands.
Miffy is another very familiar presence in Japan.
She appears not only in picture books, but also on stationery, household goods, clothing, and countless other products. Miffy merchandise and events are very common, and the character herself is extremely well known.
But the number of people who consciously associate Miffy with the Netherlands is probably smaller than the number who simply know and love the character.
Miffy was created by the Dutch artist Dick Bruna, and in the Netherlands she is known as “Nijntje.”
For Japanese football fans, the Netherlands has an even sharper identity.
First, there is the unmistakable orange national-team shirt.
Then there is Johan Cruyff.
Even the “Cruyff turn” is a familiar term to many Japanese people who played football as children.
The country has also produced a remarkable number of globally famous players: Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, Arjen Robben, and Robin van Persie, among many others.
There is also a strong Japanese connection.
Shinji Ono became a major figure at Feyenoord.
More recently, Ayase Ueda scored 25 league goals for Feyenoord and finished as the Eredivisie’s top scorer.
The connection between Japanese players and Dutch football is still very much alive.
Among Dutch companies, Philips is also well known in Japan.
Many Japanese people have seen the name on electric shavers, electric toothbrushes, and other household products.
But one of the most important Dutch companies in the modern world is ASML.
Many Japanese people who are not interested in semiconductors may not know the name at all.
Yet ASML produces lithography machines that are essential for manufacturing the world’s most advanced semiconductors.
This creates an interesting overlap.
During the Edo period, Japan learned Western medicine and science partly through the Dutch, giving rise to the term “Dutch learning.”
Today, Dutch cutting-edge semiconductor technology is once again closely connected with Japanese industry.
Of course, it would be too simple to draw a straight line between events separated by four centuries.
Still, from a Japanese perspective, there seems to be a recurring thread of knowledge and technology running through the relationship with the Netherlands.
For Japanese people, the Netherlands is not simply a country of windmills and tulips.
It appears in school textbooks through Dejima and Dutch learning, in popular culture through Miffy and Van Gogh, in football through generations of famous players, and now in advanced technology through semiconductors.
The Netherlands may be a distant European country, but it has been present in Japanese history for a surprisingly long time.
