25th Japan Market in Leiden marked by anniversaries

The 25th edition of the Japan Market in Leiden will take place on Whit Sunday, June 8, 2025, from 12:00 to 17:00 on the Rapenburg in Leiden. During the market, visitors can discover various facets of Japanese culture, from prints and kimonos to manga and anime. The Japan Market is an annual event organized by the Japan Museum SieboldHuis in commemoration of the Emperor of Japan's visit to the SieboldHuis in 2000. If the weather is nice, you will see nothing but heads on the Rapenburg. The RMO (across the street) is also a popular spot for Japanese sports demonstrations. Have you already marked June 8 for a visit to Leiden? Experience Japan in Leiden!

Japan Market Program 2025

In the presence of the Ambassador of Japan to the Netherlands, Hiroshi Minami, and Mayor Peter Heijkoop, the Japan Market will be festively opened at 12:00 by Kris Schiermeier, Director of Japanmuseum SieboldHuis.

During the market, be sure to also visit Japanmuseum SieboldHuis, the organizer of the market. The museum is currently hosting the temporary exhibition 'Anaïs López – The Turtle and the Monk'. This multimedia project by photographer and storyteller Anaïs López follows the true story of her search for the golden turtle Kami, the goddess of the Kamo River. For children aged 17 and under, free activity booklets are available at the ticket counter. There is a scavenger hunt for the permanent collection and a scavenger hunt for the temporary exhibition for children aged 6 to 9. For youth aged 13 and under, a free puzzle rebus from the temporary exhibition is available. For youth over 13, a handout with fun facts about the temporary exhibition and Siebold can be picked up at the ticket counter. In the museum's activity basement, children can also find coloring pages and origami. Furthermore, there is a life-sized memory game, you can try on a kimono, and have your picture taken with Hello Kitty.

Japanese flute musical performance. Mr. Suzuki will provide various musical performances in the museum garden with a shinobue (Japanese flute). The performances take place from 12:30 to 12:50 and from 14:00 to 14:20.

Calligraphy demonstrations. Several exchange students from Japan will give a calligraphy They will give a demonstration in the museum courtyard. They will also showcase various elements of classical Japanese culture, including origami (paper folding) and a soroban (abacus), about which the students will provide explanations to visitors. The students will be present between 13:00 PM and 16:00 PM. The demonstration will be given in English and Japanese. Performance Anais LopezIn this intimate performance of approximately 30 minutes, Anaïs López tells the extraordinary story of 'The Turtle and the Monk' – her personal, seven-year quest for the golden turtle Kami, the goddess of the Kamo River in Kyoto. Please note! Reservations are required. There is a fee for this activity. Two time slots are available: 13:30 PM – 14:00 PM and 15:30 PM – 16:00 PM. Sign up for this activity!  

Budo demonstrations.

Budo and bujutsu are terms for Japanese martial arts. They encompass all the skills and techniques (attacks, grappling, and weapons) of a samurai or other Japanese warriors. Examples of these martial arts include karate-do (the way of the empty hand), jujutsu-do or judo (grappling), aikido, kendo (sword fighting), iaido, taido, and naginata-do (see photo). Traditional martial arts from before the Edo period are usually referred to as koryu bujutsu or koryu bugeijutsu, those from 1600 until the Meiji Restoration as kobudo, while modern budo is referred to as gendai budo. In Japan, these names are often used interchangeably, but in the West, the distinction is applied somewhat more sharply. The reason for this lies in the application of the martial arts in question. In budo, the goal is individual development (physical or mental) and is therefore often comparable to athletic achievement. Koryu bujutsu were originally developed during wartime for and by warriors for use on the battlefield. Kobudo were developed during the relatively peaceful Edo period and therefore lie in between. The first budo path in Flanders, based on Japanese martial arts, can be found in the Koekelare arboretum. Several regional associations showcase their skills during various Japanese martial arts demonstrations. Admission to the demonstrations in the Temple Hall of the National Museum of Antiquities is free. Regular admission fees apply for a visit to the exhibitions in the museum.  

425 years Netherlands – Japan (1600 – 2025)

On April 19, 1600, the ship 'De Liefde' landed off the coast of Japan with only 25 men on board. This marks the milestone of 425 years of relations between the Netherlands and Japan. From 1595 to 1602, a number of smaller companies (known as Pre-Companies or Companies of Distant Lands) in places such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Middelburg, and Veere competed with each other in trade with Asia. It was not until March 20, 1602, that these companies were united into the Dutch East India Company.

Therefore, it was not VOC ships that departed from Rotterdam for Asia on June 27, 1598. These ships—the Hoope (flagship or admiral's ship), the Liefde (vice-admiral's ship), Trouwe, the Gelooue, and the Blijde Bootschap—departed for Asia at the initiative of the Rotterdam merchant/shipowner Pieter van der Haegen and the banker Johan van der Veken. In this convoy, Het Geloof served as Rear Admiral, which meant he would sail at the rear at night to ensure that the group stayed together. The ship Liefde had been renamed; previously, it had been called Erasmus, which is also the reason why a wooden statue of Erasmus stood on the stern of the ship and why the name Erasmus is still often associated with this vessel.

Since then, the Dutch have consistently maintained trade relations with Japan, even during the period when Japan had completely isolated itself from the rest of the world. From 1641, the VOC maintained a post on the artificial island of Deshima, making it the only foreign power permitted to trade with the Japanese. Although the Portuguese had set foot on Japanese soil much earlier than the Dutch, the shogun had become apprehensive about the strong missionary zeal of the Portuguese (Jesuits). He had persecuted the Christians and closed the country to foreigners. Because the Dutch had been solely interested in trade, they had received permission to handle Japan's imports and exports, as the only Westerners alongside the Chinese. This was done, however, from a small artificial island near Nagasaki, the size of Dam Square in Amsterdam. The Chinese were also located there, but on a different, small island. As a result, the Dutch were the sole conduit for knowledge and science from the West for the Japanese, particularly in the medical field.  

History of Japan Market

The annual Japan Market is held on the Rapenburg in front of the Japanmuseum SieboldHuis. Japanmuseum SieboldHuis is an independent foundation (Stichting Japanmuseum SieboldHuis), established in 1999 to express the special and long relationship between Japan and the Netherlands. The museum opened its doors in 2005. In addition to temporary exhibitions featuring diverse Japan-related subjects, the SieboldHuis offers the finest examples of old and new Japan with its permanent Siebold collection. Prints, lacquerware, ceramics, fossils, herbariums, taxidermied animals, coins, clothing, old maps, and hundreds of other treasures. All were collected in Japan between 1823 and 1829 by the physician Philipp Franz von Siebold. These objects come from the collections of Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the National Museum of World Cultures, and Leiden University.

 

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Japan Market Leiden, June 8, 12:00 – 17:00: https://www.sieboldhuis.org/activiteiten/japanmarkt-2025/ Siebold House Exhibitions: https://www.sieboldhuis.org/tentoonstellingen/ Report on the Japan Market on June 8, 2025: https://www.leidschdagblad.nl/regio/leiden/voetje-voor-voetje-langs-hello-kitty-kokeshi-tsuba-en-bonsai/70761841.html