Híradó

Hirado 平戸市
City
Central Area of Hirado
Location of Hirado in Nagasaki Prefecture
Hirado Location in Japan
Coordinates: 33°22′N 129°33′E / 33.367°N 129.550°E / 33.367; 129.550Coordinates: 33°22′N 129°33′E / 33.367°N 129.550°E / 33.367; 129.550
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Prefecture	Nagasaki Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Naruhiko Kuroda (since October 2009)
Area
• Total	235.63 km2 (90.98 sq mi)
Population (January 1, 2009)
• Total	36,000
• Density	153/km2 (400/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Podocarpaceae
• Flower	Hirado Rhododendron
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City hall address	1508-3 Iwanoue, Hirado-shi, Nagasaki-ken 859-5192
Website	www.city.hirado.nagasaki.jp/english

Hirado (平戸市, Hirado-shi^?) is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The part historically named Hirado is located on the island of the same name. With recent mergers, the city's boundaries have expanded, and Hirado now occupies parts of the main island of Kyushu. The components are connected by the Hirado Bridge.

As of January 1, 2009, the city has an estimated population of 36,000 and a population density of 153 persons per km². The total area is 235.63 km² (91 square miles).

Hirado has been a port of call for ships between the Asian mainland and Japan since the Nara period. During the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, the local Matsuura clan held the rights to trade with Korea and with Song-dynasty China. During the Sengoku and early Edo periods, Hirado's role as a center of foreign trade increased, especially vis-à-vis Ming-dynasty China and the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC). The Portuguese arrived in 1550; and the English and Dutch initially reached Japan at the beginning of the 17th century.

The first step in the profitable Dutch-Japanese trading relationship was the Shogun's grant of a trading pass (handelspas) in 1609.