@Edeyrn Hello! First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to reply again. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how best to answer you. Part of it is the language barrier, but also because modding is still quite difficult for me (especially when it comes to creating Wonder mods! :( ).

In any case, to respond to your comment: the effect I gave to Dejima — “when connected by a trade route, the city owner gains +2 Gold and the trade route owner gains +1 Gold” — is identical to the Colossus in Civilization V. Since I can’t use Lua (I actually tried it in a previous mod I uploaded, but it didn’t work out…), I can’t implement more complex coding.

That said, maybe it’s my English that’s lacking, but I honestly don’t quite understand why you mentioned “first Dejima built creates it.” Since Dejima is a World Wonder, only one can exist in the entire game. Were you perhaps referring to the extra trade route slot when you said that?

I see; thank you for engaging with my critique. I'm still unsure if I entirely agree; however, you make a strong case for the setup you chose. Does the extra trade route stack (i.e., an extra trade route for each Dejima built), or is it one-off (i.e., first Dejima built creates it, but not subsequent ones)? From a game-balance perspective, the former (each Dejima adds +1 route) would seem overpowered.

@Edeyrn I hope this clarifies my perspective. My English is not very strong, so I rely on translation tools and I am not sure how well I can convey all of this. But I truly appreciate your feedback and the thought you put into engaging with my work.

This is why, in my mod, Dejima provides Culture, Gold, and Science, while trade routes connected to the city yield +2 Gold for the city’s owner and +1 Gold for the trader. These mechanics reflect the movement of Portuguese, Dutch, and even Chinese ships. If I were to remove the trade route effect entirely, it would be hard to represent this element of exchange. To me, that would be like saying that the Porcelain Tower, because it is a Buddhist structure, should only provide Faith and not Science—which would diminish its intended meaning. Similarly, I feel that if Dejima were reduced to simply providing Culture from the sea, it would not adequately capture the complexity of Dutch studies and international exchange. For that reason, I do not think I can change the effect as you suggested.

For me, the emphasis was on Japan’s contact with the West. As mentioned above, Edo Japan interacted with Korea via Tsushima, Ryukyu via Satsuma, the Ainu via Matsumae, and with the Dutch and Chinese (a term that also included Southeast Asians, then called Tōjin in Japan) via Nagasaki (Matsukata, F. (2023). Dutch Reports: The “World” Told to “Sakoku” Japan. (I. Saebom, Trans.). Binseojae. (Original work published 2010), p.29). Through Dejima, Japan not only conducted trade but also received knowledge and information from Europe.

Thus, the more accurate critique would not be that Dejima represented an “additional trade route,” but rather that it was not properly restricted to trade with a single designated country. From its inception, Dejima was not about closing Japan off from trade, but about ensuring controlled trade with certain partners only. Unfortunately, because I do not use Lua scripting, I could not implement this mechanic of “exclusive trade route with a specific nation.”

That being said, I also think your perspective has merit. Unlike me, you focused on the uniqueness of a port under Japan’s so-called “sakoku” system (although strictly speaking, Edo Japan pursued controlled openness rather than absolute seclusion, trading with Korea and Ryukyu diplomatically, and with China and the Netherlands commercially). In that sense, while our viewpoints differ, I think what we hoped to capture through Dejima is ultimately similar.

It is true that after 1715 the number of Dutch ships was restricted to just two per year. But this was due to economic and resource-related factors—such as the depreciation of the koban following the 1695 Genroku recoinage, the exhaustion of Japanese silver mines in the late 17th century, and the policy proposals of Arai Hakuseki, which led to the Kaibaku Goshi Shinrei (New Regulations for Overseas Trade) restricting exports (Kim, U. (2017). The Controversy over the Fate of the Dutch East India Company's Nagasaki Trading Post in the Early 18th Century. Seoul National University, Master’s Thesis, p.12). In other words, this strict limitation was not in place from the very beginning but was introduced later as part of a shift toward economic self-sufficiency (Shigefuji, T. (1969). Trade restriction policy of Dutch, China trade and the smugglings from the Dutch, China mercantile marine ships. Kenkyū Nenpō, (10), 67–84, p.73).

2. The second point concerns your statement “and only 2 per year for most of the bakufu.” You suggested that only two Dutch ships were permitted each year throughout the Edo period, but again, this was only true after 1715. For example, the Nagasaki chronicle records that in 1658 as many as 43 Dutch ships arrived, and between 1641 and 1857 a total of 606 Dutch ships entered Dejima (Izumi, R. et al. (2016). Nagasaki that opened the door to Asian and European exchange. Tama University Inter-seminar Project Report, p.74). Clearly, the numbers were not always so small.

Later, however, since the Dutch refrained from missionary activities—and especially because they had assisted the shogunate in suppressing the Shimabara-Amakusa Rebellion in 1637—the Tokugawa regime permitted the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to import Chinese raw silk and eventually granted them an exclusive right to trade with Japan (Shin, D. (2010). A Study on Salvage Policies and “4 Diplomatic Windows” in Japan’s Edo Era. Dongbuga Yeoksa Nonchong, (28), 91–130, p.119). From this point onward, Dejima came to be associated with the Dutch. But it is not accurate to say that it was always exclusively Dutch from its foundation.

In fact, until 1641—when the Dutch factory was relocated from Hirado to Dejima—it was the Portuguese who stayed at Dejima, albeit for a brief period (Matsutake, H. (1988). Portugāru shisetsudan Nagasaki jūnan jiken (1). Keiei to keizai, 68(3), 59–99, p.88).

As I explained in my mod’s Civilopedia entry, Dejima was originally constructed not for the Dutch but for the Portuguese. In the early 17th century, the Tokugawa shogunate feared that the spread of Christianity—which came together with Catholic missionary activity, trade, and even territorial ambitions—might lead to a situation where Christian daimyō, much like the Ikko sect in earlier times, would refuse to pay tribute to their lords and instead form autonomous enclaves (Yasumaru, Y. (2002). The Formation of the Emperor System State and Religious Transformation (I. Lee, Trans.). Sohwa. (Original work published 1979 as 神々の明治維新), p.41). For this reason, the shogunate needed to restrict missionary activity and limit contact with European merchants. Thus, Dejima was built as a place to confine the Portuguese, to prevent missionary work while still controlling their trade.

@Edeyrn Hello. First of all, thank you very much for taking an interest in my mod. However, I would like to begin by responding to a few points in your comment, Edeyrn, which I believe contain some inaccuracies.

1. To start with, you mentioned: “Only Dutch ships could dock there, and only 2 per year for most of the bakufu.” But what you wrote applies only after 1715, not to the earlier period.

An intriguing concept; however, there are a couple of issues.

1) Dejima restricted trade, rather than adding it - the extra trade route seems inappropriate. (Only Dutch ships could dock there, and only 2 per year for most of the bakufu.)

2) Based on this, perhaps it could add +2 culture / +3 gold / +3 Science like you've written it up, and have some other bonus if necessary (perhaps "Sea resources generate culture in this city"?)?

I love the uncharted Waters Online photo, very demure