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April 18 2009 De Eerste Steen Legging, a Dutch ceremony to commemorate the laying of the first stone was held on April 18. The Dutch consul-general and the mayor of Hirado layed the first stone, signalling the start of the recontruction process. |
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May 20 2009 The first three layers of sandstone have been layed and the skirting board has been put in place. From here, 70 more layers of sandstone will have to be layed. |
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June 2 2009 The layers of sandstone blocks are put in place, bit by bit. A so called `crab-crane` is used to lift the blocks, each weighing about 60 kgs. |
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July 3 2009 The construction site is now completely surrounded by scaffolding and is even covered by a roof. |
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July 3 2009 Inside, the first main pillars are put in place. The square pillars made from solid cedar wood are a hefty 46 cm thick. |
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September 19 2009 The Dutch Trading Post was founded on September 20, 1609. One day before the official 400th anniversary a name inscription ceremony was held. Contributors to the project were invited to write their names on one of the sandstone blocks. |
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November 2009 The pillars on the second floor are being put in place. |
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January 2010 The third floor is complete and the roof construction is being built. |
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February 9 2010 The roof construction is almost finished. It is thought to have been made using Japanese construction practices. |
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April 2 2010 The tiles are being layed. Although it is a western style building, the roof is Japanese, which is a specific feature of this warehouse. |
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July 26 2010 The scaffolding sheets and the first parts of the scaffolding have been taken away. The 1639 warehouse finally shows itself to the world for the very first time! This is the view from across the harbour.. |
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August 5 2010 The trading post has completely shed its scaffolding revealing the stunning looks at the end of the day. |