Nagasaki Prefecture

Nagasaki Prefecture (長崎県 Nagasaki-ken^?) is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu.^[1]

The capital is the city of Nagasaki.^[2]
 
Nagasaki borders Saga Prefecture on the east, and is otherwise surrounded by water, including Ariake Bay, the Tsushima Straits, and the East China Sea. It also includes a large number of islands such as Tsushima and Iki.

Most of the prefecture is near the coast and there are a number of ports such as Nagasaki and a United States Navy base at Sasebo.

Nagasaki is the most Christianized area in Japan with Roman Catholic missions having been established there as early as the 16th century. During the 16th century, Catholic missionaries and traders from Portugal arrived and became active in Hirado and Nagasaki, which became a major center for foreign trade.

Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki.^[4] Facing China and Korea, the region around Hirado was a traditional center for both traders and pirates.

Hirado (平戸市 Hirado-shi^?) is a city in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.