by the Dutch Indian government at Batavia, with an interruption during the English occupation of Java, during which the English (Stamford Raffles) unsuccessfully tried to capture Dejima. After the creation of the Kingdom of The Netherlands (1815) the trade with Japan came under the administration of the Minister of the Colonies by way of the Governor General in Batavia. The directors of the trade (Opperhoofd) became colonial civil servants. From 1855 the director of the trade with Japan, J.H. Donker Curtius, became 'Dutch Commissioner in Japan' with orders to conclude a treaty with Japan. He succeeded in 1855 to conclude a convention, changed into a treaty in January 1856. In 1857 he concluded a commercial paragraph in addition to the treaty of 1856, thus concluding the first western treaty of friendship and commerce with Japan. His successor, J.K. de Wit was Dutch Consul General in Japan, though still a colonial civil servant. In 1862 the Dutch representation in Japan was transferred to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. This change was effected in Japan in 1863, Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek becoming Consul General and Political Agent in Japan. List of chief traders at Hirado Hirado is a small island just off the western shore of the Japanese island of Kyūshū. In the early 17th century, Hirado was a major center of foreign trade and included British, Chinese, and other trading stations along with the Dutch one, maintained and operated by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) after 1609. The serial leaders of this VOC trading enclave or factory at Hirado were: Jacques Specx, 20 September 1609 – 28 August 1612 Hendrick Brouwer, 28 August 1612 – 6 August 1614 Jacques Specx, 6 August 1614 – 29 October 1621 Leonardt Camps, 29 October 1621 – 21 November 1623 Cornelis van Nijenrode, 21 November 1623 – 1631 Pieter Stamper, 1631 Cornelis van Nijenrode, 1631 – 31 January 1633 Pieter van Sante, 31 January 1633 – 6 September 1633 Nicolaes Couckebacker, 6 September 1633 – 1635 Maerten Wesselingh (or Hendrick Hagenaer), 1635–1637 Nicolaes Couckebacker, 1637 – 3 February 1639 François Caron, 3 February 1639 – 13 February 1641 List of chief traders at Dejima was a fan-shaped artificial island in the bay of Nagasaki. This island was a Dutch trading post during Japan's period of maritime restrictions (海禁, kaikin, 1641–1853) during the Edo period. The serial leaders of this VOC trading enclave or