This month's 'welcome photograph' shows the IJsselmeer as seen from a dike near the picturesque village of Hindeloopen in the Dutch province of Friesland. The dramatic cloud formation is typical of Dutch skies.

This shot was one of many taken during our tour around the coastal areas and historical towns of the Netherlands in late July. But while many of the places were photogenic, it was the thoughts they generated about the Dutch way of life and its historical context that dominated the experience. They are summarized – with many photographs – in this month's Habri Diary. The 'Dutch way' will be explored in depth next month in the first of an occasional series of essays unrelated to Japan.

One of the towns visited was Hellevoetsluis on the way to the province of Zeeland. Japan's first modern warship, the Kanrin Maru, commissioned by the Shogunate rulers from the Netherlands and built near Rotterdam, sailed to Japan from here in 1857. In a special report Hiromi describes our visit to the town and the story of this famous ship.