You might be interested in some previous threads on Edo Period policy and Dutch traders in Japan:

• Why was the Dutch republic still allowed to trade with Japan during Sakoku, even though no foreigner was allowed to enter the country? - 1 comment, over 4 months old.

• The lone comment gives a summary of the situation as a competition between various trading powers which the Dutch won that had all other powers expelled.

• How was the VOC able to get a trade relationship with Japan where other trading nations and companies didn't get access to Japan in trading? - 4 comments, over 2 years old.

• The commenters in this thread summarize the Japanese perspective on the situation and why the country's rulers enacted such tight restrictions on foreign influence.

• How did the Netherlands come to and maintain their exceptional relations with Japan during the Japanese period of isolation in the 17th through 19th century? - 3 comments, over 3 months old.

• This thread goes into the Dutch experience in Japan and the heavy restrictions under which they traded with the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo Period.

• Why did the Tokugawa persecute the Christian population in Japan? - 16 comments, over 2 years old.

• The commenters here explore and debate the multifaceted nature of Japan's "isolation" during the Edo Period.

• What preserved Japan's isolation from China for so long? - 4 comments, over 6 months old.

• A commenter in this thread summarizes relations between China and Japan from ancient history to the end of the Edo Period with some discussion of trade.

EDIT: For more information, please check out the threads in the newly created "Sakoku aka Edo Period Japanese 'Isolation'" section of the FAQ.