1st Edition

Japan and the Dutch 1600-1853

By Grant K. Goodman Copyright 2000
    304 Pages
    by Routledge

    304 Pages
    by Routledge

    This is the history of Dutch influence on Japan during the so-called 'closed centuries' between 1640 and 1853. Dutch maritime traders provided the only commercial link which Japan maintained with the west, and were thus the sole channel for western ideas and knowledge to reach neo-Confucian society. Professor Goodman explains the circumstances of the Dutch themselves in Japan during the seventeenth century, and the historical and intellectual milieu within which 'Dutch studies' were nurtured. He traces the initial interest of the Shogun government in European astronomy and medicine, and the gradual development of interest in wider spheres of western knowledge and culture.

    Preface I Introduction II The Dutch at Hirado III The island of Deshima IV Visits to Edo V The Nagasaki interpreters and early medical and astronomical studies VI Arai Hakuseki and intellectual developments in Genroku and Shotoku VII Tokugawa Yoshimune and Western learning VIII Aoki Kon’yo and Noro Genjo IX The kohoka, Maeno Ryotaku and Sugita Gempaku X The advent of heliocentricity XI Otsuki Gentaku and the spread of Rangaku XII Western learning in various domains XIII Western learning in private schools XIV Rangaku and Tokugawa intellectual ferment XV Conclusion

    Biography

    Grant K. Goodman

    'Very interesting and informative. Goodman has provided an excellent resource for those who desire an in-depth study about the lengthy relationship between Japan and the Dutch.' - Pacific Affairs