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[[File:Siebold.JPG|right|thumb|250px|Bust of Siebold in Akatsuki Park in Tokyo]]
[[File:Siebold.JPG|right|thumb|250px|Bust of Siebold in Akatsuki Park in Tokyo]]
*''Born: [[1796]]''
*''Born: 17 Feb [[1796]]''
*''Died: [[1866]]''
*''Died: [[1866]]''
Philipp Franz von Siebold was the chief medical officer for the [[Dutch East India Company]] (VOC) on [[Dejima]] from [[1823]]-[[1829]], during which time he introduced much knowledge about the West into Japan, and vice versa.
Philipp Franz von Siebold was the chief medical officer for the [[Dutch East India Company]] (VOC) on [[Dejima]] from [[1823]]-[[1829]], during which time he introduced much knowledge about the West into Japan, and vice versa.
Siebold attended medical school in Würzburg, in Bavaria, and studied zoology, botany, and anthropology at that time.
During his time on Dejima, Siebold interacted closely with numerous Japanese translators and students, and engaged in much cultural and informational (scientific & medical) exchange. He brought more than 500 Japanese books back to Europe, and through various publications introduced Europeans to a variety of aspects of Japanese culture and knowledge, in many cases for the first time.
During his time on Dejima, Siebold interacted closely with numerous Japanese translators and students, and engaged in much cultural and informational (scientific & medical) exchange. He brought more than 500 Japanese books back to Europe, and through various publications introduced Europeans to a variety of aspects of Japanese culture and knowledge, in many cases for the first time.
Siebold continued to communicate with Dejima, and with his daughter, during his lengthy absence from Japan. He attempted to join [[Commodore Matthew Perry]] on his journey to Japan in [[1853]]-[[1854]], but was denied permission to do so, for fear that having been formally banned from the country, his presence might endanger the mission.<ref>Mitani, 97.</ref> Siebold was successful in returning to Japan, however, on [[1859]]/7/6, being invited along with his son Alexander to serve as a diplomatic advisor,<ref>Mitani, 285.</ref> and left again for the final time in [[1862]]/3. Alexander remained at the British Legation in Edo at least through [[1868]], where he worked as an interpreter.
Siebold continued to communicate with Dejima, and with his daughter, during his lengthy absence from Japan. He attempted to join [[Commodore Matthew Perry]] on his journey to Japan in [[1853]]-[[1854]], but was denied permission to do so, for fear that having been formally banned from the country, his presence might endanger the mission.<ref>Mitani, 97.</ref> Siebold was successful in returning to Japan, however, on [[1859]]/7/6, being invited along with his son Alexander to serve as a diplomatic advisor,<ref>Mitani, 285.</ref> and left again for the final time in [[1862]]/3. Alexander remained at the British Legation in Edo at least through [[1868]], where he worked as an interpreter.
After returning to the Netherlands, Siebold displayed portions of his collection of Japanese objects at his home at Rapenburg 19 in the city of Leiden, and invited members of the public to come in and see them. That house, today known as "SieboldHuis," has been transformed into a cultural center, described as "the first official Japan centre in the Netherlands."<ref>International Institute for Asian Studies, "Japan Museum SieboldHuis," ''The Newsletter'' 77 (Summer 2017).</ref>
==Writings==
==Writings==