Changes

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.

Not only a physician, but also a botanist, Siebold took a particular interest in ''[[bonsai]]'', and along with [[Isaac Titsingh]] contributed to early European knowledge of the subject. He built a greenhouse on Dejima, where he raised hydrangeas, hostas, and other Japanese plants, adapting them to European soil and conditions; Siebold also smuggled [[tea]] plants out of Japan, introducing them to the [[Dutch East Indies]].

Not only a physician, but also a botanist, Siebold took a particular interest in ''[[bonsai]]'', and along with [[Isaac Titsingh]] contributed to early European knowledge of the subject. He built a greenhouse on Dejima, where he raised hydrangeas, hostas, and other Japanese plants, adapting them to European soil and conditions; Siebold also smuggled [[tea]] plants out of Japan, introducing them to the [[Dutch East Indies]]. In exchange for copies of the journals of [[Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern]], revealing the extent to which the Russians had surveyed the coasts of [[Honshu|Honshû]], [[Ezo]], the [[Kuril Islands]], and [[Sakhalin]], [[Takahashi Kageyasu]] gave Siebold copies of a series of maps produced by [[Ino Takataka|Inô Tadataka]], along with some other documents.<ref>Mitani Hiroshi, David Noble (trans.), ''Escape from Impasse'', International House of Japan (2006), 35.</ref>

Suspecting Siebold of political or even military motives in copying maps from the shogunate archives, shogunal authorities raided Siebold's home several times in [[1828]], imprisoned many of his Japanese friends and students, and confiscated numerous objects they suspected he was planning on smuggling out of the country. Siebold managed, however, to hide many of his notebooks, maps, and other documents and items in a lead-lined chest, which escaped the authorities. Siebold was, for a time, forbidden from leaving the country, and then, on [[1829]]/9/25, he was sentenced to be banished from Japan. He departed the following week, on 1829/10/3, on board the ''Cornelius Houtman'', leaving behind a two-year old daughter, [[Oine]], who would later go on to become the first female physician in Japan. Little is known about Oine's mother, [[Kusumoto Otaki]], who may have been a [[courtesan]] of the [[Maruyama district]], or who may have simply posed as one in order to gain access to Dejima.

Suspecting Siebold of political or even military motives in possessing those maps, however, which were seen as tantamount to state secrets, the shogunal authorities raided Siebold's home several times in [[1828]], imprisoned many of his Japanese friends and students, and confiscated numerous objects they suspected he was planning on smuggling out of the country. Siebold managed, however, to hide many of his notebooks, maps, and other documents and items in a lead-lined chest, which escaped the authorities. Siebold was, for a time, forbidden from leaving the country, and then, on [[1829]]/9/25, he was sentenced to be banished from Japan. He departed the following week, on 1829/10/3, on board the ''Cornelius Houtman'', leaving behind a two-year old daughter, [[Oine]], who would later go on to become the first female physician in Japan. Little is known about Oine's mother, [[Kusumoto Otaki]], who may have been a [[courtesan]] of the [[Maruyama district]], or who may have simply posed as one in order to gain access to Dejima.

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 Hiroshi, David Noble (trans.), ''Escape from Impasse'', International House of Japan (2006), 97.</ref> Siebold was successful in returning to Japan, however, on [[1859]]/7/6, and left again for the final time in [[1862]]/3.

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 Hiroshi, David Noble (trans.), ''Escape from Impasse'', International House of Japan (2006), 97.</ref> Siebold was successful in returning to Japan, however, on [[1859]]/7/6, and left again for the final time in [[1862]]/3.