Background
He was born in Wurzburg, Germany, on the 17th of February 1796.
( Manners and Customs of the Japanese in the Nineteenth C...)
Manners and Customs of the Japanese in the Nineteenth Century is a delightful account of the Japanese of Tokugawa Japan. This unique handbook of Japanese manners, customs, history, and singular happenings was published in New York in 1841. Based on the firsthand observations of Dr. Philipp Franz von Siebold of the Dutch trading port Deshima in the years 182329, as well as on Spanish, Portuguese, German, and English records of early Japan, it provided us with a very rare picture of what Japan was like in the final years of its feudal period. Dr. von Siebold, the chief contributor, was attached to the Deshima post as a medial adviser and traveled within Japan, befriending and teaching many Japanese who were later to distinguish themselves in Western scientific knowledge. An indiscretion in accepting a map of Japan brought about his banishment by the Edo government and forced return to his native Germany. No collection of books on Japan is complete without a copy of Manners and Customs of the Japanese. It is here reprinted in its entirety from the original edition. Long submerged and virtually forgotten after a century of neglect, it is now made available for a new generation of readers.
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(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
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(This historic book may have numerous typos and missing te...)
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1859 Excerpt: ...so little known, and long supposed to be a peninsula, has been as it were torn off from the continent of Asia by their researches, and they have opened to us the interior of a terra incognita. Compare the best European map of Krafto that exists, the Carte de la Presquile deSaghalin, 1827, composed by von Krusenstern from the observations of Vries, Laperouse, Broughton and his own important discoveries, with our map "die insel Krafto und die Miindung des Manko (Amur) nuch Originalkarten von Mogami Toknai und Mamia Rinzo" t and the 78 VBIES COMES TO ANCHOIi OK THE 16th JULY. longest island in the world lies open before our eyes; an island that, by our means, according to art. 2 of the treaty concluded between Russia and Japan, is declared neutral, and thus from this moment not only open to the commerce of the whole world, but also rendered capable for colonisation by means of a new population. In the supposition that the land was closed to the W. and no passage was possible, Vries had continued his course N., at a distance of 4 miles from the shore, which he named Poort Landt. He guessed himself at lat. 4630'N., at a depth of 23 fathoms stiff clay. He now steered N. E., and so continuing with shoaling depth up to 16 fathoms stiff clay, he came to anchor. On the 16th July "in the morning it was misty weather, but clearing a little up, we found ourselves in a large bay. The boat was sent off to examine the anchorage somewhat nearer in shore, when 10 fathoms stiff clay was found within 7s mile of the shore. At "Art. 2. The boundaries between Russia and Japan are in future between Ilurup and Urup. The whole island of Iiurup (Staalenland) belongs to Japan, the island of Urup (Cumpagnieland) with the N. Kurils to Russia, while the island of Kraf...
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He was born in Wurzburg, Germany, on the 17th of February 1796.
He studied medicine and natural science at Wurzburg, and obtained his doctor's diploma in 1820.
In 1822 he entered the service of the king of the Netherlands as medical officer to the East Indian Army. On his arrival at Batavia he was attached to a new mission to Japan, sent by the Dutch with a view to improve their trading relations with that country. Siebold was well equipped with scientific apparatus, and he remained in Japan for six years, with headquarters at the Dutch settlement on the little island of Deshima. His medical qualifications enabled him to find favour with the Japanese, and he gathered a vast amount of information concerning a country then very little known, especially concerning its natural history and ethnography. He had comparatively free access to the interior, and his reputation spreading far and wide brought him visitors from all parts of the country. His valuable stores of information were enriched by trained natives whom he sent to collect for him in the interior. In 1824 he published De historiae naturalis in Japonia statu and in 1832 his splendid Fauna Japonica. His knowledge of the language enabled him also in 1826 to issue from Batavia his Epitome linguae Japonicae. In Deshima he also laid the foundation of his Catalogus librorum Japonicorum and Isagoge in bibliothecam Japonicam, published after his return to Europe, as was his Bibliotheca Japonica, which, with the co-operation of J. Hoffmann, appeared at Leiden in 1833. During the visit which he was permitted to make to Yedo (Tokio), Siebold made the best of the rare opportunity; his zeal, indeed, outran his discretion, since, for obtaining a native map of the country, he was thrown into prison and compelled to quit Japan on the 1st of January 1830. On his return to Holland he was raised to the rank of major, and in 1842 to that of colonel. After his arrival. in Europe he began to give to the world the fruits of his researches and observations in Japan. His Nippon; Archiv zur Beschreibung von Japan and dessen Nebenand Schutz-Ldndern was issued in five quarto volumes of text, with six folio volumes of atlas and. engravings. He also issued many fragmentary papers on various aspects of Japan. In 1854 he published at Leiden Urkundliche Darstellung der Bestrebungen Niederlands and Russlands zur Erdfnung Japans. In 1859 Siebold undertook a second journey to Japan, and was invited by the emperor to his court. In 1861 he obtained permission from the Dutch government to enter the Japanese service as negotiator between Japan and the powers of Europe, and in the same year his eldest son was made interpreter to the English embassy at Yedo. Siebold was, however, soon obliged by various intrigues to retire from his post, and ultimately from Japan. Returning by Java to Europe in 1862, he set up his ethnographical collections, which were ultimately secured by the government of Bavaria and removed to Munich. He continued to publish papers on various Japanese subjects, and received honours from many of the learned societies of Europe. He died in Munich on the 18th of October 1866.
( Manners and Customs of the Japanese in the Nineteenth C...)
(This historic book may have numerous typos and missing te...)
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
In 1815 he became a member of the Corps Moenania Würzburg.
The Batavian Academy of Arts and Sciences elected Siebold as a member.
During his stay in Japan, Siebold "lived together" with Kusumoto Taki (楠本滝), who gave birth to their daughter Kusumoto (O-)Ine in 1827. Siebold used to call his wife "Otakusa" (probably derived from O-Taki-san) and named a Hydrangea after her. Kusumoto Ine eventually became the first Japanese woman known to have received a physician's training and became a highly regarded practicing physician and court physician to the Empress in 1882. She died at court in 1903.
In 1845 Siebold married Helene von Gagern (1820–1877), they had three sons and two daughters.