De rol van Japanners bij het ontstaan van Nippon 1832–1858, de beschrijving van Japan door Philipp Franz von Siebold 1796–1866

The role of the Japanese in the creation of Nippon 1832–1858, the description of Japan by Philipp Franz von Siebold 1796–1866 In the 19th century Japan was still a relatively mysterious land for many Europeans, even after more than a century of trade relations with the Dutch. Once in a while efforts were made to expand the European knowledge of Japan and European scholars tried to explore the country despite the limitations the Japanese put on them. In current research little attention has been paid to the role the Japanese played in collecting information for the advance of European knowledge of Japan. This article discusses the role of the Japanese in the groundwork for Nippon 1832–1858, the description of Japan by Philipp Franz von Siebold 1796–1866. It attempts to answer the question of what this cooperation looked like, which areas of knowledge it affected and what the consequences of the cooperation were for both sides.