Decipherment of the Letters(1821-1831) Concerning Phillipp Franz von Siebold

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The purpose of this research was to interpret and organize the documentary materials of the German doctor, Philipp Franz von Siebold, and translate them into Japanese. These materials consisted mainly of the remaining personal letters. Siebold visited Japan in 1823, and introduced modern sciences into Japan. In addition, he pioneered scientific research on Japan in the West.Among the documents concerning Siebold, housed by the Von Brandensteins (Siebold's descendants residing in Germany), are the letters addressed to Siebold and drafts of letters written by Siebold during the period of 1822-1823. These letters were pulled out, reprinted, and translated into Japanese during the three years of our research period.Siebold's letters during the period of 1822-1831 were also data-based. Combining those data, the necessary materials to determine the circle of his associate and his letters published up to now were investigated. New information found in this research are as follows :First, it was confirmed that when he was appointed as military doctor in India (present-day Indonesia), Dutch colony, and departed from the Netherlands to Batavia, he was destined not for Japan but for Batavia for his investigation.Second, Joseph Lotz, his uncle, objected to Siebold's going to India. Instead, Lotz recommended Siebold to succeed at the medical profession that was traditionally practiced in the Siebold family, and to be an instructor (Privat Dozent) in Wurzburg University in his hometown.In conclusion, Siebold's research trip to the East was solely based on his personal motive and was not with the consent of his familyIn the future, I would like to continue to decipher his personal letters and to investigate the circle of his associates, his motives for his trip to Japan and the intention of the Dutch government.