Customer Reviews

Siebold and Japan. His Life and Work.

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Von Siebold was a polymath -- adventurer, ethnographer, physician, botanist, zoologist, businessman, family man, geographer, diplomat, writer, artist, calligrapher, linguist and lover, all rolled into one. As such he was well-suited for his historical role in the opening of Japan, and his sometimes tempestuous career provided a wealth of intriguing episodes. These are well-depicted by his biographer Arlette Kouwenhoven in this book, which she has liberally sprinkled with illustrations of some of the most revealing artifacts from the life of this fascinating figure.

Von Siebold was far ahead of his time in transcending white racism. He married a Japanese woman, and strove mightily for a peaceful opening of Japan that would respect that country's unique culture. It is no exaggeration to say that had his life work succeeded against the forces arrayed against him, particularly those of Anglo-american imperialism, world history would have been very different. Japan would never have succumbed to the incitements to make war on Russia, China and the USA, and would not now be a vassal of imperialism. Of course, von Siebold has been neglected by the dominant cultural bias of media and history, but a study of his life is well worthwhile to our age, and this volume is a most worthy introduction.