The Beginnings of Dutch Studies

Sugita Genpaku's memoirs. Two volumes. In April 1815 (Bunka 12), Sugita Genpaku, then 83 years old, began writing from the beginning of Japan-Holland relations, compiling his memories of the founding of Dutch studies and the development of Dutch studies. He is particularly famous for his account of the struggles he faced together with his comrades Maeno Ryotaku and Nakagawa Junan, from translating the Dutch anatomical book "Tabulae Anatomicae" to publishing "Kaitai Shinsho." Genpaku showed the handwritten draft to Otsuki Gentaku, asking him to make corrections. Gentaku added what he had heard from Genpaku and his own observations, and after consulting Genpaku, he refined and completed the work, and it is said that he presented it to Genpaku under the title "The Beginning of Dutch Studies" because it describes "the origin that Holland had already been sent to the East", but it is also said that he changed the title to "The Beginning of Dutch Studies" because it was easier to remember. During the Edo period, it was handed down in manuscript form under the titles "The Beginning of Dutch Studies" and "The Beginning of Oranda Kotohajime". Based on an old manuscript found by Kanda Kohei around 1867 (Keio 3), Fukuzawa Yukichi, in consultation with Sugita Renkei, changed the title from "The Beginning of Dutch Studies" to "The Beginning of Dutch Studies" when he published it as a woodblock print in 1869 (Meiji 2). Since then, the name "The Beginning of Dutch Studies" has become widely known, and it has become even more popular since it was included in the Iwanami Bunko collection.

[Kazuo Katagiri]

"The Beginnings of Dutch Studies, edited by Ogata Tomio (Iwanami Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

杉田玄白の回想録。上下二巻。1815年（文化12）4月、当時83歳の杉田玄白が、日蘭交渉の発端から筆をおこし、蘭学創始をめぐる思い出と蘭学発達の跡をまとめたもの。なかでも、同志前野良沢(りょうたく)、中川淳庵(じゅんあん)らとともにオランダの解剖書『ターヘル・アナトミア』の翻訳から、『解体新書』出版にかけての苦心談は有名である。玄白は自筆草稿を大槻玄沢(おおつきげんたく)に示し、訂正を依頼した。玄沢は玄白より伝聞したところと自らの見聞をも加え、玄白に聞きただしながら整備、完成して、「蘭已(すで)に東せしとやいふべき起源」を記してあるところから『蘭東事始』と題して玄白に進呈したというが、覚えやすいということから「蘭学事始」の題名にかえたともいう。江戸時代には『蘭東事始』『和蘭事始』の書名で写本のまま伝わった。1867年（慶応3）のころ神田孝平がみつけた古写本をもとに、杉田廉卿(れんけい)とも協議して、福沢諭吉が、1869年（明治2）、木版本として刊行するに際し、『和蘭事始』を『蘭学事始』の書名に改めた。以来『蘭学事始』の名が一般に知られるようになり、岩波文庫に収められるようになっていっそう普及した。

［片桐一男］

『緒方富雄校訂『蘭学事始』（岩波文庫）』

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