In the footsteps of: Philipp Franz von Siebold
Siebold, a physician, botanist and traveller, was born into a family of physicians in Germany. In 1822, he joined the Dutch East Indies army and was posted to Dejima, a Dutch trading post in Japan. Siebold’s curiosity extended far beyond medicine and he became fascinated by Japanese flora and fauna. He amassed an impressive collection of specimens and built a small botanical garden behind his home which contained over 1,000 Japanese plants. Siebold engaged in scientific and cultural exchange with Japanese scientists, treated Japanese patients and is credited with the introduction of vaccination and pathological anatomy in Japan.