The court journey to the Shogun of Japan

From 1641 onwards, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) held exclusive trading rights with Japan. A staff of some twelve to fifteen men was based at Deshima, a small artificial island in Nagasaki harbour. The Dutch Chief or Opperhoofd was required to make an annual journey to the court of the shôgun in Edo (present-day Tokyo). He bore tribute and provided the shôgun with information on such topics as the progress of Western sciences and the state of the world. The Opperhoofd Jan Cock Blomhoff (1779-1853) made his first journey to Edo in 1818. In addition to the official diary he kept during this journey, Blomhoff also maintained correspondence with his wife in Holland. This hitherto unpublished material is a major source of knowledge on Tokugawa Japan. It offers details about Blomhoff¿s travels and contains numerous references to the objects he acquired. Many of these pieces are reproduced in the book, along with other documents such as maps.