ABSTRACT
At the beginning of the previous chapter it was stated that Western science in Japan followed two main lines of development: medical-botanical and astronomical-calendrical. Since the latter had a deep relationship with agricultural production and with transportation, it became one of the primary concerns of the Dutch scholars. 1 Reference has already been made to the encouragement given to this field by the practical-minded Yoshimune. However, the study of European astronomy came into direct conflict with the views of both Confucianism and Buddhism, and therefore was extremely controversial.
