Komo Zatsuwa (Miscellany on the red-hairs) is a five-volume book published in 1787 during a surge of interest in rangaku (lit. Dutch learning) in Edo Japan. Although the Dutch had been trading with Japan since the early 17th century, trade was strictly regulated, and most Western books were forbidden. The ban was relaxed in 1720, leading to an influx of Dutch books, some of which were translated into Japanese.Aimed at the general reader, the book discusses topics related to Dutch culture and the broader world, such as Dutch history, trade routes, and scientific topics like electricity and machines. Illustrations in a hybrid European-Japanese style depict insects and seeds seen through a microscope, exotic animals, and Dutch dress. The book demonstrates the depth and diversity of exchange between the Japanese and Dutch in the early modern period, and the types of foreign knowledge that fascinated Japanese scholars.
