Heinrich von Siebold

Heinrich Philipp von Siebold (21 July 1852 – 11 August 1908) was a German antiquary, collector and translator in the service of the Austrian Embassy in Tokyo.

Heinrich was the second son of the famous German physician and pioneer of Japanese studies Philipp Franz von Siebold, who died in 1866.

In 1869, just 17, without finishing his Abitur (high-school degree) or any higher education, he arrived in Japan, a year after the political and cultural opening up of the country in the Meiji Era.

Heinrich married Hana Iwamoto(1851-1936) in Japan and had a son, Otto(1877-1902), and a daughter, Len(1879-1965).Len had four children from two marriages, and her descendants continue.

Siebold served many of the European state visitors to whom he attended as a purchasing advisor, including the heir to the Austrian throne Franz Ferdinand when the latter visited Japan in 1893 during his world voyage.