About Katsuragawa Hoshū
Lived 1751 – 1809 (aged 57–58). Katsuragawa Hoshū was a Japanese linguist, physician, translator and rangaku scholar.
was a Japanese physician and scholar of rangaku (Western studies). He served the Tokugawa shogunate as a physician and as a translator of Dutch. He was the older brother of author and rangaku scholar Morishima Chūryō.
As the eldest son of the Katsuragawa family, Dutch-style physicians to the shōgun, Hoshū was appointed to that position in 1777. He began teaching at the shogunal School of Medicine in 1794. In addition to collaborating with Sugita Genpaku on Kaitai Shinsho, the first Japanese translation of a Western treatise on anatomy, he was the author of Hokusa Bunryaku, one of the earliest Japanese accounts of Russia.
He learned surgery with Nakagawa Jun'an from Carl Peter Thunberg when he was in Nagasaki. By the recommendation of Thunberg, Kirill Laxman wrote a letter to him. However, the letter was taken by Tokugawa shogunate and never returned. (See. Kirill Laxman#Letters to Japanese scholars)
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Important facts
People in Katsuragawa Hoshū's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Katsuragawa Hoshū's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Katsuragawa Hoshū?
Japanese physician
When was Katsuragawa Hoshū born?
Katsuragawa Hoshū was born in 1751 in Edo.
When did Katsuragawa Hoshū die?
Katsuragawa Hoshū died on 2 August 1809 in Edo.
What was Katsuragawa Hoshū's occupation?
Katsuragawa Hoshū was a linguist, physician, translator and rangaku scholar.
What nationality was Katsuragawa Hoshū?
Katsuragawa Hoshū was Japanese.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Katsuragawa Hoshū
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Katsuragawa Hoshū. https://biography.guide/katsuragawa-hoshu/
MLA: "Katsuragawa Hoshū." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/katsuragawa-hoshu/.
Chicago: "Katsuragawa Hoshū." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/katsuragawa-hoshu/.
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