Among the influences that have helped to shape my own creed and inspire my own life, have been the beautiful lives and noble characters of Japanese officers, students and common people who were around and before me.

Though freely confessing obligation to books, writings, and artistic and scholastic influences, I hasten first to thank the people of Japan, whether servants, superior officers, neighbors or friends.

He who seeks to learn what religion is from books only, will learn but half.
Gladly thanking those, who, directly or indirectly, have helped me with light from the written or printed page, I must first of all gratefully express my especial obligations to those native scholars who have read to me, read for me, or read with me their native literature.
The first foreign students of Japanese religions were the Dutch, and the German physicians who lived with them, at Deshima.

Kaempfer makes frequent references, with test and picture, in his Beschryving van Japan.

Von Siebold, who was an indefatigable collector rather than a critical student, in Vol.