Tekijyuku is a school of Dutch studies opened by Ogata Koan (1810-1863), a Dutch scholar, medical scientist and educator in the last days of the Edo Period. Materials and documents relating to Ogata and his students are on display inside the building, which is a carefully preserved typical merchant's house of the Period. In those days, a Dutch-Japanese dictionary was very valuable, and the one that's exhibited has curled-up pages and worn-out letters, which graphically convey the students'enthusiasm. Tekijyuku stands near the Tosaborigawa River in the history-rich Nakanoshima Area. NOTE: Tekijyuku, which is a National Historic Site and National Important Cultural Asset, is still active as an educational institution; it is Japan's only remaining school for studying Western science in Dutch.