Rangaku (Kyūjitai: 蘭學/Shinjitai: 蘭学, literally “Dutch Learning”, and by extension “Western learning”) is a body of knowledge developed by Japan through its contacts with the Dutch enclave of Dejima, which allowed Japan to keep abreast of Western technology and medicine in the period when the country was closed to foreigners, 1641–1853, because of the Tokugawa shogunate’s policy of national isolation (sakoku).

Through Rangaku, Japan learned many aspects of the scientific and technological revolution occurring in Europe at that time, helping the country build up the beginnings of a theoretical and technological scientific base, which helps to explain Japan’s success in its radical and speedy modernization following the opening of the country to foreign trade in 1854.

The Dutch traders at Dejima in Nagasaki were the only European foreigners tolerated in Japan from 1639 till 1853 (the Dutch had a trading post in Hirado from 1609 till 1641 before they had to move to Dejima), and their movements were carefully watched and strictly controlled, being limited initially to one yearly trip to give their homage to the Shogun in Edo. They became instrumental, however, in transmitting to Japan some knowledge of the industrial and scientific revolution that was occurring in Europe: The Japanese purchased and translated numerous scientific books from the Dutch, obtained from them Western curiosities and manufactures (such as clocks), and received demonstrations of various Western innovations, such as the demonstrations of electric phenomena, and the flight of a hot air balloon in the early 19th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch were the most economically wealthy and scientifically advanced of all European nations, which put them in a privileged position to transfer Western knowledge to Japan.^{[citation needed]}

John T. Van Sant (November 2, 1915 – October 1972) is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, serving from 1955 to 1970. He also served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Frans Molenaar (born 1940, Amsterdam) is a Dutch fashion designer.

He studied to become a tailor in Amsterdam from 1955–1958. After his studies he did an internship with Charles Montaigne in Paris from 1959–1960 and worked for Gerard Pipart at Nina Ricci also in Paris from 1961–1964.

In 1967 he started his own business "Frans Molenaar Couture" and he worked as an haute couture designer since.

He initiated the fashion award Frans Molenaar prijs in 1995.