Engelbert Kaempfer
Furthermore, Michel brought to light the biographical background and historical influence of numerous personalities involved in early modern exchange between Japan and the West. Especially his writings on Caspar Schamberger, father of the first Japanese school of Western-style surgery, and Engelbert Kaempfer, author of the famous “History of Japan”, are regarded as pioneering contributions. Michel’s critical edition of Kaempfer’s unpublished manuscripts provided a more solid foundation for studies on the history of Western observations on Edo-period Japan and the perception of Japan during the Age of Enlightenment. In acknowledgement of his research Michel was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit by the German president Johannes Rau.