As a place to study western learning (蘭学, Rangaku), it was used to teach western medicine and astronomy mainly in the beginning; chemistry, physics, and western architectonics additionally in the later years, and took a large roll in the modernization of Japan.
ヨーロッパの学問（蘭学）を初期は主に西洋医学と天文学、後に化学、物理学、西洋建築学等を学ぶ場所として使われ、その後の日本の近代化に大きな役割を果たした。