Some are critical to this book, however, arguing that it neglects contributions of Dutch interpreters in Nagasaki to Dutch studies, and that it did not accurately describe scholars of Dutch studies such as Aoki and Noro who were predecessors of Genpaku.
一方で、蘭学への長崎通詞の寄与を軽視しており、青木・野呂ら、杉田玄白以前の蘭学について正確ではないとの批判がある。