4.2.4 Postwar Activities
In 1941, Araki was appointed professor of astrophysics at Kyoto Imperial University. In 1945, World War II ended with the defeat of Japan, and Araki was purged
from Kyoto University due to his nationalism in public opinions during the war.
Following his resignation, he moved to the village of Kamiyakuno (上夜久野村) in
northern Kyoto Prefecture, together with his disciples, Kiyonaga Kaichi (清永嘉一)
and Takagi Kimisaburo (高木公三郎), and they devoted their days chiefly to writing
books. In this period, they published General Treatise of Astronomy (天文学総論,
seven volumes), Encyclopedia of Modern Astronomy (現代天文学事典), A Lecture
on Astronomical Chronology (天文年代学講話), and others.
In 1954, after the purge at the university had ended, Araki returned to Kyoto as a
professor of liberal arts at Ōtani University (Buddhist training university). After
retirement from this university in 1964, Araki established Kyoto Sangyo University
with two faculties of Economy and Science, and he was appointed president and
general manager of this university. Three additional faculties, Industrial Administration, Law, and Foreign Languages, were added in 1969. The university had grown
to the stature of a major private university in Kyoto.
Even in the busy work of the president, Araki took up lecturing in mathematics in
the Faculty of Science. After several days of lecturing, he suffered a sudden heart
attack and died in July 1978 at age 81. Sangyo University issued three publications
by him: Complete Set of Araki Toshima’s Papers, Chuzan’s Travel Pictures, and
Chuzan’s Anthology in 1979 (Sangyo University 1979).
4.3 Takeda Shin’ichiro
Takeda Shin’ichiro (竹田新一郎, 1901–1939) was also a successor to Shinjo in
theoretical astrophysics (Araki 1940, Kabumoto 1998).
Takeda was born in Tokyo, the eldest son of Takeda Sanshichi (竹田三七), a
descendant of a samurai in the Wakayama clan. Shin’ichiro moved to Kyoto at a
young age and was educated there. He entered the Department of Astronomy, Kyoto
Imperial University, in 1923 and studied astrophysics under Shinjo. Upon graduation, he was appointed lecturer in 1927 and then promoted to associate professor of
astrophysics in 1929.
Takeda’s first work was the physical nature of comets in 1927, and he then moved
to stellar structures and closed binaries in the 1930s. In 1936 he organized an
expedition to observe a solar eclipse in Hokkaido. This expedition was hard on
him. Also, his health was fragile from birth. It might have caused a chronic disease.
Takeda died prematurely in 1939 at age 38. A manuscript of a popular book, From
Planet to Stars, was found among his research papers. Araki and Noda published this
book with reminiscences on him (Takeda 1940) (Fig. 4.14).
94
4 Astronomy in Early Showa. II. Kyoto 1926–1945
In 1941, Araki was appointed professor of astrophysics at Kyoto Imperial University. In 1945, World War II ended with the defeat of Japan, and Araki was purged
from Kyoto University due to his nationalism in public opinions during the war.
Following his resignation, he moved to the village of Kamiyakuno (上夜久野村) in
northern Kyoto Prefecture, together with his disciples, Kiyonaga Kaichi (清永嘉一)
and Takagi Kimisaburo (高木公三郎), and they devoted their days chiefly to writing
books. In this period, they published General Treatise of Astronomy (天文学総論,
seven volumes), Encyclopedia of Modern Astronomy (現代天文学事典), A Lecture
on Astronomical Chronology (天文年代学講話), and others.
In 1954, after the purge at the university had ended, Araki returned to Kyoto as a
professor of liberal arts at Ōtani University (Buddhist training university). After
retirement from this university in 1964, Araki established Kyoto Sangyo University
with two faculties of Economy and Science, and he was appointed president and
general manager of this university. Three additional faculties, Industrial Administration, Law, and Foreign Languages, were added in 1969. The university had grown
to the stature of a major private university in Kyoto.
Even in the busy work of the president, Araki took up lecturing in mathematics in
the Faculty of Science. After several days of lecturing, he suffered a sudden heart
attack and died in July 1978 at age 81. Sangyo University issued three publications
by him: Complete Set of Araki Toshima’s Papers, Chuzan’s Travel Pictures, and
Chuzan’s Anthology in 1979 (Sangyo University 1979).
4.3 Takeda Shin’ichiro
Takeda Shin’ichiro (竹田新一郎, 1901–1939) was also a successor to Shinjo in
theoretical astrophysics (Araki 1940, Kabumoto 1998).
Takeda was born in Tokyo, the eldest son of Takeda Sanshichi (竹田三七), a
descendant of a samurai in the Wakayama clan. Shin’ichiro moved to Kyoto at a
young age and was educated there. He entered the Department of Astronomy, Kyoto
Imperial University, in 1923 and studied astrophysics under Shinjo. Upon graduation, he was appointed lecturer in 1927 and then promoted to associate professor of
astrophysics in 1929.
Takeda’s first work was the physical nature of comets in 1927, and he then moved
to stellar structures and closed binaries in the 1930s. In 1936 he organized an
expedition to observe a solar eclipse in Hokkaido. This expedition was hard on
him. Also, his health was fragile from birth. It might have caused a chronic disease.
Takeda died prematurely in 1939 at age 38. A manuscript of a popular book, From
Planet to Stars, was found among his research papers. Araki and Noda published this
book with reminiscences on him (Takeda 1940) (Fig. 4.14).
94
4 Astronomy in Early Showa. II. Kyoto 1926–1945