these years, his interest turned from physics to chemistry. In 1861, he published a
book, The New Chemistry (化学新書), a translation of J. A. Stickhardt’s book
Introduction to Chemistry (1846). It contained the properties of more than 50 chemical elements and numerous examples of experiments involving chemical reactions.
In 1874, already in the Meiji era, a new book, Kagaku Tokuhon (化学読本,
Guidebook for Chemistry), was published; it included a new part on organic chemistry written by Tsuboi Shinryo (坪井信良). These old and new books made
Komin’s name famous, and he came to be called the father of chemistry in Japan.
He died in 1871 at age 70 in Tokyo.
Later on, Bansho Shirabe Dokoro was renamed Kaisei Gakko (Kaisei School, 開
成学校) and served as the base of the Imperial University in Tokyo in the Meiji era
(Chap. 2).
References
Aochi, R. (1827). General view on air and water (青地林宗: “気海観瀾”) (Meizan-Kaku, Edo, 名
山閣, 江戸).
Araki, T. (1940). General history of the Japanese Calendar, Koseisha (荒木俊馬、日本暦学史概
説、恒星社).
Arisaka, T. (1982). Studies of Western learning IV, 181–204, On the Yamagata Banto’s cosmology
(日本洋学史の研究IV, 有坂隆道: 山片蟠桃の大宇宙論について) Sogensha (創元社).
Gordon, A. (2003). A modern history of Japan – From Tokugawa times to the present. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Hirose, H. (1964). The European influence on Japanese astronomy. Monumenta Nipponica, 19,
295–314.
Hirose, H. (1971a). Modern scientific thought, Vol. II, pp. 465–470, Kobayashi Kentei and NigiRyakusetsu, Iwanami Shoten (近世科学思想 下, 広瀬秀雄: 小林謙貞と二儀略説、岩波書
店).
Hirose, H. (1971b) Nihon Shiso Taikei, Vol. 63, Modern scientific thought, Vol. II, pp. 10–107,
Kobayashi Kentei, Nigi-Ryakusetsu, Iwanami Shoten (“日本思想大系 63, 近世科学思想 下”,
広瀬秀雄現代語訳: 小林謙貞、 二儀略説、岩波書店).
Hockey, T. et al. (Eds.). (2007). Biographical Encyclopedia, Vol, 3, 1533, Mukai Gensho; Vol.
4, 2003, Shizuki Tadao, Springer.
Kawamoto, K. (1851–1856). Extended general view on air and water, Seishu Do, Edo (川本幸民,
気海観瀾廣義, 静修堂, 江戸).
Kita, Y. (2008). Kawamoto Komin, a Dutch scholar (北 康利: “蘭学者 川本幸民”), PHP Kenkyu
Sho (PHP 研究所), Tokyo.
Matsuo, R. (2007). Dutch learning in Nagasaki – Shizuki Tadao and his age (松尾龍之介: 長崎蘭
学の巨人― 志筑忠雄とその時代), Gen Shobo (弦書房), Fukuoka.
Nakamura, T. (2012). Astronomy in Edo – Shibukawa Harumi and Astronomy in the Edo period
(中村士: 江戸の天文学).
Nakayama, S. (1969). Chapter 3: The period of recognition of western supremacy: From the mid
eighteenth century to the late nineteenth century. In A history of Japanese astronomy – Chinese
background and Western impact (pp. 163–224). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Nakayama, S. (1971). Nihon Shiso Taikei, Vol. 63, pp. 497–511, The tradition of Chinese
astronomical calendar and Shibukawa Harumi, Iwanami Shoten (中山茂: 中国系天文暦学
の伝統と渋川春海, 日本思想大系 63、、岩波書店).
12
1 Astronomy in the Tokugawa Period, 1603–1868
book, The New Chemistry (化学新書), a translation of J. A. Stickhardt’s book
Introduction to Chemistry (1846). It contained the properties of more than 50 chemical elements and numerous examples of experiments involving chemical reactions.
In 1874, already in the Meiji era, a new book, Kagaku Tokuhon (化学読本,
Guidebook for Chemistry), was published; it included a new part on organic chemistry written by Tsuboi Shinryo (坪井信良). These old and new books made
Komin’s name famous, and he came to be called the father of chemistry in Japan.
He died in 1871 at age 70 in Tokyo.
Later on, Bansho Shirabe Dokoro was renamed Kaisei Gakko (Kaisei School, 開
成学校) and served as the base of the Imperial University in Tokyo in the Meiji era
(Chap. 2).
References
Aochi, R. (1827). General view on air and water (青地林宗: “気海観瀾”) (Meizan-Kaku, Edo, 名
山閣, 江戸).
Araki, T. (1940). General history of the Japanese Calendar, Koseisha (荒木俊馬、日本暦学史概
説、恒星社).
Arisaka, T. (1982). Studies of Western learning IV, 181–204, On the Yamagata Banto’s cosmology
(日本洋学史の研究IV, 有坂隆道: 山片蟠桃の大宇宙論について) Sogensha (創元社).
Gordon, A. (2003). A modern history of Japan – From Tokugawa times to the present. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Hirose, H. (1964). The European influence on Japanese astronomy. Monumenta Nipponica, 19,
295–314.
Hirose, H. (1971a). Modern scientific thought, Vol. II, pp. 465–470, Kobayashi Kentei and NigiRyakusetsu, Iwanami Shoten (近世科学思想 下, 広瀬秀雄: 小林謙貞と二儀略説、岩波書
店).
Hirose, H. (1971b) Nihon Shiso Taikei, Vol. 63, Modern scientific thought, Vol. II, pp. 10–107,
Kobayashi Kentei, Nigi-Ryakusetsu, Iwanami Shoten (“日本思想大系 63, 近世科学思想 下”,
広瀬秀雄現代語訳: 小林謙貞、 二儀略説、岩波書店).
Hockey, T. et al. (Eds.). (2007). Biographical Encyclopedia, Vol, 3, 1533, Mukai Gensho; Vol.
4, 2003, Shizuki Tadao, Springer.
Kawamoto, K. (1851–1856). Extended general view on air and water, Seishu Do, Edo (川本幸民,
気海観瀾廣義, 静修堂, 江戸).
Kita, Y. (2008). Kawamoto Komin, a Dutch scholar (北 康利: “蘭学者 川本幸民”), PHP Kenkyu
Sho (PHP 研究所), Tokyo.
Matsuo, R. (2007). Dutch learning in Nagasaki – Shizuki Tadao and his age (松尾龍之介: 長崎蘭
学の巨人― 志筑忠雄とその時代), Gen Shobo (弦書房), Fukuoka.
Nakamura, T. (2012). Astronomy in Edo – Shibukawa Harumi and Astronomy in the Edo period
(中村士: 江戸の天文学).
Nakayama, S. (1969). Chapter 3: The period of recognition of western supremacy: From the mid
eighteenth century to the late nineteenth century. In A history of Japanese astronomy – Chinese
background and Western impact (pp. 163–224). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Nakayama, S. (1971). Nihon Shiso Taikei, Vol. 63, pp. 497–511, The tradition of Chinese
astronomical calendar and Shibukawa Harumi, Iwanami Shoten (中山茂: 中国系天文暦学
の伝統と渋川春海, 日本思想大系 63、、岩波書店).
12
1 Astronomy in the Tokugawa Period, 1603–1868