After returning to Kyoto, he began delivering lectures on astrophysics. In 1907,
he was promoted to professor of physics in the Department of Physics, College of
Science, Kyoto Imperial University. While he continued with his measurements of
gravity in many parts of the Japanese islands, he began to develop his own theoretical model on the evolution of the Universe.
In 1921, under the leadership of Shinjo, a new Department of Astronomy was
established. The Ministry of Education initially opposed the establishment of a new
Department on astronomy, since the ministry thought that one astronomy department
in Tokyo was enough in Japan. To persuade the ministry, a new idea was needed.
Shinjo asserted the importance of astrophysics as a new science that would develop
in a way that was different from classical astronomy. Thus was established the
Department of Astrophysics with two chairs. As the first chair, Shinjo taught
astrophysics and the history of oriental astronomy, and Yamamoto Issei (山本一
清, Chap. 4), an associate professor, taught observational astronomy. In the next
year, the second chair was created, in which Ueta Joe (上田穣), who had been
invited from the International Latitude Observatory, Mizusawa, taught positional
astronomy.
The idea of building a new astronomical observatory was pushed by Shinjo. In
1925, he established the Kyoto University Observatory equipped with a Sartorius
18-cm refractor in a corner of the university campus. In those days, the city of Kyoto
launched a plan to consolidate the street and transportation system of the city. On just
the west side of the observatory, a new boulevard was constructed, and city trams
started to run. The observational environment deteriorated considerably. The issue of
moving the observatory to a better site became an urgent one. Under Shinjo’s efforts,
a new observatory was constructed in 1929 at the summit of Mt. Kwasan equipped
with a Cooke 30-cm refractor and Sartorius 18-cm refractor as the main telescopes; it
was named the Kwasan Observatory, and its first director was Yamamoto Issei.
In 1929, Shinjo was elected eighth president of Kyoto Imperial University for a
four-year term. During his tenure, Japan became increasingly militaristic, A History
of 100 Years of Kyoto University, published in 1998, describes these years as an age
of national distress. Japan broke out war against China and occupied some of its
territory. Shinjo, in cooperation with former presidents, fought for academic freedom
and autonomy at the university. After his term as president, he was appointed
Director of the Shanghai Institute of Science, which had been newly established in
Shanghai. The most important issue he was assigned to address was the preservation
of scientific data and documents in China and preventing their destruction in the war.
However, he died suddenly in 1938 at a hospital in Shanghai during his tenure at the
age of 65.
In a memorial addresses by his supporters, Araki Toshima (荒木俊馬) wrote that
“Shinjo devoted his life to science with genuine devotion to the truth,” and Noda
Churyo (能田忠亮) wrote that “Shinjo was a man of deep and tender affection and
was kind to all his friends. He was also an indulgent parent to his children at his
home.”
32
2 Astronomy from Meiji to Taisho Period 1868–1926
he was promoted to professor of physics in the Department of Physics, College of
Science, Kyoto Imperial University. While he continued with his measurements of
gravity in many parts of the Japanese islands, he began to develop his own theoretical model on the evolution of the Universe.
In 1921, under the leadership of Shinjo, a new Department of Astronomy was
established. The Ministry of Education initially opposed the establishment of a new
Department on astronomy, since the ministry thought that one astronomy department
in Tokyo was enough in Japan. To persuade the ministry, a new idea was needed.
Shinjo asserted the importance of astrophysics as a new science that would develop
in a way that was different from classical astronomy. Thus was established the
Department of Astrophysics with two chairs. As the first chair, Shinjo taught
astrophysics and the history of oriental astronomy, and Yamamoto Issei (山本一
清, Chap. 4), an associate professor, taught observational astronomy. In the next
year, the second chair was created, in which Ueta Joe (上田穣), who had been
invited from the International Latitude Observatory, Mizusawa, taught positional
astronomy.
The idea of building a new astronomical observatory was pushed by Shinjo. In
1925, he established the Kyoto University Observatory equipped with a Sartorius
18-cm refractor in a corner of the university campus. In those days, the city of Kyoto
launched a plan to consolidate the street and transportation system of the city. On just
the west side of the observatory, a new boulevard was constructed, and city trams
started to run. The observational environment deteriorated considerably. The issue of
moving the observatory to a better site became an urgent one. Under Shinjo’s efforts,
a new observatory was constructed in 1929 at the summit of Mt. Kwasan equipped
with a Cooke 30-cm refractor and Sartorius 18-cm refractor as the main telescopes; it
was named the Kwasan Observatory, and its first director was Yamamoto Issei.
In 1929, Shinjo was elected eighth president of Kyoto Imperial University for a
four-year term. During his tenure, Japan became increasingly militaristic, A History
of 100 Years of Kyoto University, published in 1998, describes these years as an age
of national distress. Japan broke out war against China and occupied some of its
territory. Shinjo, in cooperation with former presidents, fought for academic freedom
and autonomy at the university. After his term as president, he was appointed
Director of the Shanghai Institute of Science, which had been newly established in
Shanghai. The most important issue he was assigned to address was the preservation
of scientific data and documents in China and preventing their destruction in the war.
However, he died suddenly in 1938 at a hospital in Shanghai during his tenure at the
age of 65.
In a memorial addresses by his supporters, Araki Toshima (荒木俊馬) wrote that
“Shinjo devoted his life to science with genuine devotion to the truth,” and Noda
Churyo (能田忠亮) wrote that “Shinjo was a man of deep and tender affection and
was kind to all his friends. He was also an indulgent parent to his children at his
home.”
32
2 Astronomy from Meiji to Taisho Period 1868–1926