Although his theory was not advanced thereafter, his study was the first step in
astrophysics in Kyoto.
2.4.3 History of Oriental Astronomy
Shinjo also contributed to the study of the history of oriental (mostly Chinese)
astronomy. Shinjo’s work began when a question was posed in around 1905 by
Kano Naoki (狩野直喜 or Kano Kunzan 狩野君山), professor of literature and a
friend of Shinjo, on the astronomical chronology of ancient China. Shinjo had been
reading Chinese classics from his youth, so he could jump into this study immediately. His method was to find the position of the main constellations from classic
literature at specified times and on certain days, such as the evening of the solstice or
day of the equinox each year. The position of constellations slowly advances due to
the precession of the Earth. With this knowledge, Shinjo could estimate the chronology of some dynasties in ancient China. Shinjo also studied the history of
calendar making. In China, the lunisolar calendar had already been adopted in
early Zhou (周初, 〜1040 B.C.) and was gradually improved. An improvement
was made especially with the adoption of the leap month, where an additional month
is inserted once every 2 or 3 years to reconcile the seasons with the calendar. As for
the origin of leap-month system, Iijma Tadao (飯島忠雄, Gakushuin University in
Tokyo) asserted its Greek origin, since the Metonic cycle was discovered by Meton
of Athens in 432 B.C. This cycle indicates that the length of 19 solar years
corresponds to 235 synodic months. This suggests that seven leap months should
be inserted in the calendar every 19 years (Iijima 1939). In contrast, Shinjo insisted
on the leap month’s Chinese origins, based on the examinations of classical references on the lengths of the solar year and synodic months from the early Zhou to Han
Dynasty and showed the gradual adoption of a leap-month system independently of
Meton’s cycle (Shinjo 1938). While the debate lasted a long time, Yabuuchi Kiyoshi
finally settled the problem in favor of Shinjo’s view (Yabuuchi 1992).
Shinjo’s works were collected in the History of Astronomy in East Asia (東洋天
文学史) (Shinjo 1938) and were followed up on by his students Noda Churyo,
Yabuuchi Kiyoshi, and others (Chap. 4).
2.5 Ichinohe Naozo and the Plan for a New Observatory
2.5.1 Early Life (Nakayama 1989)
Ichinohe Naozo (一戸直蔵, 1878–1920iwas a pioneer in astrophysics in Tokyo. He
was born in Nishi-Tsugaru (西津軽) in Aomori Prefecture, the second son of
Ichinohe Tomosaku (一戸友作), a farmer. In the Meiji era, Nishi-Tsugaru was a
remote village, located near the coast of the Japan Sea. His father Tomosaku was an
36
2 Astronomy from Meiji to Taisho Period 1868–1926
astrophysics in Kyoto.
2.4.3 History of Oriental Astronomy
Shinjo also contributed to the study of the history of oriental (mostly Chinese)
astronomy. Shinjo’s work began when a question was posed in around 1905 by
Kano Naoki (狩野直喜 or Kano Kunzan 狩野君山), professor of literature and a
friend of Shinjo, on the astronomical chronology of ancient China. Shinjo had been
reading Chinese classics from his youth, so he could jump into this study immediately. His method was to find the position of the main constellations from classic
literature at specified times and on certain days, such as the evening of the solstice or
day of the equinox each year. The position of constellations slowly advances due to
the precession of the Earth. With this knowledge, Shinjo could estimate the chronology of some dynasties in ancient China. Shinjo also studied the history of
calendar making. In China, the lunisolar calendar had already been adopted in
early Zhou (周初, 〜1040 B.C.) and was gradually improved. An improvement
was made especially with the adoption of the leap month, where an additional month
is inserted once every 2 or 3 years to reconcile the seasons with the calendar. As for
the origin of leap-month system, Iijma Tadao (飯島忠雄, Gakushuin University in
Tokyo) asserted its Greek origin, since the Metonic cycle was discovered by Meton
of Athens in 432 B.C. This cycle indicates that the length of 19 solar years
corresponds to 235 synodic months. This suggests that seven leap months should
be inserted in the calendar every 19 years (Iijima 1939). In contrast, Shinjo insisted
on the leap month’s Chinese origins, based on the examinations of classical references on the lengths of the solar year and synodic months from the early Zhou to Han
Dynasty and showed the gradual adoption of a leap-month system independently of
Meton’s cycle (Shinjo 1938). While the debate lasted a long time, Yabuuchi Kiyoshi
finally settled the problem in favor of Shinjo’s view (Yabuuchi 1992).
Shinjo’s works were collected in the History of Astronomy in East Asia (東洋天
文学史) (Shinjo 1938) and were followed up on by his students Noda Churyo,
Yabuuchi Kiyoshi, and others (Chap. 4).
2.5 Ichinohe Naozo and the Plan for a New Observatory
2.5.1 Early Life (Nakayama 1989)
Ichinohe Naozo (一戸直蔵, 1878–1920iwas a pioneer in astrophysics in Tokyo. He
was born in Nishi-Tsugaru (西津軽) in Aomori Prefecture, the second son of
Ichinohe Tomosaku (一戸友作), a farmer. In the Meiji era, Nishi-Tsugaru was a
remote village, located near the coast of the Japan Sea. His father Tomosaku was an
36
2 Astronomy from Meiji to Taisho Period 1868–1926