plan for the next 20 years. Despite his hopes, he was forced to retire from the TAO in
1911. It was said that Director Terao at that time considered Ichinohe’s plan crazy
and unrealistic and said it was made without any consideration for costs.
Ichinohe was lonely at the TAO. No one was interested in astrophysics, which
was an unallied field for practical astronomers. Moreover, even if Mt. Niitaka
Observatory could be brought into existence, it would be almost impossible to
maintain and perform modern astrophysical observations. At long last, Ichinohe’s
plan was implemented more than a half century later in Japan.
Three months after Ichinohe returned home, in January 1908, the Astronomical
Society of Japan was founded. He was an outspoken proponent of the society. A
meeting of promoters was soon held, and the society was launched under its first
president, Terao Hisashi, director of the TAO, and editor in chief of the newly
created monthly journal Tenmon Geppo (Astronomical Herald) was Ichinohe, who
wrote many popular articles for amateur astronomers.
2.5.4 Later Life
His first effort after leaving the TAO was to publish a science journal Gendai no
Kagaku (
「現代乃科学」 , Modern Science) that aimed at high-level popularization
and the exchange of scientific information, like the British journal Nature and
American journal Science. The first volume was published in 1913. For this journal,
many academic scientists submitted papers and reports, including Terada Torahiko
(寺田寅彦), Honda Kotaro (本多光太郎), Kusakabe Shirota (日下部四郎太), and
Shnjo Shinzo (新城新蔵). The publication of this journal was beset with financial
difficulties, and it was made possible only through Ichinohe’s strenuous efforts. In
parallel with the publication of Gendai no Kagaku, Ichinohe also wrote several
popular books, among which Tsuki (The Moon, 1909) and Hoshi (The Stars, 1910)
were written in a unique style that mixed astrophysics with poetry (Nakayama 1989).
During this period, however, Ichinohe was in an advanced stage of tuberculosis,
and her died in November 1920, age 42. Ichinohe’s supervisor, Hirayama
Kiyotsugu, wrote in his memorial address:
“I recognized your iron will in everything. At the same time, I was hoping that your strong
will would work in such a way as to not injure your health and cause you to come into
conflict with others. However, both hopes were dashed. Your life as an astronomer was truly
short, like a comet” (Hirayama 1920).
His friend Shinjo Shinzo wrote:
“An unruly horse sank down without having the chance to give full scope to its genius”
(Nakayama 1989).
2.5 Ichinohe Naozo and the Plan for a New Observatory
41
1911. It was said that Director Terao at that time considered Ichinohe’s plan crazy
and unrealistic and said it was made without any consideration for costs.
Ichinohe was lonely at the TAO. No one was interested in astrophysics, which
was an unallied field for practical astronomers. Moreover, even if Mt. Niitaka
Observatory could be brought into existence, it would be almost impossible to
maintain and perform modern astrophysical observations. At long last, Ichinohe’s
plan was implemented more than a half century later in Japan.
Three months after Ichinohe returned home, in January 1908, the Astronomical
Society of Japan was founded. He was an outspoken proponent of the society. A
meeting of promoters was soon held, and the society was launched under its first
president, Terao Hisashi, director of the TAO, and editor in chief of the newly
created monthly journal Tenmon Geppo (Astronomical Herald) was Ichinohe, who
wrote many popular articles for amateur astronomers.
2.5.4 Later Life
His first effort after leaving the TAO was to publish a science journal Gendai no
Kagaku (
「現代乃科学」 , Modern Science) that aimed at high-level popularization
and the exchange of scientific information, like the British journal Nature and
American journal Science. The first volume was published in 1913. For this journal,
many academic scientists submitted papers and reports, including Terada Torahiko
(寺田寅彦), Honda Kotaro (本多光太郎), Kusakabe Shirota (日下部四郎太), and
Shnjo Shinzo (新城新蔵). The publication of this journal was beset with financial
difficulties, and it was made possible only through Ichinohe’s strenuous efforts. In
parallel with the publication of Gendai no Kagaku, Ichinohe also wrote several
popular books, among which Tsuki (The Moon, 1909) and Hoshi (The Stars, 1910)
were written in a unique style that mixed astrophysics with poetry (Nakayama 1989).
During this period, however, Ichinohe was in an advanced stage of tuberculosis,
and her died in November 1920, age 42. Ichinohe’s supervisor, Hirayama
Kiyotsugu, wrote in his memorial address:
“I recognized your iron will in everything. At the same time, I was hoping that your strong
will would work in such a way as to not injure your health and cause you to come into
conflict with others. However, both hopes were dashed. Your life as an astronomer was truly
short, like a comet” (Hirayama 1920).
His friend Shinjo Shinzo wrote:
“An unruly horse sank down without having the chance to give full scope to its genius”
(Nakayama 1989).
2.5 Ichinohe Naozo and the Plan for a New Observatory
41