Here stands the \u65e5\u6642\u8a08 a silent guardian of time’s passage. Let’s step back into a world where timekeeping was an art. The story of time measurement in Japan stretches back millennia. Ancient Egyptians used obelisks around 5000 B.C. as sundials.
In Japan, Emperor Tenchi is said to have created a water clock called Ro-koku around 671. This marked a pivotal moment in Japanese timekeeping history.
Mechanical clocks arrived in Japan with Christianity around the end of the Muromachi period. Spanish missionary Francis Xavier gifted a chiming clock to Daimyo Yoshitaka Ouchi in 1551. While that clock is lost, the oldest remaining clock resides in Kunouzan Toshogu Shrine.
Missionaries established vocational schools that taught clock production techniques. Japanese blacksmiths began crafting clocks under their guidance. Sukezaemon Tsuda from Nagoya repaired a clock for Ieyasu Tokugawa. He then used it to create a new clock.
The shogunate government banned Christianity which slowed the flow of new technology. Clock makers increased across Japan making clocks for the shogunate family. Nagasaki, Kyoto, and Osaka became clock production sites.
Europeans used mechanical clocks to mark fixed hours but Japan used a temporal hour system. The temporal system divided day and night into six equal parts. The length of these parts changed with the seasons.
Japanese clock makers focused on originality instead of precision. This led to unique Japanese traditional clocks. Various types of Japanese traditional clocks emerged. These included lantern clocks, pillar clocks and table clocks.
Early lantern clocks featured a single-foliot balance. The dial rotated daily while the indicator stayed fixed. Clock makers adjusted the position of a small weight twice daily to synchronize with the seasons. Later lantern clocks had a double-foliot balance.
The double-foliot balances switched automatically at sunrise and sunset. This only required adjustments 24 times a year. Single-foliot carriage clocks also appeared with fine engravings.
“Inro” pocket watches resembled pillboxes. They featured a sundial and compass in the lid. The Pendulum Clock of the Automatic Display showed the seasonal hour. It automatically adjusted to the changing lengths of day and night.
Pillar clocks used a hoisted weight that fell at a constant speed. Paper weight clocks also served as paperweights. Japanese pillar clocks featured a plumb bob as a time indicator.
Japanese traditional clocks used two primary mechanisms. The first changed the machine’s speed as needed. The second set a fixed speed and adjusted the time using a dial. The Seiko Museum Ginza houses a collection of Japanese traditional clocks. These clocks highlight the creativity required to express the temporal hour system. The museum showcases valuable Japanese traditional clocks.
The horological industry in Japan began in the mid-16th century. Christian missionaries taught the Japanese how to make clocks. During the Edo Era, Japan employed a temporal hour system. Wadokei clocks unique to Japan were produced. The adoption of the solar calendar in 1872 led to the end of wadokei. Western clock production technology was actively introduced.
Nagoya became the center of wall-clock production. Osaka Tokei Manufacturing Company began making pocket watches in 1894. The Japanese horological industry aimed to become the “Swiss watchmaker of the East”. The Korean War triggered the recovery of Japan’s horological industry.
Japan’s horological industry shifted to electronic technologies in the 1960s. The world’s first analog quartz watch was commercialized in Japan in 1969. The evolution of timekeeping in Japan is a fascinating journey. The \u65e5\u6642\u8a08 stands as a reminder of this rich history. It embodies ingenuity and adaptation in the face of changing times.