The history of clocks technology transfer in Japan
Yasuyuki SHIRAI
Associate Prof.
Department of Precision Engineering, Chiba Institute of Technology
Abstract:
In the propagation of the Christianity, mechanical clock was brought for the first time as the tribute in Japan. This fact seems to be a start of the mechanical clock of Japan in the history. In the first time, by imitating the clock, which had come from Europe, it was made. In the Edo period's national isolation policy, clocks made in Japan changed from replica of the Western style clock to peculiar the Japanese clock. They are that it not uses the time keeping of the Western method (Equinoctial Hour) and adopted the time keeping of Japanese method (Temporal Hour). Modern technology was mainly introduced from opening diplomatic relations of Days of the Tokugawa shogunate over the beginning in the Meiji era. Japan reformed calendar in the solar calendar, and the Equinoctial Hour was adopted. By the increase in the import of the clock from European and American countries, the Japanese clock became rapidly obsolete. Then, the manufacturing technology of the clock which began in the copy of the Western clock in the Meiji era initial stage fixed to Japan by ingenuity and contrivance. In this paper, the progress of the clock production in Japan is described.
Key Words: Japanese Clock, Western Clock, Equinoctial Hour, Temporal Hour
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