week 4: Maker

Last week, I introduced that Shooting an arrow doll is made by Hisashige Tanaka. Today I’ll tell you about Hisashige Tanaka.

September18 in 1799, he was born in Kurume (now Fukuoka). He is an inventor called “Asian Edison” or “Karakuri-Giemon”, and he is a founder of Toshiba company.

His father is a tortoise shell worker(べっこう細工師), so in his childhood he acquired the basement of creation before he is aware. When he was 9 years old, he made the box that anybody couldn’t open. He had a fun to make his friends be in difficult. His mischief that surprises surrounding people grew up as an energy that opens his future.

In those days Karakuri doll catched the people’s attention and it admired people without distinction of age or sex. He was also a part of them. In the last day of the Tokugawa shogunate the blueprints that called “Karakuri-zui” were published,so Hisashige was more absorbed into creation.

In his 14, he decided to be an inventor and he was to be called out by Den Inoue. She was a mother of Kurume cloth with splashed parttern and interested in his ability so she asked him to design a never before pattern. He responded her demand and to weave up into fabric the design. He contributed the development and succession of the culture of Kurume.

Hisashige in its 20s performed a pilgrimage in Osaka, Kyoto, Edo as a Karakuri performer. "Karakuri doll" using various power including the air pressure, waterpower and gravity is his speciality. He attracted the attention of a destination and give people fun with Carrying tea dolls, Shooting an arrow dolls, Writing kanji dolls and so on.

In 1834, Hisashige moved to Fushimi, Osaka (present-day Fushimi-cho, Chuo Ward, Osaka City) where he constructed various devices such as a portable candle stand and an automatic-refueling lamp (that used compressed air to replenish oils), for which he won a nickname, “Karakuri Giemon” and also popularity among people. It was so felt thankful because merchants said “it is for the keeping accounts in the night” and it was used in midnight medixal care. So his name thundered in the world with his policy “be useful and make new creature.”

In 1851, he made a Myriad year clock which is now designated as an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government. With the development of the Sonnou joui movement, the atmosphere in Kyoto became increasingly dangerous towards foreign influences and technology, and Hisashige was invited by Sano Tsunetami to the Saga in Kyushu, where he was welcomed by Nabeshima Naomasa.

While in Saga, Hisashige designed and built Japan’s first domestically made steam locomotive and steam warship. He was also involved in the construction of a reverberatory furnace and Armstrong guns in Saga.

 In 1873, 6 years after the Meiji Restoration, Hisashige, by then aged 74 and still energetic, was invited by Kubusho (the Ministry of Industries) to come to Tokyo to make telegraphs at the ministry's small factory which later evolved into his first company Tanaka Engineering Works, the first manufacturer of telegraph equipment in Japan. Today this company is known as Toshiba. (528words)