Chikara @chikara@qoto.org

#art #ukiyo-e #pigment #chemistry #chemie #metallurgy #metallurgie

LEAD-BASED PIGMENT IN ART OF JAPAN

The use of lead-based paint in traditional Japanese art and decoration is called "mitsuda-e" (密陀絵). -- see JAANUS (Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System), "Mitsuda-e" http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/m/mitsudae.htm

Litharge or massicot are common names for the yellow lead oxide pigment used in artists' paint. This is also known as Mitsuda-sō (密陀僧) in Japan. -- see "Traditional yellow pigments in Japan." https://printsofjapan.wordpress.com/category/dyes/page/2/; and see JAANUS, "Mitsudasou" http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/m/mitsudasou.htm

"A heavy yellow powder composed of lead monoxide. Litharge is prepared as the oxidized product of molten lead that has been stirred or atomized to incorporate air then cooled and ground to form the yellow powder. Massicot, another crystalline form of lead monoxide, occurs naturally but can also be made by heating lead carbonate to 300C. Litharge is lightly more orange than massicot due to some formation of red lead oxide .... They were used as a yellow pigments in paints and glazes." -- see CAMEO (Conservation and At Materials Online), "Litharge" http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Litharge; and see "Litharge lead oxide" https://www.nikitaindustries.com/litharge-lead-oxide-3841370.html

CURRENT RESEARCH: There is interest in finding alternative pigments which can be used in lieu of mitsudasou. This research is informed by concerns about environmental pollution and health safety issues. -- see Nakagawa, "Kyojo Iwa Enogu" http://nakagawa-gofun.co.jp/english/begin/kyojo.html

QUESTION: Did you know that lead oxide was used in traditional Japanese arts and crafts? Did you know that lead pigment can be yellow or orange -- not only white?
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?

#art #ukiyo-e #pigment #chemistry #chemie #metallurgy #metallurgie

HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY IN JAPAN -- A CASE STUDY?

A catch-all term for Japanese-style paintings made with traditional methods and materials is "nihonga" (日本画). -- see Wikipedia "Nihonga" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihonga   After 1860, the Tokugawa shogunate relaxed its very severe restrictions on Western imports, and "new" colors began to be used in nihonga

CASE STUDY.  In the late 19th century, the evolution of nihonga using Western analine dye colors becomes an illustrative example of a process.  The introduction of new colors in the popular culture artwork of Edo is a case study in the history of technology.

A more specific Japanese term for color woodblock prints is "nishiki-e" or "uklyo-e" --see wikipedia "Nishiki-e"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishiki-e; and see "Ukiyo-e"  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e   The introduction of synthethic dye colors in the late 19th century was an evolutionary change in the technology of Japanese print-making.

Spectroscopic studies of nishiki-e after 1860 show that most of the traditional pigments continued in use; and imported color is used, too. -- see image below, front & back of 1870 nishiki-e of a woman

SYNTHETIC COLOR PIGMENTS The introduction -- or acceptance -- of synthetic dyes was gradual and selective.

A. ROSANILINE PURPLE.  In 1864, the purple dye rosaniline became the first synthetic dye to be used in nishiki-e. -- see Cesaratto, A. et al. "A timeline for the introduction of synthetic dyestuffs in Japan during the late Edo and Meiji periods," Heritage Science 6, 22 (2018) doi:10.1186/s40494-018-0187-0 https://heritagesciencejournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40494-018-0187-0; and see Wikipedia "Fuchine" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuchsine

B. CARMINE RED.  In 1869, the use of safflower as the dominant red in nishiki-e was replaced by cochineal carmine. -- see Cesaratto, "A timeline"; and see Wikipedia "Carmine" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmine

C. EOSINE RED. In 1877, eosine became the first synthetic red dye in nishiki-e. -- see Cesaratto, "A timeline"; and see Wikipedia "Eosin" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eosin

D. NAPTHOL RED. After 1889, a succession of red naphthol dyes were used in nishiki-e. -- see Cesaratto, "A timeline"; and see Wikipedia "Napthol Red" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphthol_Red 

COLORS OF PROGRESS:   A term for the use of  "new" colors after 1860 was "kakushin no iro"  (革新の色) or "colors of progress." -- see  "Aniline Dyes in Meiji Nishiki-e
Toyohara Kunichika (John Fiorillo) https://www.viewingjapaneseprints.net/texts/topics_faq/anilinedyes.html; and see below, 1861 nishiki-e image of Americans by Utagawa Yoshikazu

QUESTION:  Does the story of these very specific dates and identifiable changes in the history of Japanese print-making provide an example of STEM-focused synergies?  Is this a case study in the history of technology? Is it possible that this little story could become a teaching tool?
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?

HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY IN JAPAN -- A CASE STUDY?

#art #ukiyo-e #pigment #chemistry #chemie #metallurgy #metallurgie

For more than a century, the Nakagawa company has manufactured artists paints in Kyoto Prefecture.  The company makes gofun (glue or adhesive) and pigments (iwa enogu and suihi enogu) for Nihonga (artwork created with traditional Japanese materials and methods). -- see Nakagawa, "Starting Nihonga"  http://nakagawa-gofun.co.jp/english/begin/index.html  

CASE STUDY.  The history of one small company is an illustrative example of a process,.  Nakagawa is a case study in the history of technology.

A. Nihonga art materials are traditionally hand-made. Paint is made in small quantities.
The quality of pigment powders varies.

B. Western machine manufacturing was adapted to increase the volume and of Nihonga pigments. This processing also made particle size standardization possible.

C. Scientific research and advances in technology made it possible to 

• replicate traditional crushed powder pigments, and to 

• increase the manufactured production output of Nihonga pigments, and to

• improve quality control for predictable standards of powder partical size in Nihonga pigments, and to

• mitigate worker safety problems associated with lead,  and to

• eliminate environmental pollution caused by the manufacturing process, and to

• discover potential new uses and new markets for Nihonga pigments. -- see Nakagawa, "Kyojo Iwa Enogu"  http://nakagawa-gofun.co.jp/english/begin/kyojo.html

LEAD-FREE PIGMENTS.  Nakagawa and the Kyoto Prefectural Technology Center for Small and Medium Enterprises invested 10 years of research in developing and patenting lead-free pigments for use in traditional Nihonga artwork.  Issues of public health and environmental pollution caused a demand for lead-free paints.  -- see Nakagawa, "Developing New Iwa Enogu" http://nakagawa-gofun.co.jp/english/begin/development.html

NAKAGAWA GOGUN ENOGU.  The Kyoto-based Nakagawa company was one of many small businesses which started up in the old Imperial capitol during the Meiji era after the Japanese emperor moved to Tokyo.

Purveyors (small business suppliers) which formerly focused exclusively on meeting the demands of the Imperial court were forced to diversify or die. A ripple effect spread through the supply chain which provided materials to these purveyors.

The emperor's unexpected decision to leave Kyoto converted the city's small business community into a kind of technology innovation incubator.  The Nakagawa company was one of many born in this context. -- see Nakagawa, "Company Profile" http://nakagawa-gofun.co.jp/english/company/index.html

KYOTO PREFECTURAL TECHNOLOGY CENTER.  The Kyoto Prefectural Technology Center for Small and Medium Enterprises (KPTC) is a public testing and research institution.  KPTC povides technical support including consultation, testing, equipment and human resource development. -- see KPTC, "Overview" https://www.kptc.jp/p_centernogaiyou/

At the same time KPTC was working with Nakagawa, there were other public-private partnerships focusing on seemingly unrelated composites. KPTC researchers studied and worked to resolve technology problems, thus creating a unique "incubator environment" for technology transfer and cooperation. -- see J. Lo, S. V. Hoa (2006), "Design, Manufacturing and Applications of Composites: Proceedings of the Sixth Joint Canada-Japan Workshop on Composites," p. 111. https://books.google.com/books?id=Eqj4cmEmDlkC&pg=PA111&lpg=PA111&dq=Kyoto+Prefectural+Technology+Center+for+Small+and+Medium+Enterprises+and+composite&source=bl&ots=9Oa5tX7hgH&sig=ACfU3U3XgoJy2p_3A4Dmq7gzDh8mg9JsNg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi8-8WU5qvmAhXxkOAKHXlKBXUQ6AEwAHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Kyoto%20Prefectural%20Technology%20Center%20for%20Small%20and%20Medium%20Enterprises%20and%20composite&f=false
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QUESTION:  Did the KPTC role in testing and equipment used in developing nanocomposite polymers have any unexpected (and perhaps unexamined) cross-over effect in the research about how to remove lead from Nihonga composite paints?
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QUESTION:  Does the story of this very small public-private partnership provide an example of STEM-focused synergy and practical success? Is it possible that this little story could become a teaching tool?
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?

#art #ukiyo-e #pigment #chemistry #chemie #metallurgy #metallurgie

Nihonga 日本画 are Japanese-style paintings made with traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques and materials. -- see Wikipedia "Nihonga" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihonga; see also JAANUS (Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System), "Nihonga" http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/n/nihonga.htm　

EDO PERIOD, 1600-1868. A thriving art market developed in Edo during the years that Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868).

In the Edo period, sellers of paints for artists were limited in what they could provide. The colors and composition of paints were mixtures of indigenous materials. The use of traditional pigments had developed over the course of centuries. -- see "A Nihonga Painter in Yanaka,," NHK World. March 19, 2019. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/tokyoeye2020/episode_20190306.html

• Iwa-enogu 岩絵具. Mineral pigment colors are produced by finely grinding natural minerals. Pigments can also be roasted to change their color. Nikawa glue is used as an adhesive. -- see JAANUS, "Iwa-enougu" http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/i/iwaenogu.htm

• Suihi-enogu: Soil or clay is finely ground to make hues of yellow or red in hue. Nikawa glue is used as an adhesive. -- see Yamatane Museum of Art, "What is Nihonga?"http://www.yamatane-museum.jp/english/nihonga/

• Gofun 胡粉. The color white is made from natural oyster shells. Nikawa glue is used as an adhesive. -- see JAANUS, "Gofun" http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/g/gofun.htm

• Senryō : Dyes or coloring materials derived from animal or plant matter are used. -- see Yamatane, "What is Nihonga?"http://www.yamatane-museum.jp/english/nihonga/

• Nikawa 膠. A gelatin glue or adhesive is made boiling and extracting protein from skins and bones of animals and fish, it has long been used as an adhesive. Since the pigments used in nihonga have no adhesive strength, the use of nikawa is needed to fix them to the surface of the painting. -- see JAANUS, "Nikawa" http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/n/nikawa.htm

MEIJI PERIOD, 1868-1912. The art market in metropolitan Tokyo continued to expand after it became the Imperial capitol. Sellers of artist paints could offer "new" colors which only became possible because of use of imported materials which had been embargoed for 200+ years.

SUMMARY: Traditional Japanese artist paints continue to be manufactured and sold today; and there is an international market for these Nihonga pigments.

QUESTION: There may not be much interest in this topic now, but I would guess that this may change over time -- what do you think?
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?

#art #ukiyo-e #pigment #chemistry #chemie #metallurgy #metallurgie

@design_RG The black-and-white cat in this 1850 ukiyo-e looks interesting -- a real trouble-maker.

UTAGAWA SCHOOL. Cats were a frequent subject for many Edo period artists, including those known collectively as the Utagawa school. -- see Google image search for "utagawa kunisada cat" https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&sxsrf=ACYBGNQbwBxtT_OyGr9ucjKlOPAkZJKxUw:1575944326696&q=utagawa+kunisada+cat&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj51ZyOgqrmAhWtTt8KHbnwDhIQ4216BAgKEDs&biw=1920&bih=920

Three popular artists were known by the same name, which makes it a bit confusing for us; but think about it -- this "branding" strategy would have been a good marketing tactic in the competitive art market in Edo in the early 19th century:

• Utagawa Kunisada (1786 - 1865) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunisada

• Utagawa Kunisada II (1823 - 1880) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utagawa_Kunisada_II

• Utagawa Kunisada III (1848-1920) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utagawa_Kunisada_III

According to the Wikipedia Commons page where I found our cat, the artist for this speicific print was Utagawa Kunisada -- but which one?

ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY. If you're interested, I found our bad-tempered cat by accident.

I was searching for poetry I might want to give as a Christmas present. And my the gift-giving research plan included trying to find an image of the poet to go along with the poem.

So, yesterday I was looking for Bunya no Yasuhide. -- see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fun%27ya_no_Yasuhide

And if you look closely at our image, you'll see that the woman with a curious cat has her own ukiyo-e print on the wall in the background -- and it's a portrait of the poet I was looking for ...

ANALYSIS. I guess we could say that Google's search engine worked well this time?

QUESTION: What is the STEM-focused rationale which explains the many toots about cats in our QOTO venue?
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?

#agriculture #botany #botanique #garden #jardinage #potager #garlic #ail

The South Korean women's curling team in the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics had a catchy nickname -- "the Garlic Girls." The name was invented by the Korean press. This name made sense because these athletes grew up together in a rural region known for its garlic fields. -- see "Garlic Girls Take Over the Olympics, and Their Hometown Is Loving It" (Scott Cacciola & Chang W. Lee). New York Times. February 20, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/sports/olympics/garlic-girls-korean-curling.html; and see Wikipedia "Garlic" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic

In the process of trying to learn more, I found an online image of a garlic monument in the Olympians' home town of Uiseong. -- see image below, big garlic with mountains in the background

Also I've found another garlic monument in South Korea. There is a sculpture of three huge garlic cloves on the island of Namhae. -- see image below

QUESTION: Do you know of any other garlic monuments or statues anywhere in the world?
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L'équipe sud-coréenne de curling féminin aux Jeux olympiques d'hiver de Pyeongchang 2018 avait un surnom accrocheur - «les filles de l'ail». Le nom a été inventé par la presse coréenne. Ce nom avait du sens parce que ces athlètes ont grandi ensemble dans une région rurale connue pour ses champs d'ail.

En train d'essayer d'en savoir plus, j'ai trouvé une image en ligne d'un monument à l'ail dans la ville natale des Olympiens d'Uiseong. - voir l'image ci-dessous, gros ail avec des montagnes en arrière-plan

J'ai aussi trouvé un autre monument à l'ail en Corée du Sud. Il y a une sculpture de trois énormes gousses d'ail sur l'île de Namhae. - voir l'image ci-dessous

QUESTION: Connaissez-vous d'autres monuments ou statues d'ail n'importe où dans le monde?
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?

@Fabrice_tual Voici une carte postale - Iidabashi dans les années 1920

@freemo I don't understand what you're writing about. Please try again using different words.

@design_RG What I'm doing is experimental. The subjects of my posts are unlike anything else I see.
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Yes, I can use CW in the way you propose. This is what I wrote:

"STEM ≥ technology heritage"
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Looking ahead, my best guess is that there would be little to no interest in a post about a Meiji era lighthouse at Shimonoseki which has been highlighted as a UNESCO World Heritage site -- see Wikipedia "Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sites_of_Japan%27s_Meiji_Industrial_Revolution:_Iron_and_Steel,_Shipbuilding_and_Coal_Mining
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I'm not especially interested in lighthouses, but this kind of superficial research creates a minimal foundation for my plan to look a little bit more closely at just one of the o-yatoi gaikokujin.
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"In addition to building lighthouses—the reason for his deployment to Japan from Edinburgh—Brunton drew the first detailed maps of Yokohama; planned its sewage, street, gas light and telegraph systems; and built its first iron bridge, for which he received an audience with the emperor, in 1871." -- see British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, "Scotland and Yokohama sign joint action pact," July 27, 2018. https://bccjapan.com/news/scotland-and-yokohama-sign-joint-action-pact/
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Technology transfer in the Meiji era produces consequences that are easy to grasp.
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The undated image below shows Honcho-dori in Yokohama, I'm guessing the poles on the street are for a telegraph line -- and if so, then Brunton designed and supervised their placement.
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Also, I think I see a gas light. If so, this is Brunton's work, too. So, I'm guessing the street scene is from sometime after 1871.
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QUESTION: Does superficial research into technology transfer in Japan in 1868-1912 suggest ways to parse the subject in current conditions -- for example, what does compare-and-contrast tell us about the expansion of cell phones and online banking in India? Or what about Chinese harbor infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka and/or Pakistan?
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING HERITAGE OF JAPAN
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The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) (日本機械学会 Nihon Kikai Gakkai) established Japan's Mechanical Engineering Heritage (MEH) program in 2007. -- see JSME, "About 'Mechanical Engineering Heritage'" https://www.jsme.or.jp/kikaiisan/index-e.html#section2
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The MEH listings highlight machines, related systems, factories, specification documents, textbooks, and other items that have had a significant impact on the development of mechanical engineering in Japan. JSME acts to preserve these historical artifacts. Each listed item is assigned a MEH number. -- see Wikipedia "Mechanical Engineering Heritage (Japan)." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_Engineering_Heritage_(Japan)#Collection_2
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The MEH list includes the apparatus first installed in 1870 in the Kashinozaki Lighthouse in Wakayama Prefecture. -- see Wikipedia "Kashinozaki Lighthouse" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashinozaki_Lighthouse; and see Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME), "Mechanical Engineering Heritage No. 83." https://www.jsme.or.jp/kikaiisa
n/heritage_083_en.html
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The light rotating system support pedestal and the rotating gear box at Kashinozaki are shown below.
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QUESTION: The fact that historical artifacts can help us to understand the process of technology transfer begs a few questions -- for example, what else could be or should be added to this list in Japan? Or what should be preserved in other countries where this kind of program doesn't exist?
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?

LIGHTHOUSE WITH ROTATING LIGHTS

In the 1870s, the Japanese government built lighthouses with rotating lights. Some of these Meiji era lighthouses are still in use today.
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Eight lighthouses were first brought into service in the 1870s with the same mechanical light rotating system. This apparatus was designed and manufactured in Scotland; and then the equipment was shipped to Japan. The Japanese government hired Richard Henry Brunton to oversee this technology transfer process.-- see Richard Brunton (1991). "Building Japan: 1868-1876," pp. 24-25. https://books.google.com/books?id=q6GOdFknNDYC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
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The heavy glass lens mechanism is only part of the optical instrument assembly in Japanese lighthouses built using European designs.
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The heart of the lighthouse is the light rotation apparatus which moves the lens. In the earliest Western-style lighthouses, the bulk of the lens and rotation gear is supported in a mercury bath. Mercury was used because of its low rotation friction. -- see Japan Coast Guard, Maritime Safety Department, "Past and Present of the Aids to Navigation of Japan," p. 6 (PDF p. 7 of 12) https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/e/image/41_the%20aids%20to%20navigation%20of%20japan.pdf
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In the mechanical drawing below, the mercury bath is shown below in blue.
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The Kashinozaki Lighthouse in Wakayama Prefecture is one of the eight sites where the "modern" mercury bath pedestal support mechanism was installed by Brunton. -- see Wikipedia "Kashinozaki Lighthouse" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashinozaki_Lighthouse; and see Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME), "Mechanical Engineering Heritage No. 83." https://www.jsme.or.jp/kikaiisan/heritage_083_en.html
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QUESTION: The fact that the Japanese lighthouse apparatus was modeled on equipment used in Scotland begs a few questions -- for example, where were similar mercury bath pedestal support mechanisms in use in Scotland in the 1870s? Are there sites where this 19th century technology is still in use in the United Kingdom?
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?

LIGHTHOUSE SYSTEM IN JAPAN
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One of the Japanese lighthouses designed by Richard Henry Brunton is the Kashinozaki Lighthouse on the island of Kii Ōshima in Wakayama Prefecture. It was built in 1870. The original second order Fresnel lens is still in use today. -- see Wikipedia "Kashinozaki Lighthouse" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashinozaki_Lighthouse; and see "Fresnel lens" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresnel_lens
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In 2010, the optical Instruments of this lighthouse were officially designated part of Japan's mechanical engineering heritage. This apparatus was the heart of the first of eight Japanese lighthouses with rotating flashing lights. -- see Wikipedia "Mechanical Engineering Heritage (Japan)"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_Engineering_Heritage_(Japan)#Collection_2
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QUESTION: I wonder why this specific lighthouse was the first using a rotating flashing light? My best guess is that the explanation isn't about hidden rocks in shallow waters close to shore.
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?

LIGHTHOUSE SYSTEM IN JAPAN

In 1868, the Meiji government of Japan hired Richard Henry Brunton to oversee an ambitious lighthouse-building program. He formulated the basis of Japan's coastal navigation safety system and he built the initial infrastructure of lighthouses. -- see Japan Coast Guard, Maritime Safety Department, "Past and Present of the Aids to Navigation of Japan," p. 2 (PDF p. 3 of 12) https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/e/image/41_the%20aids%20to%20navigation%20of%20japan.pdf
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The Anglo-Japanese Treaty of 1858 included a Japanese promise that the coast would be lighted and buoyed for the safety of general navigation. But the Japanese were slow in following up.-- see "Obituary - Richard Henry Brunton," Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. 145 (1901), pp. 340–341. https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/abs/10.1680/imotp.1901.18577
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On December 7, 1866, the Tokugawa shogunate explained the delay, "It is impossible to decide where the lighthouses should be erected until accurate enquiries have been made, but in the meantime, we intend to procure the required apparatus." -- see Richard Brunton (1991). "Building Japan: 1868-1876," p. 23. https://books.google.com/books?id=q6GOdFknNDYC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
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The process of procuring modern lighthouse equipment began in Japan on this day 153 years ago. Some of the original apparatus is still in use today. -- see below, two views of the rotating gear box at Kashinozaki in Wakayama Prefecture
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Scottish lighthouse builders David and Thomas Stevenson designed the first 13 lanterns and apparatus which were shipped to Japan. Brunton was in charge of building the lighthouses and installing the equipment.-- see Brunton. "Building Japan," pp. 24-25.
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Brunton would become known as the "father of Japanese lighthouses." He supervised the building and maintenance of more than 20 lighthouses still in use today.-- see Wikipedia "Richard Henry Brunton." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Henry_Brunton#cite_note-5; and see Existing Meiji-era Historical Lighthouses in "Past and Present," p. 5 (PDF p. 6 of 12) https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/e/image/41_the%20aids%20to%20navigation%20of%20japan.pdf
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In 1868-1912, the cadre of specialists and experts like Brunto were called o-yatoi gaikokujin (御雇い外国人 honorable hired foreigners). -- see Wikipedia "Foreign government advisors in Meiji Japan" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_government_advisors_in_Meiji_Japan
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QUESTION: Did you know that the scientific study of lighthouses and signal lights, their construction and illumination is called "pharology"? -- see Wikipedia "Pharology" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharology
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?

WATER-FILLED BOTTLES + LIGHT
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In the images below, Japanese ukiyo-e woodblocks are being carved using traditional methods, including the lighting
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A glass flask full of water hangs between the woodblock and a light bulb. When the light from the bulb hits the flask it is refracted in all directions and eliminates shadows from the surface of the woodblock, enabling the artisan to see the finest of lines. -- see Brigitte Koyama-Richard, "Modern-day Artisans Carry On the “Ukiyo-e” Tradition." Nippon. March 6, 2014. https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b02306/modern-day-artisans-carry-on-the-ukiyo-e-tradition.html
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QUESTION? I wonder how the many uses of optics and lighting technology developed in Japan? My best guess is that the use of a water-filled glass globe to affect light was introduced to Japan by the Dutch.
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QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?