Short Abstract

The Japanese Dutch scholar Kawamoto Komin (川本 幸民 1810-1871), translated several chemistry books. In his Book Reader Kagaku tokuhon, Kawamoto listed a table of thirty-seven chemical elements, Their names in Dutch, Latin, chemical symbol, Chinese and atomic weight. The book research is presented.

Long Abstract

Japan started studying books from the West by translating books in Dutch, either original Dutch books or translated into Dutch from other languages in Europe in late 18th century. Books in Dutch were allowed to enter Japan by the ruling Tokugawa authorities. These are called Dutch Studies and the Dutch scholars called rangakusha.

Udagawa Youan (1798-1846)1 and Kawamoto Komin (川本 幸民 1810-1871), are the more prominent chemistry translators of their time. Kawamoto translated several book chemistry books, studied by Yatsumimi Toshifumi.2

Kawamoto translation in Kagaku tokuhon is thought to be from the original Dutch-language book, by Anthony Hendrik van der Boon Mesch's (1804-74) Leerboek der Scheikunde, met toepassing op kunsten en fabrriken (A Textbook of Chemistry, with Application to Arts and Manufacturing).

In Kagaku tokuhon, Chemistry Reader, he lists a scholarly table of thirty-seven chemical elements, presenting, from top down: the name of an element in Dutch, and Latin, both are written in katakana. The middle page includes the chemical symbol of each element followed by Latin by kanji characters, and the Chinese-Japanese name. The last entry is the atomic weight of each element, correct or mistaken.

Kawamoto's translation of Kagaku tokuhon will be presented.