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Paper short abstract

The Japanese Dutch scholar Kawamoto Komin (川本 幸民 1810-1871), translated several chemistry books. In his Book Reader Kagaku dokuhon, 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.

Paper 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 are the more prominent chemistry translators of their time. Kawamoto Komin (川本 幸民 1810-1871), translated several book, first for himself, and then for a limited reading audience.

The text Kawamoto translated in Kagaku dokuhon is thought to be from the original Dutch-language book by the chemist J.G. Gunning. Leerboek der Scheikunde. Ten Gebruike aan intrigtingen van lager en middelbaar onderwijs, en tot zelf-onderrigt, (1864-1866). In Kagaku dokuhon, Chemistry Reader, he lists a table of thirty-seven chemical elements. The scholarly list includes, from top down, the name of an element in Dutch, then in Latin, both are written in katakana. The middle page includes the chemical symbol of each element, then its names in Latin by kanji characters, and the Chinese-Japanese name. The last entry is of the atomic weight of each element, either corrects or mistaken.

Five translated books by Kawamoto Komin were mentioned by Yatsumimi Toshifumi　in Encyclopedic Dictionary of the History of Chemistry.2 Kawamoto's books in the Japan Academy include kagaku Tsu, which he wrote after his retirement to his home town Sanda.

Kawamoto's translation of Kagaku dokuhon will be presented.