Lecture: Where Time Begins

 

On March 15th, the Embassy of Japan hosted a lecture ‘Where Time Begins: Time Measurement and the Establishment of the Prime Meridian in Tokugawa Japan’.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Monji mentioned the importance of timekeeping in Japanese life, describing current advancements in technologies, as well as referencing historical methods.

Dr. Frumer described the 18th and 19th century methods cartographers used to map the country using astronomic measurements and how these methods were influenced by Japanese society.

After the lecture, Dr. Frumer answered questions about the adoption of a unified time zone based in Kyoto, as well as the different timekeeping technologies developed during this era.

 

Ambassador Monji delivers his opening remarks

 

Dr. Frumer opening the lecture

 

Dr. Frumer discusses Japanese practices of time measurement

 

Dr. Frumer explaining how older timekeeping technology worked

 

The wadokei has two balances that run at different speeds for unequal hours

 

Hisashige Tanaka's Man-nen dokei (1851)

 

Audience

 

Question and answer period

 

 

 

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