Milestone-Proposal:Gennai Hiraga’s Erekiteru: First Electrostatic Generator in Japan, 1776

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Docket #:2024-16

This proposal has been submitted for review.

To the proposer’s knowledge, is this achievement subject to litigation? No

Is the achievement you are proposing more than 25 years old? Yes

Is the achievement you are proposing within IEEE’s designated fields as defined by IEEE Bylaw I-104.11, namely: Engineering, Computer Sciences and Information Technology, Physical Sciences, Biological and Medical Sciences, Mathematics, Technical Communications, Education, Management, and Law and Policy. Yes

Did the achievement provide a meaningful benefit for humanity? Yes

Was it of at least regional importance? Yes

Has an IEEE Organizational Unit agreed to pay for the milestone plaque(s)? Yes

Has an IEEE Organizational Unit agreed to arrange the dedication ceremony? Yes

Has the IEEE Section in which the milestone is located agreed to take responsibility for the plaque after it is dedicated? Yes

Has the owner of the site agreed to have it designated as an IEEE Milestone? Yes

Year or range of years in which the achievement occurred:

1776

Title of the proposed milestone:

Gennai Hiraga's Elekiteru: First Electrostatic Generator in Japan, 1776

Plaque citation summarizing the achievement and its significance:

In 1770, Gennai Hiraga obtained a broken imported electrostatic generator in Nagasaki. By1776, he had spent six years repairing and restoring the first friction-induced electrostatic generator in Japan. He used it as a reference to build some dozen Elekiteru devices. Two of them still exist today at the Postal Museum in Tokyo and the Gennai Hiraga Memorial Museum in Kagawa Prefecture.

200-250 word abstract describing the significance of the technical achievement being proposed, the person(s) involved, historical context, humanitarian and social impact, as well as any possible controversies the advocate might need to review.

During the period of national isolation of Japan, Gennai Hiraga obtained a broken imported electrostatic generator in Nagasaki.
By 1776, he had spent six years repairing and restoring in Tokyo the first friction-induced electrostatic generator in Japan. He used it as a reference to build several such devices which was called Elekiteru, two of which are still in existence. At that time, the Elekiteru was used as a spectacle and medical device.
He did not just repair and restore the original. He improved upon it to create additional Elekiterus on his own.
The older method of spatial insulation by hanging or supporting with a string was improved to using pine resin as insulation material.
Transmitting the rotation of the handle to drive the generator was done originally by tying large and small circular pulleys with a string. Gennai improved it to use wooden gears instead.
Two Elekiteru devices produced by Gennai Hiraga are still in existence.: one at the Postal Museum operated by Japan Post in Tokyo and the other at the Gennai Hiraga Memorial Museum in Kagawa Prefecture. The device in Tokyo has been designated as an important cultural property of Japan by the Japanese government.

IEEE technical societies and technical councils within whose fields of interest the Milestone proposal resides.

In what IEEE section(s) does it reside?

IEEE Shikoku section

IEEE Organizational Unit(s) which have agreed to sponsor the Milestone:

IEEE Organizational Unit(s) paying for milestone plaque(s):

Unit: IEEE Shikoku Section
Senior Officer Name: Chair: Yuichi Tanji

IEEE Organizational Unit(s) arranging the dedication ceremony:

Unit: IEEE Shikoku Section
Senior Officer Name: Chair: Yuichi Tanji

IEEE section(s) monitoring the plaque(s):

IEEE Section: IEEE Shikoku Section
IEEE Section Chair name: Chair: Yuichi Tanji

Milestone proposer(s):

Proposer name: Chiaki Ishikawa
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public

Proposer name: Chozaburo Sunayama
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public

Please note: your email address and contact information will be masked on the website for privacy reasons. Only IEEE History Center Staff will be able to view the email address.

Street address(es) and GPS coordinates in decimal form of the intended milestone plaque site(s):

587-1 Shido Sanuki City, Japan 769-2101

34.32415371855665, 134.17481483725294

Describe briefly the intended site(s) of the milestone plaque(s). The intended site(s) must have a direct connection with the achievement (e.g. where developed, invented, tested, demonstrated, installed, or operated, etc.). A museum where a device or example of the technology is displayed, or the university where the inventor studied, are not, in themselves, sufficient connection for a milestone plaque.

Please give the address(es) of the plaque site(s) (GPS coordinates if you have them). Also please give the details of the mounting, i.e. on the outside of the building, in the ground floor entrance hall, on a plinth on the grounds, etc. If visitors to the plaque site will need to go through security, or make an appointment, please give the contact information visitors will need. It is a memorial museum that displays the deeds of Gennai Hiraga. Gennai Hiraga was born nearby and was buried in the neighborhood. No other IEEE Milestone there.

Are the original buildings extant?

N/A

Details of the plaque mounting:

It will be on the museum premises. It will be inside the building where the one of the existing Elekiteru device is displayed currently. Details are still being worked out.

How is the site protected/secured, and in what ways is it accessible to the public?

The museum is a public facility and visited by many visitors each year.

Who is the present owner of the site(s)?

A Public Interest Incorporated Foundation for Gennai Hiraga (tentative English translation) There is a Japanese website of the museum: https://hiragagennai.com/

What is the historical significance of the work (its technological, scientific, or social importance)? If personal names are included in citation, include justification here. (see section 6 of Milestone Guidelines)

Justification of Name-in-Citation

The submitter thinks the name-in-citation is warranted due to the following observation.

It is clear from the references that Gennai Hiraga repaired and restored an Elekiteru device in 1776 all by himself [3]. This has never been questioned by his contemporaries, existing literature and researchers in Japan over the last two and half a centuries. The creation of multiple Elekiteru devices based on his improvement are clear from the extant Elekiteru devices and description in surviving literature [3][4].

It is true as evidenced in [3] that Gennai Hiraga used some craftsmen to create parts under his instruction to create new Elekiteru devices, but the design of the devices were his. For example, one of the craftsmen who created parts was involved in forgery of devices under Gennai Hiraga's name, but the forged devices failed to produce electricity. [3] This shows the principles of static electricity generation and the importance of insulation, etc. were only understood by Gennai Hiraga.

Deeds of Gennai Hiraga have been recognized by the Japanese government, domestic academic societies, and the IEEE Japan Council, as shown below.

In 1915, recognizing the pioneering work, the Postal Museum of Japan, then called Communications Museum managed by then Ministry of Communications of Japanese government, requested the donation of the existing Elekiteru devices from Hiraga family. [5] The museum obtained one of the existing two Elekiteru devices as a result, and has exhibited it ever since.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japanese Government examined and designated the Elekiteru device by Gennai Hiraga kept at the Postal Museum as an important cultural property (historical material) on June 30, 1997 [6].
The National Museum of Nature and Science of Japan has recognized the value of the Elekiteru device by Gennai Hiraga and has made and exhibited a replica of the Elekiteru in the collection of the Postal Museum at its own premises [10].
The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ) examined Elekiteru device by Gennai Hiraga and certified it as the "cornerstone of Electricity" in 2018 [11].
The IEEE Japan Council highly recognizes the achievements of Gennai Hiraga, the creator of Elekiteru device. They have created a medal made by the Japan Mint with a portrait of Gennai Hiraga and an Elekiteru device on it. The medals have been given to all new promoted IEEE Senior Members since 2020 [12].

The submitter thinks the referring to Gennai Hiraga's name in the citation is justified due to the reasons above.

Historical Significance

Background

Beginning with the ban on Portuguese ships from entering Japanese ports in 1639 to the conclusion of the Treaty of Friendship between Japan and the United States in 1854, Japan was pretty much of a “closed country” in terms of diplomacy.

This very restricted closed country policy was exercised by then Japanese government under Tokugawa family rule to ban the entry of people from Christian countries other than the Netherlands. China was also exempted and the Dutch and Chinese boats were allowed to enter only the port of Nagasaki. Leaving Japan by the Japanese people were prohibited, also. This was a drastic diplomatic measure to control the trade and cultural exchange.

During this period of absence of diplomacy except for the Dutch and the Chinese, Japan became pretty much isolated from the rest of the world. The economy was basically closed only within Japan. The Dutch and Chinese boats which came to Nagasaki and the people aboard these ships were the only window to the rest of the world,

Under such circumstances, Gennai Hiraga used his own insight and ingenuity to repair and restore an Elekiteru device, and created a better design than the original in terms of insulation and mechanical transmission.

Elekiteru by Gennai Hiraga

Elekiteru is a generator of static electricity caused by friction, which was repaired and restored by the naturalist Gennai Hiraga (1728-1779) [1].

The name Elekiteru was derived from the Dutch (Latin) word "elektriciteit". In one of his writings, Gennai Hiraga himself referred to it as "ゑれきてるせゑりていと" in classical Japanese hiragana script, which is read something like “Erekiteruseeriteto" [2].
The news of Elekiteru first appeared in Japan in 1765. It was in Rishun Goto's "Book introducing Holland" [1].

After reading it, Gennai Hiraga acquired a damaged Elekiteru in 1770 during his stay in Nagasaki [3]. Where he obtained the damaged device is generally assumed to be from an interpreter for the Dutch, Zenzaburō Nishi. Seven years after he obtained the damaged Elekiteru, he succeeded in repairing and restoring it in 1776 [3].

The circumference evidence and sporadic documental evidence suggest that he produced some Elekiteru devices of his own circa 1777. Two of them which were said to have been made by Gennai Hiraga according the Hiraga family lore are still in existence as explained in this application document.

In Japan as well as overseas, Elekiteru devices were used as a spectacle and medical device at that time [4].

Understanding of Static Electricity by Gennai Hiraga

The year 1770 when Gennai Hiraga obtained a non-working Elekiteru is almost 20 years after the kite experiment conducted by the American scientist Franklin in 1752, and it is possible that the information was available to Gennai Hiraga. However, considering the era in which Gennai Hiraga lived and the country's virtual isolation from the rest of the world except for the Netherland and China, he did not have a systematic knowledge of static electricity which contemporary people in Europe and elsewhere might have had.

It is easily imagined that Gennai Hiraga acquired knowledge of static electricity while making his own improved version of Elekiteru, albeit in fragments. For example, he was aware of the importance of insulation and used resin for this purpose extensively. He coated the wooden gears for mechanical rotation with resin. The abundance of the resin used is clear in the photo 3 in later this document.

Gennai Hiraga explained the principle of electricity generation with yin-yang theory and Buddhist fire monism [2]. He knew that if he held the similarly placed electrodes from two Elekiteru devices, he would not get electric shock. Furthermore, ♂, the symbol of "Mars" (meaning plus) and ♀, the symbol "Venus" (meaning minus) are drawn on the top lid of the existing Elekiteru device which is now kept at Postal Museum. This suggests that Gennai Hiraga may have been aware of the polarities of charges.

He referred to the sparks generated by the Elekiteru device as occurring on "the principle of lightning" [2]. So, it seems that he shared the same knowledge and view with Benjamin Franklin that the sparks produced by Elekiteru device and lightning are caused by the same physical principle.

Elekiteru devices made by Gennai Hiraga in existence

Two Elekiteru devices that are said to have been made by Gennai Hiraga according to Hiraga family lore are still in existence. The Hiraga family donated one of the devices to the Postal Museum (then called Communications Museum) of Japan in 1915 [5]. The donation was prompted by the request from the museum and mediated by then Kagawa prefecture governor. Actually two devices were donated to the museum initially. However, the museum sent back a unit to Hiraga Family and asked for its keeping because the museum felt having both devices at the museum in Tokyo was not a good idea in case of natural disaster. During the bombing raids over Tokyo in World War II, the device at the Postal Museum was sent to the countryside for protection.

Collection at Postal Museum

This "Elekiteru (Hiraga family heirloom)" was designated as an important cultural property (historical material) by the Japanese government in 1996 [6].
The features of this device are as follows.

It is equipped with a Leyden jar (or Leiden bottle) for storing electricity.
The enclosure is made of a wooden box and has floral illustration it. On the top lid, ♂, the symbol of "Mars" (meaning plus) and ♀, the symbol of "Venus" (meaning minus) are drawn.
The mechanism to transmit the rotation of the handle is a string wrapped around a couple of circular pulleys.

Photo 1 shows the exterior and Photo 2 shows the interior.

Photo 1: Quoted from: https://www.postalmuseum.jp/collection/genre/detail-133313.html

Photo 2: Quoted from: https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/212233

Illustration-1

Internal schematics of the device. From: Figure 1 of reference [14]

Collection at Hiraga Gennai Memorial Museum

The device is still the property of the Hiraga family [7]. The features of this device are as follows.

This Elekiteru device does not have a Leiden bottle. Therefore, there are following two theories about how to use it.
- There was originally a Leiden bottle because there is a space inside, or
- The human body was used as an electricity storage device because

four wooden vases that contain insulating pine resin used for the feet of the pedestal are still extant (see Photo 3), and such usage is seen in later drawings of how Elekiteru device was used for demonstration (See Illustration-2) [4].

The enclosure is made of a wooden box, and has no decoration.
The mechanism that transmits the rotation of the handle are wooden gears, and pine resin coating was applied for insulation purposes on the gears.

This unit is considered to have been made later than the Elekiteru device at Postal Museum since the above-mentioned gear rotation mechanism and pine resin insulation method are adopted.

Photo 3: Exterior of the device at Hiraga Gennai Memorial Museum, taken from an exhibit catalog [13]

[Caption] The resin used for insulation is clearly visible. (You can enlarge the picture by visiting the uploaded file by clicking on the photo.) The four wooden containers in the front are filled with resin. They were used to insulate the chair/pedestal on which a human subject sat from the floor. Their usage is depicted in Illustration-2 below.

Photo 4: Internal of the device, from reference "Elekiter and Mr. Gennai Hiraga" [11]

Illustration-2

Quoted from reference [4], available at Waseda University archive. https://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/wo07/wo07_01526/wo07_01526_0005/wo07_01526_0005_p0006.jpg

[Illustration] A picture of a person sitting on a pedestal whose feet were placed on vases filled with pine resin for insulation from the floor during charging, being treated with electricity from Elekiteru device. The human body itself stored the electric charge generated by the Elekiteru device. When something touched the body, a spark was generated. The person on the far left is said to be Gennai Hiraga [4].

What obstacles (technical, political, geographic) needed to be overcome?

Obstacles to Overcome

Difficulties in obtaining information from overseas

At the time when Gennai Hiraga created his own Elekiteru device, Japan was isolated from the rest of the world except for the Netherland and China. In other words, there was no information from other countries, and he was almost isolated scientifically.

The culture and prevailing knowledge of the world including the West, could only be obtained through trade with the Netherlands and China. Moreover, the contact point with the foreign boats was limited to the port of Nagasaki.

Gennai Hiraga could only learn Western knowledge from books written in Dutch and their translations. Therefore, Gennai Hiraga overcame the difficulties of repairing and restoring the original Elekiteru device with the techniques handed down in Japan and his own ingenuity.

Lack of understanding of static electricity

The following points are described previously in the section "Understanding of Static Electricity by Gennai Hiraga ", but is repeated for completeness’s sake.

The year 1770 when Gennai Hiraga obtained non-working Elekiteru is almost 20 years after the kite experiment conducted by the American scientist Franklin in 1752, and it is possible that the information was available to Gennai Hiraga. However, considering the era in which Gennai Hiraga lived and the country's virtual isolation from the rest of the world except for the Netherland and China, he did not have a systematic knowledge of static electricity which contemporary people in Europe and elsewhere might have had.

It is easily imagined that Gennai Hiraga acquired knowledge of static electricity while making his own improved version of Elekiteru, albeit in fragments. For example, he was aware of the importance of insulation and used resin for this purpose extensively. He coated the wooden gears for mechanical rotation with resin.

What features set this work apart from similar achievements?

Features that set apart this from others

The first Elekiteru in Japan

Gennai Hiraga lived during the period of Japan's isolation, so the knowledge obtained was limited to a few books written in Dutch [1]. Material supplies available from abroad were also limited. Under such difficult circumstances, he purchased a broken Elekiteru [3]. Then, with ingenuity to supplement the fragmentary knowledge, he repaired and restored it over a period of seven years [3]. At that time, there were no devices in Japan that generated static electricity using friction, as far as the existing literature is consulted.

Improved insulation methods

The success of an electrostatic generator due to friction depends on the insulation method used. Gennai Hiraga made efforts to improve the insulation method [8].

The conventional method was to hang or support an electromotive or electric storage body (bottle or human) in a space with a string to insulate it [1]. For example, reference [8] has a figure from a German museum in which a person was supported aloft using ropes from above to charge electricity from a static electricity generator. The early Elekiteru device produced by Gennai Hiraga used this method, too [5].

However, the later Elekiteru devices made by Gennai Hiraga used the method of insulating such bodies from the enclosure or floor surface with pine resin. Even with this improvement, the very humid rainy season in Japan made it difficult for him to produce static electricity reliably. [8]

Improvement of drive transmission method

Gennai Hiraga improved the method of transmitting the rotation of the handle to drive the generator [8].

The conventional method was to use a string on two round disk-shaped pulleys, one large and one small, and transmit the rotation of the handle to the generator [1]. And the early Elekiteru produced by Gennai Hiraga used this method [5].

However, the later Elekiteru created by Gennai Hiraga used the method of transmitting the rotation with a combination of wooden gears. This made it possible to generate electricity in a stable and efficient manner.

Wooden gears were very popular in Japan during Gennai Hiraga's time. They were often used in so called Karakuri Ningyo (Mechanical Dolls) [15][16]. It is easy to see the utility of wooden gears over pulleys and string to generate electricity reliably. Gears would not slip under heavy load at all. Metal gears might have proven unfit due to its conductivity. They might have turned out to be an unwanted electric pathway from the viewpoint of insulation. Wooden gear is better for this purpose. Gennai Hiraga coated the wooden gears in resin for additional insulation. He was definitely aware of the importance of insulation.

The unique design of Elekiteru by Gennai Hiraga was picked up by later generation in Japan. After his untimely death in 1780, a somewhat detailed internal diagram of an Elekiteru device appeared in reference [4] in 1787 already. The elekiteru devices became very popular in Japan, and they were used for a spectacle at a gathering or medical purposes. The following illustration 3 in [17] shows such usages of an Elekiteru device in 1798.

Illustration 3

Taken from reference [17]

[Illustration caption] An elekiteru device is on the right page and is connected to the person sitting on a pedestal with four legs on the left page. There is a spark flying on the man's head where another man places his finger. People around the scene were amused to watch the spectacle.

Thus the device Gennai Hiraga created in Japan made following generations of inventors and curious minded get acquainted with the behavior of static electricity and get ready to tackle electrical engineering in a modern setting in the 19th century.

Supporting texts and citations to establish the dates, location, and importance of the achievement: Minimum of five (5), but as many as needed to support the milestone, such as patents, contemporary newspaper articles, journal articles, or chapters in scholarly books. 'Scholarly' is defined as peer-reviewed, with references, and published. You must supply the texts or excerpts themselves, not just the references. At least one of the references must be from a scholarly book or journal article. All supporting materials must be in English, or accompanied by an English translation.

Bibliography

[1] Rishun Goto, Book introducing Holland, 1765
"紅毛談" in Japanese
[note] This book introduced the news of Elekiteru to Japan for the first time. There is a diagram of Elekiteru device although it may not be quite accurate. It is possible that Gennai Hiraga read this from the description in [3].

There is a digital archive of [1] at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. The book as a whole: https://www.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kotenseki/html/bunko08/bunko08_c0200/index.html

Description of Elekiteru in [1]

Quoted from Waseda University Archive: https://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/bunko08/bunko08_c0200/bunko08_c0200_0002/bunko08_c0200_0002_p0030.jpg

Illustration of Elekiteru in [1] - first half

Quoted from Waseda University Archive: https://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/bunko08/bunko08_c0200/bunko08_c0200_0002/bunko08_c0200_0002_p0031.jpg

Illustration of Elekiteru in [1] - second half

Quoted from Waseda Univesity Archive: https://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/bunko08/bunko08_c0200/bunko08_c0200_0002/bunko08_c0200_0002_p0032.jpg

[2] Gennai Hiraga, Popular literature “Heppiri-ron” second volume, 1777 <pr> "放屁論後編" in Japanese

[note] Gennai Hiraga wrote this as a funny story in which "a fictional person created Elekiteru". The principle of the generation of electricity is explained by the theory of yin and yang and the Buddhist theory of fire monism. Static electricity is described as the "principle of lightning".
Also, note that the book title's phonetical rendering is usually not "Heppiri-ron", but is "Houhi-ron". See for example, online dictionary's entry: https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%94%BE%E5%B1%81%E8%AB%96-1205530 (in Japanese). Often, there are a few different ways of reading a Kanji idiom and this discrepancy is due to it. You have to bear this in mind when you try to look for entries in Japanese encyclopedias, etc. The adopted title's Romanized rendering here is taken from the catalog of Gennai Hiraga Exhibit 2003-2004. [13]

A passage quoted from [2]:

    其位にあらざれば其政を謀らず、身の程知らぬ大呆と己も知って居るさうなれど、蓼食ふ虫も好々と、生れ付きたる不物好、わる塊にかたまつて、縁の下の力持ち、むだ骨だらけの其中に、ゑれきてるせゑりていと、といへる、人の体より火を出し病を治する器を作りだせり。抑此器は西洋の人、電の理を件て考へ、一旦工夫は付けけれども、其身の生涯には事ならず、三代を経て成就しけるといへり。阿蘭陀人といへども知るものは至って少く、固より朝鮮唐天竺の人は夢にも知らず、いわんや日本開闢以来初めて出来たることなれば、高貴の旁を初として見ん事を願う者夥し。
    
    風来山人『放屁論後編』

A digital copy of [2] is available at Union Catalogue Database of Japanese Texts.: https://kokusho.nijl.ac.jp/biblio/100029411/1?ln=en

[3] Gennai Hiraga: Written Complaint regarding Elekiteru (Duplicate), 1778年,
"エレキテル一件訴状控" in Japanese
[note] Gennai Hiraga learned that Yashichi, who was working under Gennai Hiraga to work on Elekiteru, was involved in the forgery of Elekiteru devices. This reference is a duplicate of the complaint that was filed when Gennai Hiraga appealed to the government office for the clarification of who created the then popular Elekiteru devices. By then, he obviously created several devices that he delivered to rich merchants or ruling samurai class people. There are two main points in the reference. (a) He had already begun working on the restoration of Elekiteru device he obtained during his stay in Nagasaki in 1770, and (b) Returning to Edo (Tokyo of today), he made further efforts and finally succeeded in restoring the Elekiteru in November 1776.

Taken from the page 70 of exhibition catalog [13].
A duplicate of the original complaint document still remains at the Gennai Hiraga Museum.
A digital copy is accessible from the National Diet Library of Japan.
https://dl.ndl.go.jp/ja/pid/1912999/1/369

The important passage for this submission is as follows.

The kanjis, katakanas, and hiraganas written using drawing brush are transcribed as below.

Translated roughly into English, it claims as follows.

There is a device in the Holland called "えれきてる" (Elekiteru) that
uses glass to summon heavenly fire (*note 1) and cures sickness.  I have
heard about this before and when I went to Nagasaki and stayed there I
made various efforts (to obtain it).  After a while, I could finally
found it.  Then I returned to Edo (the current Tokyo) and made various
efforts for seven years, and finally at the beginning of November
(*note 2)
in the year before, I have finally succeeded in restoring it and making it work.

Note 1: this refers to lightening or fire caused by lightening
Note 2: Note that Japan used a lunar calendar at his time. This is not Gregorian date.

The rest of the document describes why he is filing this complaint to make it known that someone else is creating inferior forged Elekiteru devices without his knowledge and claiming it was made by him, etc.

[4] Chūryō Morishima, Guide to Dutch studies, 1787,
"紅毛雑話" in Japanese.
[note] There is a correct internal diagram of an Elekiteru device. However, the type described is the type without a Leiden bottle. See the illustration below.

Quoted from: Waseda University archive. https://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/wo07/wo07_01526/wo07_01526_0005/wo07_01526_0005_p0007.jpg

[Figure caption] The type without the Leiden bottle is described. Pine resin was used to insulate the floor and the pedestal, and the human body itself was an electricity storage device.

There is an accompanying description of the Elekiteru.

Quoted from: Waseda University archive. https://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/wo07/wo07_01526/wo07_01526_0005/wo07_01526_0005_p0005.jpg

[5] Postal Museum of Japan Website：https://www.postalmuseum.jp/english/
[note] The Postal Museum Japan has the following collection of Hiraga Gennai’s Elekiteru. The device was originally kept by the Hiraga family in Kagawa, Japan. It was donated at the request of then Communications Museum. https://www.postalmuseum.jp/collection/genre/detail-133313.html

[6] Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan Government
[note] There are descriptions of the Elekiteru of Gennai Hiraga as the important cultural property (historical material) of Japan.
https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/201/10230
https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/207200
cf. The second URL above uses a different Romanized spelling, "erekiteru".

[7] Gennai Hiraga Memorial Museum
[note]Currently, the English website is under construction: https://hiragagennai.com/english/index.html
Japanese Website: https://hiragagennai.com/

[8] Noboru Wakai and Keiko Inoue: "Elekiteru," pp. 32-45, Monthly Report of the Japan Postal Research Institute, April 2002.
「ゑれきてる」考証 in Japanese
Available online as two parts: (1st half) https://www.yu-cho-f.jp/research/old/pri/reserch/monthly/2002/163-h14.04/163-asearch-2-1.pdf
(2nd half) https://www.yu-cho-f.jp/research/old/pri/reserch/monthly/2002/163-h14.04/163-asearch-2-2.pdf
[note] This article explains that Gennai Hiraga made efforts to improve the insulation method. The authors studied the various similar devices for a creation of functionally equivalent version of the Gennai's device since the status of "important cultural property (historical material) of Japan" makes it difficult to exhibit the original device all the time. They also studied the history of elekiteru devices after the death of Gennai Hiraga and commented on how Gennai's design (improved insulation) was adopted by later generation.

Translated English Abstract:


Electromotive machines, which generate static electricity through friction, were popular in Western Europe from the 17th to the 18th century as a kind of entertainment.  It was introduced to Japan in the mid-18th century.  Hiraga Gennai, who saw a mysterious box that emitted crackles and sparks, created his own kinetic generator, "Elekiteru," and he became famous. The "Elekiteru," which is still in almost perfect condition as it was more than 200 years ago, is now in the museum affiliated with the Postal Research Institute of Japan (currently called Postal Museum of Japan). Because "Elekiteru" is declared as an important cultural property of Japan, the museum is under some restrictions in exhibiting it to the public.  Therefore, in 2000, the museum decided to produce a so-called "functional replica" in 2000 that has the same appearance and structure as the original machine and generates static electricity as a generator.
    
This report describes the historical background of the late 18th century when the "Elekiteru" was produced, the history of static electricity, and the background of the arrival of the "Elekiteru" to Japan, and explains the design and manufacture and the public demonstration of the functional replica.

Original Japanese Abstract:


摩擦によって静電気を起こす起電機は、西欧では一種の娯楽として１７世紀から１８世紀にかけて流行した。それが日本に伝えられたのは１８世紀半ば頃である。パチパチと火花を出す不思議な箱を見た平賀源内は、彼独自の起電機「えれきてる」を作り出して一躍有名になった。二百数十年前の姿をほぼ完全な形で止めているその「えれきてる」が当郵政研究所附属資料館（逓信総合博物館）に所蔵されている。その「えれきてる」は国の重要文化財であるため、公開展示にはある程度の制約を受ける。そこで当館では平成１２年度に、原機と同じ外観・構造を有し、その上起電機として静電気を発生する、いわゆる「機能レプリカ」を製作した。
     
本報告では、「えれきてる」が作られた１８世紀後半の時代的背景と、静電気の歴史、「えれきてる」が渡来した経緯等について述べ、さらに「機能レプリカ」の設計と製作の経過と、その公開実演について報告する。

[9] Naoki Iwamoto, The Static Electrical Machines during the Period of Hiraga Gennai, Journal of the Institute of Electrostatics Japan, pp.176-181, 36, 4 (2012).
"江戸時代の人々にとってエレキテルとは何だったのか" in Japanese
https://doi.org/10.1541/ieejfms.141.85
[note] It is stated that Gennai Hiraga made efforts to improve the rotational drive transmission method.
(note: The author of this treatise used different spelling of “Erekiteru” as opposed to Elekiteru).

Abstract in English:

A friction generator was firstly introduced to Japan in 1765 in a book describing about European culture. This generator was called "Erekiteru (Oelekitere)” in the book and introduced as a medical equipment. Hiraga Gennai got a broken Erekiteru and was successful in restoring it in 1776. This is the Japan's first electric machine. After that, a lot of Erekiteru were domestically produced and sold in Japan. Sometimes Erekiteru were used in show business and people at that time enjoyed it. On the other hand, intellects at that time thought that Erekiteru were scientific instruments to simulate
natural phenomena.

[10] National Museum of Nature and Science:
https://db.kahaku.go.jp/exh/detail?cls=col_z1_01&pkey=1747258
[note] The National Museum of Nature and Science has a permanent exhibition of a replica of the Hiraga Gennai’s Elekiteru. This is the replica of the device kept at the Postal Museum of Japan of Japan [5].

[11] The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan:
[note] In March 2018, the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ) certified "Hiraga Gennai's Elekiteru" as the "cornerstone of Electricity". The details of the certification can be obtained from the following URL of the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan.
Elekiter and Mr. Gennai Hiraga: https://www.iee.jp/file/foundation/data02/ishi-11/ishi-0405.pdf
"エレキテルと平賀源内" in Japanese
cf. IEEJ document refers to the Elekiteru device using a different spelling of "elekiter" without the ending 'u' in the document.

[12] IEEE Japan Council： Japan Council Medal
https://www.ieee-jp.org/section/kansai/organization/medal.html

The page actually belongs to the IEEE Kansai section. IEEE Kansai section originally created a medal with the profile of Gennai Hiraga and Elekiteru device and gave the medal to IEEE members who were promoted to senior member status. IEEE Japan council picked up the medal as a nation-wide medal to be given to new senior members or someone who has been recommended by section chair.

The profile of Gennai Hiraga is taken from a drawing at main museum of Waseda University in Tokyo. (https://www.wul.waseda.ac.jp/collect/b8/b8-a256.html)

[13] Gennai Hiraga Exhibit 2003-2004 at Edo-Tokyo Museum
https://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/s-exhibition/special/2186/%E5%B9%B3%E8%B3%80%E6%BA%90%E5%86%85%E5%B1%95/
An exhibit on Gennai Hiraga was held at Edo-Tokyo Museum in Tokyo from November 29, 2003 to Jan 18, 2004. This exhibit coincided with the establishment of Tokyo (then called Edo) as the political capital of Japan four hundred years ago, and also the 10th anniversary of the museum.
Some images/drawings in this Milestone application document are taken from the printed catalog of the exhibition.

[14] Mitsuo Fuse, "How Electric technology was nurtured during Edo Era in Japan" (translation of the title by the submitter), Transaction of the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ), vol 115, 1995
江戸時代電気技術はどう培われたか」in Japanese
Available online at https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/pub/pdfpreview/ieejjournal1994/115/1_115_1_35.jpg
[note] This is a treatise on the development of electrical engineering during 17th-late 18th century Japan called Edo era. (Edo era is also called Edo period, and its entire period is from 1603 to 1868. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_period, for example.)

English translation of the first paragraph of the article.

Electricity is a new technology that developed worldwide only in the 19th century. Knowledge of electricity in Japan began with the transplantation of electrical knowledge in Western Europe. This period can be said to be the 1770s, represented by the publication of "Kaitai Shinsho" (1774), which was the starting point of Dutch studies.

Original Japanese of the above.

電気技術は世界的にみても１９世紀になってから発達した新しい技術である。我が国の電気の知識は西欧における電気知識の移植から始まる。その時期は蘭学の出発点となる「解体新書」（１７７４）の刊行で代表される１７７０代といえよう。で代表される１７７０代といえよう。

cf. "Kaitai Shinsho" refers to the Japanese translation of a Dutch book on western medicine. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaitai_Shinsho ) It so happens that the author of the Japanese edition, Genpaku Sugita is a close friend of Gennai Hiraga.

The submitter thinks Gennai Hiraga not only planted the knowledge from the Western World, but understood it well to the point that he could improve insulation method (which is very important in humid Japanese climate) and power transmission by using wooden gears popular in his time. This should not be overlooked.

[15] Karakuri Puppet (karakuri ningyō), Wiki entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karakuri_puppet

[16] The Dolls that Sparked Japan’s Love of Robots: “Karakuri Ningyō”

https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b00907/

These dolls from 17th-18th century Japan have elaborate mechanisms created from wooden parts including wooden gears.
Quote:

The clockwork that powers karakuri ningyō and Japanese clocks was based on the time pieces that arrived on Western ships near the end of the Muromachi period (1333–1568), alongside other foreign technologies such as steel cannons. After Japan closed itself off from the outside world during the Edo period, the country developed and refined its own homegrown mechanical technologies through the imagination and technical artistry of successive generations of craftsmen.

Another quote

The gears of the clockwork inside karakuri ningyō are carved from wood, rather than using metal. If the grain on the wooden gears is aligned poorly, the teeth can break off, so instead of carving the teeth directly into the gears, tiny wooden triangles are affixed to the wooden wheels—a technique adapted from traditional Japanese handicrafts.

Interested readers should watch the video mentioned there. You can see the wooden gears in action very clearly in such dolls: The Dolls that Sparked Japan's Love of Robots: "Karakuri Ningyō" | Nippon.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFL0bXiFinQ

[16] Akisato, Ritō and Takehara, Shunchōsai
Settsu Meisho Zue (Seeing Spots in Settsu) Two volumes, 1796-1798
秋里籬島, 竹原春朝斎, 摂津名所図会 (in Japanese)
Available on line: https://www.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kotenseki/html/ru04/ru04_03651/index.html
[note] This is a traveller's guide, what to see in Settsu area.
The particular page where an Elekieteru device appeares is at: https://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/ru04/ru04_03651/ru04_03651_0003/ru04_03651_0003_p0036.jpg

[end of submission]

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