National Diet Library Newsletter
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Kinka gyofu
with a penciled note by P. F. von Siebold
Selection from the NDL collections
by Toshihiro TANAKA
Business, Science and Technology Division
Reference and Special Collections Department
This is a translation of the article of the same title in the NDL Monthly Bulletin No. 541 (April 2006).
The Kinka gyofu (Book
of fish) is an illustrated book on fish species compiled by a famous naturalist
of the Owari region (now the western part of Aichi prefecture), Keisuke
ITO (1803-1901) who received the first Doctorate of Science in Japan. "Kinka"
is his pen name. Judging by the color and shape, this fish from the Kinka
gyofu is aka-yagara (red cornetfish, current scientific name: Fistularia
petimba). The penciled note "Fistularia tabacaria. Dr. von Siebold"
was written by the German doctor Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866)
who stayed in to Japan in the Edo period. The note was his expert opinion
and identified the scientific name of the fish was F. tabacaria. I would
like to explain the background of this note.
 for more about Ito, please see hereSiebold's pencil note (magnified)
Red cornetfish in the
Kinka Gyofu
In spring 1826, Siebold, who had been living in Dejima, Nagasaki since he came to Japan, went to Eo as a doctor in the entourage of the chief of the Dutch trading house when he went to pay a courtesy visit on the shogun. The main purpose of Siebold's travel was to research Japanese natural history and culture, since the activities of foreigners at that time were severely restricted, and the courtesy visit to Edo was an unrepeatable opportunity to broaden his knowledge of Japan. He made thoroughgoing preparations to achieve maximum results and brought a number of reference materials with him. On his way to Edo, Siebold met Ito and other people in Miya (now Atsuta ward, Nagoya city). They eagerly exchanged opinions on natural history, especially on specimens and pictures of Japanese plants and animals. Siebold could see many unique Japanese plants and animals, while Ito asked Siebold for his opinion and acquired Western knowledge on them. It was a significant meeting for both men. In his diary, Siebold wrote that "...a picture of a five-foot red cornetfish attracted my attention". That is why we can say that this picture was shown and identified at that time. Siebold continued to study the plants and animals with pleasure even when as he was going to the next lodging place in a swaying basket palanquin. He described the basket palanquin as "a little flying laboratory" and wrote that "After I got used to the swinging, I became able to write in the palanquin, more comfortable using a pencil with hard lead, and it made my research work easier". This expert opinion on the red cornetfish is thought to have been written either in the palanquin or in the lodging house. After that, the picture of the red cornetfish was inherited by Ito's grandson, Tokutaro, and was exhibited in the "Exhibition of Siebold materials" in 1935 in the Tokyo Science Museum. Now although it is quietly sleeping in the stacks of the NDL, its vivid significance in showing the history of scholarly exchange between East and West has not been lost.
Portrait
of Siebold (call no.: Toku 1-3284)
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Siebold's pencil note
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