Bibliographical research into enlightening Wasan books from the Edo period and the elucidation of business practices through the analysis of examples from those books

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K03061
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese history
• Research Institution: Aichi Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAGAWA Sugane 愛知学院大学, 文学部, 教授 (80227743)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 和算 / 啓蒙的和算書 / 塵劫記 / 貨幣両替 / 両替算 / 商取引

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I conducted a location survey of enlightening Japanese mathematics books published during the Edo period. Next, I conducted a survey of Japanese mathematics books.I collected about 400 enlightening mathematics books and created a database. I refined the database using historical materials from publishers in Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo, and clarified the bibliographic lineage of mathematics books. The sample questions in mathematics books from the early Edo period were influenced by the Jinkoki. However, the content of the sample questions in mathematics books gradually changed in response to real economic activities. After the mid-18th century, the number of mathematics books published increased dramatically and their contents became more diverse. An increasing number of books emphasized simplicity by including currency conversion tables. Co-publishing was undertaken by publishers from multiple regions. This shows that the demand for mathematics had expanded to include the common people.

Free Research Field

日本近世史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

江戸時代に日本で発達した和算が世界的にも先進的内容を有していたことはよく知られており、その遊戯的側面も有名である。しかしその変容についてふれた研究はほとんどなく、本研究はそのきっかけを与えるものである。本研究は貨幣改鋳が行われるとそれに応じた例題が登場するなど、啓蒙的和算書がその地域・その時代に応じて変化して行っていることを明らかにし、さまざまな職種の人に役立つように多彩な内容となったことを明らかにした。本研究ではふれることができなかったが、運賃計算や商品売買、年貢の計算など現実を反映した例題が出されており、今後啓蒙的和算書を併用した経済史研究が可能となると考える。