Technology transfer by French engineers employed in the Meiji period and French-Japanese exchange

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00259
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01080:Sociology of science, history of science and technology-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: SHIRAI Satoko 神戸大学, 国際文化学研究科, 協力研究員 (30341001)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: お雇い外国人 / お雇いフランス人 / 日仏交流 / 技術移転 / 明治 / 日本の近代化 / フランス人技師 / 生野銀山

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to modernize Japan, the new Meiji government made the Ikuno Mine the first mine directly operated by the government, and employed a total of 24 "employed Frenchmen" there, including French mining engineers.
As a result of investigating and researching them in Japan and France, we were able to unearth a large number of related materials, documents, and information. By carefully examining, organizing, and verifying the materials we obtained, we were able to consider and elucidate "the detailed careers and activities of Frenchmen employed at the Ikuno Mine," "their introduction of Western technology, learning and culture to Japan and their achievements in Japan," as well as "the Japan of the early Meiji period as seen by the French, their interactions with Japanese people and Frenchmen employed by other institutions at the time," and "their influence on France."

Free Research Field

日仏文化交流史、科学史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

既存研究では試みられなかった日仏両国での一次資料の発掘と得た新資料の精査により、先行研究では解明されなかったお雇いフランス人らの詳細な経歴・活動・功績、日本に関する研究、フランスの各種学界に与えた影響を解明することができた。
本研究成果は、日仏交流史やお雇い外国人研究の他、科学史や医学史、植物学史などの様々な学術研究分野における、新たな情報やページの追加と従来説の修正を可能とするものであり、基礎資料・参考資料としても役立つものである。
さらに、地域の郷土史研究の推進や兵庫県が取り組む生野銀山関連の歴史遺産を活かした地域振興事業にも活用でき、学術面のみならず社会にも貢献できるものである。