VCCI Dayori(VCCI Journal)
EMC on the internet (Past series)
VCCI Dayori No.66
EMC on the Internet (No.5)
Revitalization of the wisdom of the Edo era
Nobuhiko Tsunefuka
In Japan, a summer is the season for a ghost story. Yotsuya Kaidan, one of Kodan stories, a Japanese traditional rhythmical storytelling, and Botan Dorou of Rakugo, Japanese comic story, are the masterpieces of ghost stories. I have visited Oiwa Inari Tamiya Shrine that actors and actress always come and pray before they play Yotsuya Kaidan. It is located in residential area of Tokyo, 300 meters away from Yotsuya 3 chome crossing. A leaflet of the shrine says that the actual Ms. Oiwa was a paragon of feminine virtue who was talented in business and contributed for the restoration of the house of Tamiya. There is another Ms. Oiwa, the fifth generations from the enshrined Ms. Oiwa who deceased in 1636. In 1710s, around the time of this second Ms. Oiwa, it seems that Tamiya family had suffered some kind of tragedy and its family tree was terminated once. I suspect that there was something suspicious happened around this time. In the Edo era, people were manipulated by superstition. At the same time, it was the time that ordinary people developed wisdom that is still effective in the modern society. For example, the leaflet from the shrine explains that Yotsuya Kaidan has many scenes with accidents because many parts were after sunset or in a dark environment. Probably, the darkness invited many accidents because people cannot see well and often miss their step. This is understandable. People of the Edo era were smart and use entertainment including Kodan, Rakugo and Kabuki to give small advices and cautions to people to live better.
Photo 1 : Oiwa Inari Tamiya Shrine
Hyakki Yagyo (Hundred Demon Wondering in the Night) is a famous picture book of ghosts and sprits. The book edited ghosts that were believed to live in the nature of Japan over years and sprits that came from foreign countries such as a fox with nine tails. This book was published in the Edo era. People of the Edo era used to wonder around the world of myth such as sprit and hell through this kind of picture book and play. From the end of the Edo era and the beginning of the Meiji Era, Kawanabe Kyosei lively reproduced the world of the burning hell in a colored woodblock print, Nishikie, using fresh red color of blood. This tradition was passed on to the modern time, for example Mizuki Shigeru?fs Gegege no Kitaro and novels by Kyogoku Natsuhiko. Recent hits are novels, cartoons and movies Abeno Seimei who is a shaman who control sprits and devils.
• Kawanabe Kyosei Memorial Museum
http://www2.ocn.ne.jp/~kkkb/Kyousaij.html
• Ghost world of Mizuki Shigeru
• Abeno Seimei Shrine and Abeno Seimei
http://kodansha.cplaza.ne.jp/abeseimeijinja/
Despite of the Japanese policy of seclusion in the Edo era, Japanese people acquired information from overseas in various ways. For example, Hiraga Gennai produced a machine to produce static electricity by friction, and innovated a dynamo to store electric charge in a Leyden bottle. Ootsuki Yoshihiko, a professor of Waseda University, had conducted an experiment of electromagnetic plasma and proved that flame that float around graveyard and believed as sprits of dead is the product of air plasma. Aurora that colors the sky of the polar region is also the result of air plasma and electromagnetic plasma. Aurora and sunspots are known as the cause of electro-magnetic interference and researchers have been studying this issue. A satellite, Yohkoh (that means sun light), launched by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science for scientific studies has been observing high energy phenomena including sun flare and sun corona by measuring X ray and γ ray. Communication Research Laboratory, Hiraiso Solar-Terrestrial Research Center, has been providing space environment information service including the sun activities, geomagnetic activities, proton phenomena, ionosphere and index of geomagnetic activity.
• Various pictures of plasma and Aurora
http://jspf.nifs.ac.jp/hirogari.html
• The Institute for Space and Astronautical Sciences, The observatory satellite "Yohkoh"
The Edo era is also the time that ordinary people?fs culture flourished and created delicate art craft including Ukiyoe, Netsuke, a sword guard and pipe that is still creating many fans. Since we live in the modern society with full of materials, people are pursing handmade goods that are precious and provide a great sense of pride to own. Ukiyoe by Hokusai and Hirosige has had a great influence on Western artists and musicians offering inspiration. In the Edo era, there were nationwide networks for Haiku and poem reading that eliminated the border between ordinary people and samurai. Professor Yuko Tanaka calls these circles and networks ?gRen?h and analyzes the Edo era in terms of Ren. People of the Edo carefully nursed and recycled clothes and paper in their daily life. There was a cycle of agricultural products and manure established covering both cities and countryside.
Most IT products have short life cycle and are produced on the large scale. Therefore, in addition to the product liability and EMC issues, it is necessary to pay attention to recycle at product development. Modern society can learn a great deal from the Edo era that had realized 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) circulatory society.
• Recycle of personal computer
http://www.hitachi.co.jp/Prod/comp/OSD/pc/flora/environment/recycle.htm#top
• Personal computer recycle link
http://www.jca.apc.org/~genomura/
| Nobuhiko Tsunefuka
1943 Born in Tokyo 1968 Graduated form Department of Engineering Science, Osaka University -1984 Worked on developing Information Technology Device at Taga Works, Hitachi, ltd. 1991- Engaged in education on EMC related matters at Hitachi Institute of Technology 1999- Planning Manager, |