Automata and Robots
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Research on Traditional Technology from the Edo Period and Modern Robots
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Episode 11: Modern Technology Developed from Automata of the Edo Period
“Born to play, born to enjoy.”
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“Automata” could be called toys which originated in recreational activities during the peaceful Edo period. They were developed with using the state-of-the-art technologies of the era with no consideration given to cost, free of any restriction such as thrift or frugality, because they were basically toys or for use in entertainment. Toys reflect the society they originated in, and in this sense, the unique and independent development of something like automata is significant when reviewing the science and technology available in the Edo period as well as when looking at the present and future picture of Japan.
“Asobi o Sentoya Umareken, Tawamure Sentoya Umareken (Born to play, born to enjoy)”
This famous song in “Ryojinhisho”, a compendium of popular Japanese songs complied at the end of the Heian period, seems to symbolize the Japanese culture which flourished in the Edo period and has been handed down to us today.
The Edo period was peaceful. People had been undisturbed by conflict for as long as 260 years after the Edo period first began in 1603. Both samurai warriors and the common people played and enjoyed their daily lives a lot more than we can imagine now. It is particularly worth noting that there was probably no other country where the common people could seek amusement to the same extent in those days.
During the Edo period technological exchanges with other countries ceased and military and production technologies stagnated in comparison with Western countries because Japan has closed itself off from the outside world. This was inevitable in the self-contained self-sufficient society of the peaceful Edo period which was based on a closed-door policy. Unlike Western countries in the Edo period Japan had very few steam engines and mechanized plant facilities. However, it was not outdone by Europe or the U.S. in the fields of art, public entertainment and amusement, as typified by Ukiyoe prints etc. Automata reflect the Edo period society in the form of public entertainment or amusement.
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【Sanbansou doll and Harukoma doll】
Automata powered by springs can walk.
Owned by：Yokohama Doll Museum; Photographed by: Taiyo Kikaku
(Click the image to see the movie. 51 seconds, 9,208KB)
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Various mechanisms and gismos comparable to the factory systems in the West were employed puppet and stage sets in those days and are can still be seen in Joruri puppet shows and Kabuki nowadays. A wide variety of mechanical automata technologies including a rotating stage (manually turned with the use of a potter’s wheel) were systematically combined in accordance with a specific day’s program or progress of a show. As a matter of fact, the rotating stage, elevating stage and other stage devices seen in Western theaters today originated in Japan.
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Elevating stage in an explanatory drawing with an upper and a lower stage (excerpt from “Shibai Kinmouzui”)
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Automata reflect the form in which society in the Edo period entertained and amused themselves. “Origami”, a historic Japanese paper folding art is also an example of such entertainment. Although Origami now enjoys a worldwide reputation Japanese people often fail to appreciate it because it is nothing special to them. “Imagination” and “creation” get practically used in Origami where three dimensional figures are first imagined and then created from pieces of paper. Mathematicians create images of solid figures using numerical expressions. The Japanese can imagine and create one with a piece of paper instead. In other words, the Japanese learn geometry with their hands through a childhood amusement.
The Origami technique known as the “Miura map fold” was used in the solar array panels of artificial satellites and became a hot topic. It was an idea nurtured by Japanese culture and technology enabled only by the Japanese. Japan must be capable of developing unique robots as we were able to invent both automata and Origami. Might I be allowed to say that this will be achieved because not only scientists in academia and engineers at corporations but all the Japanese people have had enormous affection for “robots” since the age of “automata”?
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“Miura map fold”: The paper instantly folds and unfolds merely by pushing or pulling it while holding the diagonals.
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Kazuyoshi Suzuki
Senior curator of National Museum of Nature and Science
Specialty is the history of scientific technology. Involved in surveying and researching scientific and technological developments in Japan: Especially that of the Edo Period up to present time on a demonstration basis. Has experienced being a member of the METI “Traditional skill research study group”, and a conceptual committee member and exhibition supervision committee member of Osaka Children’s Castle, TOYOTA Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM, and other museums.
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Automata and Robots 
