Ryoichi Yazu
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese inventor. He is best known for his invention of Japan's first mechanical calculator.
as the son of a village mayor.
He attended primary and middle school in his home village of Iwaya and the city of Buzen.
At the age of 16 he left middle school and travelled to Osaka to pursue his interest in flight, studying mathematics and engineering at a private school in Osaka.
At the age of 22 he returned to Buzen and began work on a thesis on the mechanics of flight. Two years later he brought the thesis and a model of his calculator on a visit to the novelist and army physician Mori Ōgai
.
Impressed, Ōgai wrote recommendations that led to a special research position at the Tokyo Imperial College of Engineering
, where he worked on the design of a propeller-driven airplane.
Yazu Arithmometer. It was a gear type calculator with a single cylinder and 22 gears,
capable of arithmetic calculations up to 16 digits, with automatic carry and end of calculation functions. A special feature was that it accepted input in the biquinary number system familiar to users of the soroban
(Japanese abacus).
The patent was granted in 1903, and a shop was established to manufacture it. About 200 units were produced and sold, mainly to government agencies, including the Ministry of War, the Home Ministry, the statistics bureau, and agricultural experiment stations, and also to companies such as Nippon Railway.
The calculator was expensive, costing 250 yen, more than ten times the monthly salary of a newspaper reporter or lower-level government official.
Yazu invested the profits in a factory to build his airplane. But that project was abandoned after his untimely death from pleurisy
at the age of 31.
One of the calculators is preserved in the Kitakyūshū City Museum of Literature. In 2008 the Yazu Arithmometer was listed as item No. 30 in the Mechanical Engineering Heritage (Japan)
.
city hall, Nishinippon Shimbun
on that time reported that his planning airplane in designing stage was:
1.6 metre in length from front to rear, 4.26 metre width, a 6 metre wingspan
, an area
of 28 m² (301 sq ft) and a weight of 6 tonnes (5.9 LT). A maximum speed of 400 mph (643.7 km/h; 328.5 kn), a nominal
speed of 200 mph (321.9 km/h; 164.2 kn) and a minimum 3 mph (4.8 km/h; 2.5 kn) at a cost of 30 thousand yen.
After his death, the father of Ryōichi wrote that the prototype
engine
was only 37.5 kg (82.7 lb), with a power output of 20 hp at 30,000 rpm at the best conditions in testing, and commenting that there was not a comparable engine worldwide. Japanese term of literally Fly-go-machine was created by Mori Ōgai in writing his diary
when he listen to Ryichi's passionate talks and solicit of financial advise of Flying machine for human being in March 1901. Notably, the patent granted to Mechanical calculator in 1903 is the same year Wright brothers
first powered flight succeeded.
Birth and education
Ryōichi Yazu was born in Buzen, FukuokaBuzen, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan.As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 28,580 and the density of 257.18 persons per km². The total area is 111.13 km².The city was founded on April 10, 1955.-External links:*...
as the son of a village mayor.
He attended primary and middle school in his home village of Iwaya and the city of Buzen.
At the age of 16 he left middle school and travelled to Osaka to pursue his interest in flight, studying mathematics and engineering at a private school in Osaka.
At the age of 22 he returned to Buzen and began work on a thesis on the mechanics of flight. Two years later he brought the thesis and a model of his calculator on a visit to the novelist and army physician Mori Ōgai
Mori Ogai
was a Japanese physician, translator, novelist and poet. is considered his major work.- Early life :Mori was born as Mori Rintarō in Tsuwano, Iwami province . His family were hereditary physicians to the daimyō of the Tsuwano Domain...
.
Impressed, Ōgai wrote recommendations that led to a special research position at the Tokyo Imperial College of Engineering
Imperial College of Engineering
The Imperial College of Engineering was founded as a university at Tokyo in 1873, though its predecessor the existed from 1871. The name "Kobu Daigakko" dates from 1877. In modern-day parlance it would have been called an institute of technology....
, where he worked on the design of a propeller-driven airplane.
Mechanical calculator
In March 1902 Yazu applied for a patent on his mechanical calculator, called theYazu Arithmometer. It was a gear type calculator with a single cylinder and 22 gears,
capable of arithmetic calculations up to 16 digits, with automatic carry and end of calculation functions. A special feature was that it accepted input in the biquinary number system familiar to users of the soroban
Soroban
The is an abacus developed in Japan. It is derived from the Chinese suanpan, imported from China via Korea to Japan around 1600. Like the suanpan, the soroban is still used today, despite the proliferation of practical and affordable pocket electronic calculators....
(Japanese abacus).
The patent was granted in 1903, and a shop was established to manufacture it. About 200 units were produced and sold, mainly to government agencies, including the Ministry of War, the Home Ministry, the statistics bureau, and agricultural experiment stations, and also to companies such as Nippon Railway.
The calculator was expensive, costing 250 yen, more than ten times the monthly salary of a newspaper reporter or lower-level government official.
Yazu invested the profits in a factory to build his airplane. But that project was abandoned after his untimely death from pleurisy
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
at the age of 31.
One of the calculators is preserved in the Kitakyūshū City Museum of Literature. In 2008 the Yazu Arithmometer was listed as item No. 30 in the Mechanical Engineering Heritage (Japan)
Mechanical Engineering Heritage (Japan)
The is a list of sites, landmarks, machines, and documents that made significant contributions to the development of mechanical engineering in Japan. Items in the list are certified by the .- Overview :...
.
Airplane
According to the history in Buzen, FukuokaBuzen, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan.As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 28,580 and the density of 257.18 persons per km². The total area is 111.13 km².The city was founded on April 10, 1955.-External links:*...
city hall, Nishinippon Shimbun
Nishinippon Shimbun
The is a Japanese language daily newspaper published by . As of May 2006, it has the circulation of a million as a total of morning and evening editions. Headquartered in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, the newspaper cover reader is Kyūshū....
on that time reported that his planning airplane in designing stage was:
1.6 metre in length from front to rear, 4.26 metre width, a 6 metre wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
, an area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of 28 m² (301 sq ft) and a weight of 6 tonnes (5.9 LT). A maximum speed of 400 mph (643.7 km/h; 328.5 kn), a nominal
Real versus nominal value
In economics, nominal value refers to a value expressed in money terms in a given year or series of years. By contrast, real value adjusts nominal value to remove effects of price changes over time...
speed of 200 mph (321.9 km/h; 164.2 kn) and a minimum 3 mph (4.8 km/h; 2.5 kn) at a cost of 30 thousand yen.
After his death, the father of Ryōichi wrote that the prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
was only 37.5 kg (82.7 lb), with a power output of 20 hp at 30,000 rpm at the best conditions in testing, and commenting that there was not a comparable engine worldwide. Japanese term of literally Fly-go-machine was created by Mori Ōgai in writing his diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
when he listen to Ryichi's passionate talks and solicit of financial advise of Flying machine for human being in March 1901. Notably, the patent granted to Mechanical calculator in 1903 is the same year Wright brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
first powered flight succeeded.
See also
- Earliest calculators
- Chūhachi NinomiyaChuhachi Ninomiyawas a Japanese aviation pioneer. He is remembered for his unique aircraft designs - the "Karasu-gata mokei hikouki" and the "Tamamushi-gata hikouki"...
External links
- Mechanical Calculating Machine (Automatic Abacus) Description of the calculator in the Computer Museum of the Information Processing Society of Japan.
- Mechanical calculating machine,“Jido-Soroban” (automatic abacus), built by Ryoichi Yazu, page 4/5 ( in Japanese and English)National Science Museum of JapanNational Science Museum of JapanThe is located in the northeast corner of Ueno park in Tokyo. Opened in 1871, the museum has had several names, including Ministry of Education Museum, Tokyo Museum, Tokyo Science Museum, the National Science Museum of Japan, and currently the National Museum of Nature and Science as of 2007...