Inro Clock - Inro-do-kei

…These clocks were based on the same fixed time system as the current system, but Japan was still in the era of the seasonal time system, and Western clocks could not be used in Japan as they were until the 1873 (Meiji 6) reform. So while imitating the basic mechanisms, they added ingenuity to show the time based on the seasonal time system, and clocks with original mechanisms such as the double balance (nichiyo-tenbin) and split-piece dials, which were unparalleled anywhere else in Japan, were created, including tower clocks, dai clocks, shaku clocks, pillow clocks, and inro clocks, which were original and extremely elegant from an artistic point of view. Of course, this was not completed in one go, but developed over a period of about 250 years, starting from the early simple and rustic iron machines. …

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Inro Clock" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…これらの時計は現在の時刻法と同じ定時法のものであったが，日本はまだ不定時法の時代で，1873年(明治6)の改正までは西洋の時計はそのままでは日本では実用にならなかった。そこで基本的な機構を模倣しながら不定時法の時刻を示すようにくふうを加え，日本以外に類例のない二挺天秤（にちようてんびん），割駒式文字盤のような独創的な機構をもち，櫓（やぐら）時計，台時計，尺時計，枕時計，印籠時計などの，工芸的に見ても独創的できわめて優美な時計がつくり上げられたのである。もちろんこれは一挙に完成されたものではなく，初期の単純素朴な形の鉄製機械から始まって，約250年の間に発達したものである。…

※「印籠時計」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報