Yoshinaga Motoki

A Dutch scholar in the mid-Edo period. Commonly known as Sakaenoshin, later Nidayu, his pen names were Shisei and Ranko. He was born as the second son of Nishi Shosen, a doctor in Nagasaki. He was the heir to his uncle Motoki Ryoko, and became the third interpreter for the Motoki family. He also accompanied the chief of the trading post on visits to Edo. In 1774 (An'ei 3), he first introduced the heliocentric theory in Tenchi Nikyu Yoho (An abridged translation of a book by the Dutchman Willem J. Blaeu (1571-1638) published in 1662). Furthermore, in 1791 (Kansei 3), at the order of the Nagasaki Magistrate, he completed his translation of 7 volumes, 325 chapters, and 1 appendix of "Hoshijutsuhon Gen Taiyo Kyuri Ryoukai Shinsei Tenchi Nikyu Yohoki" (The original was a Dutch translation of a 1769 work by the British George Adams (?-1773)) in 1793 and presented it to him. These books were not published, but were disseminated by Dutch scholars who came to Nagasaki to study at the time, and Shiba Kokan's "Koppel Tenmon Zukai" (published in 1808) is particularly famous. Shizuki Tadao, who introduced Newtonian mechanics, was one of his students.

[Toshihiko Kikuchi]

"Kiyoronko" by Watanabe Kosuke (1964, Shinwa Bank Seibikai)" ▽ "The History of Astronomy in Japan before the Meiji Period, edited by the Japan Academy Publishing Committee for the History of Science in Japan (1960, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/Revised Edition, 1979, Noma Museum of Scientific and Medical Research)" ▽ "The History of Physical Chemistry in Japan before the Meiji Period, edited by the Japan Academy Publishing Committee for the History of Science in Japan (1964, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science)" ▽ "The Establishment and Development of Dutch Linguistics in the Edo Period, by Sugimoto Tsutomu, 5 volumes (1976-1982, Waseda University Press)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸中期の蘭学者(らんがくしゃ)。通称栄之進、のち仁太夫(にだゆう)、字(あざな)は士清、蘭皐(らんこう)と号した。長崎の医師西松仙(にししょうせん)の次子として生まれる。伯父本木良固(りょうこ)の嗣子(しし)となり、本木家第3代の通詞となり、商館長の江戸参府にも随行した。1774年（安永3）『天地二球用法』（1662年刊のオランダのブラウWillem J. Blaeu（1571―1638）の著書の抄訳本）で初めて地動説を紹介した。さらに1791年（寛政3）、長崎奉行(ぶぎょう)の命を受けて、『星術本原太陽窮理了解新制天地二球用法記』7巻325章附録1巻（イギリスのアダムスGeorge Adams（？―1773）の1769年刊のものの蘭訳本が原著）を1793年に訳了、献上した。これらの書物は刊行されなかったが、当時、長崎に留学してきた蘭学者らによって広まり、とくに司馬江漢(しばこうかん)の『刻白爾天文図解(コッペルてんもんずかい)』（1808年刊）などは有名である。ニュートン力学を紹介した志筑忠雄(しづきただお)は彼の弟子である。

［菊池俊彦］

『渡辺庫輔著『崎陽論攷』（1964・親和銀行済美会）』▽『日本学士院日本科学史刊行会編『明治前日本天文学史』（1960・日本学術振興会／新訂版・1979・野間科学医学研究資料館）』▽『日本学士院日本科学史刊行会編『明治前日本物理化学史』（1964・日本学術振興会）』▽『杉本つとむ著『江戸時代蘭語学の成立とその展開』全5巻（1976～1982・早稲田大学出版部）』

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