[M-ZZ50] Studies of Geoscience : historical, philosophical and STS studies

[MZZ50-P02] Reconsidering the History of ‘Geoscience’ in the 20th Century: Study on the Diaries of Mochizuki Katsumi in the History of Science and of Education

*Toshihiro Yamada¹ (1.Taisho University)

Keywords:Mochizuki Katsumi, Scientist Diary, History of Geology, History of Geography, Educational Reform

This research project aims to reconsider the historiography of ‘geoscience’ in the 20^th century in Japan by reading through 57 volume diaries of Mochizuki Katsumi (1905-1963), geologist professor of Shizuoka University, from the following four points:
1) Scientific thought of geotectonics: Considering Mochizuki’s own theory of geotectonics from his relations with other researchers like Otuka Yanosuke (cf. Yamada 2012);
2) The mutual relationship between geology and geography: Tracing Mochizuki’s teaching and research in the two disciplines in Higher Schools of Kanazawa and Shizuoka;
3) History of geoscience education: Illustrating the transition of ‘geoscience’ including human geography from the war time to the post-war period;
4) Life history of a researcher: Situating a personal history which recorded the details of educational reform in the history of university and cultural history of Japan.
This project will be conducted as joint research by four participants sharing themes:
1. 1915-1928 (Diary vols. 1-13) Student at the University of Tokyo by Michiko Yajima,
2. 1928-1941 (vols. 13-24) Geographical activities in Kanazawa by Toshihiko Sugai,
3. 1941-1951 (vols. 24-37) Interest into the history of ‘geoscience’ by Toshihiro Yamada, and
4. 1951-1963 (vols. 37-57) Educational Reform and human geography by Toshiyuki Shimazu.

Reference:
Yamada, Toshihiro (2012): “Geographical Speculative Image?: Mochizuki’s Idea on the Geotectonics of the Pacific in the Age of ‘Geopolitics’,” Proceedings INHIGEO 2011, Japan (Tokyo: Japanese Association for the History of Geology), pp. 79-85.