Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2022

Presentation information

[J] Poster

M (Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary) » M-ZZ Others

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

Sun. May 29, 2022 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Online Poster Zoom Room (32) (Ch.32)

convener:Michiko Yajima(Tokyo Metropolitan University), convener:Toshihiro Yamada(Taisho University), convener:Shigeyuki Aoki(Faculty of Letters, Chuo University), convener:Akira YAMAMOTO(MZZ50_29PO1)

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

[MZZ50-P03] Mochizuki Katsumi as a geographer demonstrated by his Liberal Arts Education Program at the Fourth Higher School and Field Excursions to east Asia entered in his diary

*Toshihiko Sugai1 (1.Department of Natural Environmental Studies, Institute of Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo)

Keywords:Diary, Higher School , Geography, Integration of arts and sciences, Field observation skills from the window

Mochizuki Katsumi (1905-1963) is well-known as a geologist with literary talent. Besides, he was a great geographer with artistic taste. Mochizuki started his professional carrier as an instructor of geology, mineralogy, and geography at the Fourth Higher School in Kanazawa (Kyu-sei Kanazawa high school) in 1928 soon after graduating from the geology department of Tokyo Imperial University. He published his graduation thesis on landform development of Noto Peninsula, Kanazawa pref.in Geographical Review of Japan in 1928, obtaining the advice by Tsujimura Taro (1890-1983). Mochizuki put in effort to prepare his series of lectures and published books named as Introduction to Geology (Chishitsugaku Nyumon) and Introduction to Mineralogy (Kobutsugaku Nyumon) in 1931 and 1932, respectively. In 1932 he also published Geomorphological history (Chikei-hattatsushi) with Otsuka Yanosuke (1903-1950). The concept map of geomorphology and geologic structure of Kanazawa in the book seems to be based on his repeated field surveys on his holidays. Mochizuki also tried to systematize his Geography lecture by reviewing books and research reports on population, ethnic groups, industry, economy, and politics. And he attended the annual meetings of Associations of Japanese Geographers during his Kanazawa days. When he was an undergraduate student, Mochizuki took human geography class by Yamasaki Naomasa (1870-1929) eagerly.
In almost every summer holidays, Mochizuki returned to Tokyo, his family home for research and interaction, and he went to field trip of the eastern part of the Asia continent, China and Korea, repeatedly. For example, he left Tokyo 7th August 1930 and went to Ryojun College of Engineering, Shenyang (Mukden), Changchun, and Seoul (Keizyo), and then came back to Tokyo 23rd August. In 1932 after leaving Tokyo 6th August, he visited Dalian and Changchun and returned to Shimonoseki 21st August. On this travel expense he spent his manuscript fee for Geomorphological history. In 1937, he left Kanazawa 6th August to participate in academic meetings in Dalian and other places and went back 3rd September. In 1938 trip from 1st August to 31st August, he visited many places inc. Beijing and met important persons. He wrote the trip in detail in his diary using 103 pages with over fifty illustrations of town maps, houses, cultural and natural landscapes, geomorphic and geologic sections with light touches. Not only the daily is valuable as a historical material recording the tense international circumstances in East Asia in the early 20th century, the daily also demonstrates his sharp field observation skills from the window, his broad interest and knowledges ranging over human geography and geology. After going overseas field trip in 1940 from August 19th to September 8th, Mochizuki moved to Shizuoka Higher School in 1941.
His broad insight and research/teaching achievements should be reevaluated considering that integration of arts and sciences is necessary for sustainable development in the 21st century.