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Tanaka Hisashige
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Hisashige Tanaka was a Japanese businessman, inventor, mechanical engineer, and rangaku scholar who was prominent during the Bakumatsu and early Meiji period in Japan. In 1875, he founded what became
Karakuri puppet, Yumi-Hiki Doji. Using mechanical power, a puppet shoots a target with a bow and arrow.
Karakuri puppet, Yumi-Hiki Doji. Using mechanical power, a puppet shoots a target with a bow and arrow.
Karakuri puppet, Moji-kaki doll. Using mechanical power, a puppet dips a brush into ink and writes a character on paper.
Karakuri puppet, Moji-kaki doll. Using mechanical power, a puppet dips a brush into ink and writes a character on paper.
Ta­naka Hi­sa­shi­ge's 1851 per­pet­ual clock, in the Na­tion­al Sci­ence Mu­se­um.
Ta­naka Hi­sa­shi­ge's 1851 per­pet­ual clock, in the Na­tion­al Sci­ence Mu­se­um.
Japan's first steam en­gine, ma­nu­fac­tured in 1853 by Ta­naka.
Japan's first steam en­gine, ma­nu­fac­tured in 1853 by Ta­naka.
Karakuri puppet
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Karakuri puppets are traditional Japanese mechanized puppets or automata, made from the 17th century to the 19th century. The dolls' gestures provided a form of entertainment. The word karakuri has al
Tanaka Hisashige
…a certain manner to open it. At the age of 14, he had invented a loom capable of weaving intricate designs into fabric. From age 20 he began to make karakuri puppet dolls, autonomous dolls powered by springs, pneumatics and hydraulics, capable of relatively complex movements, which were much in demand by the…
A karakuri automaton, c. 1800, British Museum
A karakuri automaton, c. 1800, British Museum
Tea-serving karakuri, with mechanism, 19th century. National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo.
Tea-serving karakuri, with mechanism, 19th century. National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo.
Dashi karakuri of the Tsutsui-chō/Dekimachi tennōsai in Nagoya
Dashi karakuri of the Tsutsui-chō/Dekimachi tennōsai in Nagoya