Kiuchi Sekitei (木内石亭)
Sekitei KIUCHI/KINOUCHI (January 14, 1725 - April 6, 1808) was a herbalist and collector of unusually-shaped stones who lived during the Edo period. His childhood name was Ikuroku. His real personal name was Chogyo.
He was born in Shimosakamoto Village, Shiga County, Omi Province (present-day Sakamoto, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture). He was born to the Sutei family but later adopted by the Kiuchi family, the birthplace of his mother. In 1751, he went to Osaka to study herbalism under Joran TSUSHIMA (Keian). He studied with Kenkado KIMURA there. In 1756, he moved to Edo and became a disciple of Genyu TAMURA (Ransui). He had contact with Gennai HIRAGA and others.
He was interested in unusually-shaped rocks from an early age and hosted the unusually-shaped rock club together with hundreds of people who had the same interests.
He actively traveled around the country to collect an enormous number of unusually-shaped rocks and was known as a 'rock tycoon.'
Included among the rocks he collected were minerals, stone objects, stone tools, and fossils. He is also regarded as a pioneer of archaeology by classifying the rocks and arguing that flint arrowheads were man-made. His written works included the "Unkonshi," a catalogue of his collection of rocks, fossils, and artifacts and the "Kiseki Sanshi," a catalogue of unusually-shaped rocks. His gravestone is at the Honzo-ji Temple in Moriyamajuku.