Mitsukuri Shogo (箕作省吾)
Shogo MITSUKURI (date of birth unknown, 1821 - January 29, 1847) was a Japanese geographer in the late Edo period. His another name was Kan, and azana (Chinese courtesy name used in place of given name in formal situations; Japanese scholars and literati adopted this custom) was Gyokukai.
Biography
He was born as the second son of Hidenori SASAKI, feudal retainer of the Mizusawa clan in Mutsu Province (later Rikuchu Province). He first did Western studies and Sinology with Choan BANNO (坂野長安), who was a physician of Western medicine in Mizusawa City and teacher of Choei TAKANO. He then went to Edo and Kyoto to complete his Western studies. He visited scenic spots in Kansai region to explore its topographies, routes, industries and life styles. This led him to specialize in geography. He then returned to Mizusawa to continue studying with Choan BANNO. He came to know about great Genpo MITSUKURI during Choan's lecture and went to Edo once again to become Genpo's disciple. Recognizing Shogo's talents, Genpo adopted him as his son-in-law by marrying him with Shin (Chima), his fourth daughter. In 1845 Shogo published Japan's first map of the world "Shinsei yochi zenzu" (A New Complete Map of the World) and "Konyo zushiki" (An Overview of the Geography of the World) that explains the former as well as Western geography. This is why his name is imprinted on the history of Japanese geography as the one who introduced a world map to the country for the first time. Single-mindedly devoted to the translation of foreign geographical texts, he was so mentally exhausted as to contract tuberculosis. He died young at the age of 26, leaving his only son, Teiichiro (later Rinsho MITSUKURI), fatherless. His widow, Shin, was remarried to Shusaku MITSUKURI after the death of her elder sister Tsune (who was the third daughter of Genpo and wife of Shusaku, Genpo's adopted son-in-law).