>WASAN is Japanese mathematics in Edo period , and
>you can know Japanese Temple Geometry (SANGAKU).
Some historians of mathematics translate "Sangaku" as "Temple
Geometry". However "Sangaku" is a sort of votive picture for Shinto
shrine. Buddhist temples have no votive picture in ancient India,
China, or Japan. From Middle Ages, some Buddhist temples had
the custom of "Sangaku"; however the oldest "Sangaku" is in the
Hoshinomiya Jinja (shrine), Gumma prefecture. The most famous
"Sangaku" is in the Yasaka Jinaja in Kyoto, not in the Buddhist temple.
(Please see the "Minkangaku Jiten" (The Encyclopedia for Folks)
Kano Masanao, Tsurumi Shunsuke and Nakayama Shigeru (eds.). 1997.5.30.
Tokyo: Sanseido. In Japanese)
Therefore I suggest that the "Sangaku" must be translated as the
"Mathematical Votive Pictures". (Please see my web page at:
http://www.nkfu.edu.tw/~jochi/yamamura.htm).
I introduce another opinion of Prof. Tsukane Ogawa, Yokkaitchi
University of the Mathematical Plate. I think the "Mathematical
Votive Plate" is also good translation.
Please tell me your opinions - native of English scholars.
Moreover, the technical term for "Wasan" is Japanese mathematics
from 1674 when Seki Takakazu (Kowa) wrote the "Hatsubi Sampo" to 1877
when the Japanese Society of Mathematics was founded.
I wrote about Seki Takakazu (Kowa) in Heline Selin et al (eds.) 1997,
"Encyclopedia of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine in
Non-Western Cultures", Amherst: Kluwer Academic Pub. English. Please see it.
The Edo period is from 1603 to 1867, so it is not exactly the same.
This is my first contribution to this HM-ML. Let me introduce myself.
I am studying history of mathematics in Eastern Asia. Now I am
teaching STS and Japanese culture in Taiwan.
We have the mailing list of "Sugakusi" (history of mathematics) in
Japanese language. If you have any interest please see the web page at: http://www.nkfu.edu.tw/~jochi/sugakusi.htm
Shift JIS code is acceptable.
Sincerely yours,
Jochi Shigeru
Associate Professor, Department of Japanese
National Kaohsiung First University of Technology
1, University Rd, Yanchao, Kaohsiung 824 Taiwan R.O.C.
Tel: 886-(0)7-6011000 ex 5012 Fax: 886-(0)7-6011063
E-mail: jochi@ccms.nkfu.edu.tw
http://www.nkfu.edu.tw/~jochi/