Reconsidering Geoscience History in Twentieth-Century Japan by Deciphering the Diary: The Geoscientist Mochizuki Katsumi’s Life and Work, 1914‒1963

Abstract

The historiography of geoscience in the 20th century in Japan is reconsidered through 57 volumes of diaries （19141963） of Mochizuki Katsumi （19051963）, a geology professor at Shizuoka University, from the following four viewpoints: 1） Scientific thought of geotectonics: Considering Mochizuki’s own theory of geotectonics from his relations with other researchers such as Otuka Yanosuke （19031950）, professor at the Earthquake Research Institute and the Faculty of Science of the Imperial University of Tokyo; 2） Mutual relationship between geology and geo graphy: Tracing Mochizuki’s teachings and research in the two disciplines at the higher schools of Kanazawa and Shizuoka; 3） History of geoscience education: Illustrating the transition of ‘geoscience’ including human geography, from the World War II era to the post-war period; 4） The life history of a scientist: Positioning a personal history, which records details of educational reforms in the history of universities and cultural history of Japan.