Like so many “Objects of Art” (and Wadokei is clearly one of them), followers of any Art rely on individuals and organisations who assemble collections, and subsequently research, document, maintain and make information available to the public.

Wadokei collections have had a chequered history:

• On 1^st Jan 1873 Japan adopted International Mean Time replacing Temporal Time that was provided by Wadokei.  Essentially overnight Wadokei became redundant causing many to be scraped.
• From 1875 to 1912 Japan adopted the Meiji Era with a Modernisation Policy that encouraged the destruction of the old ways of life.
• From 1940 an annual Shinto Festival in memory of Emperor Tenchi (626 – 671) who introduced timekeeping to regulate daily life was celebrated by burning old clocks.
• With circa 1,500 Earthquakes hitting Japan each year, in post-Edo times earthquakes were often followed by fire. Both destroying many old clocks.  In 1923 the Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed 380,000 homes in Tokyo alone.  Further, the Japanese often buried their valuables outside their home to protect them from earthquakes, and many Wadokei were probably lost undiscovered.
• Then in 1941 to 1945 the Pacific War destroyed many Wadokei, including the famous Mody Collection..