The following list is a compilation of the various Japanese clockmakers whom I have encountered during my research of wadokei.  However, I am working in a language that unfortunately I do not speak, read or write.  Please forgive any errors.  However, it is hoped the list will provide useful information.

References were generally taken from writings in English.  Some used the traditional Japanese format of puting family-names first, others adopted the European format of puting given-names first.  I have attempted to list in UPPER CASE the Japanese convention of SURNAME first.

I am much indebted to MURAKAMI Kazuo, Sakamoto, Japan – author of the book ‘Japanese Automata – Karakuri Zuii’ published in 2012, who assisted me in some of the listed names, as well as adding the Japanese characters where available.

Please refer to my web page ‘Bits & Pieces / Acknowledgements’ for source material against the alpha-numeric references (Publication-Page).

ARAKI Yamatonojō (re-named Masanojō) 荒木大和掾（政之丞 – “Yamatonojō” is an honorary title.

• Surviving clock in J D-R collection. Hand written translation probably provided by third party. (N-8)
• Description of Fig.11 “Nagamasa Araki Yamato-Noji (of the) clan Fujiwara of Yojio Street, Kyoto”. (O-229) (P-151)
• Working in Shijo Street, Kyoto. (B-67)

ASADA Gōryu 浅田剛立(1734 to 1799)

• Designed a form of shaku dokei balance clock controlled by a long pendulum and light bob swinging at the side of the case, which had two crown-wheel escapements “Sui-yō-kyu-gi” (literally “Droop-swinging ball instrument”). It had two chapter rings. The outer one divided 1 to 10, with each division being again divided into tenths, and an inner one similarly divided. It had two hands, revolving round the inner and the outer chapter rings. The smaller dial below with its single hand follows the same divisions; so that presumably it was a decimal counter, dividing each numeral on the disk into tenths, hundredths, and thousandths. It was used by the astronomer Tadataka Inō, and was a treasured possession of his descendants. It is now in the Ōmi Jingu Shrine. The Suiyokyugi was directed by HAZAMA Shigetomi and made by TODA Tōzaburō. (B-47)

CHIKUGO 1797/8

• Working in Fukuoka Prefecture.

CHUZO

• Apprentice to the TSUDA clock making family. Wheel tooth cutter, etc. in making a clock for the lord of the Satsuma. (B-42)

FUJIWARA Kiri

• Working in Nagasaki. (B-67)

FUJIWARA Masatsugu 藤原正次

• Recorded as clockmaker working in Edo. (B-67)
• Named in the ZŌHO EDO SŌKANOKO MEISHO TAIZEN published in Edo in 1690. (B-70)

Ōmidaijo FUJIWARA Motonobu (Ōmidaijo is an honorary title.)近江大掾藤原元信

• Working in Ichijō Horikawa, Kyoto. (b67)

FUJIWARA Yoshishige 藤原喜誉 (“Yoshishige” is one of possibility to read these kanji characters and needs research.)

• Working in Nijo-dori, Kyoto. (B-67)
• See also: OBATA Eizo Fujiwara Norimasa.
• See also: IWAKUMO Sae FUJIWARA Kanetsugu.

FUWA Gembei

• As part of the handwritten kanji characters, J Drummond-Robertson writes “On the door of the stand is painted in black the inscription: “Made this – Gembei Fuwa – dwelling in – city – Owari Province”. (N-2)

HASEGAWA Chōemon(?) Kiyoshige (“Chōemon” is one of possibility to read these kanji or Japanese characters, the characters in this page might be misprint on the book, and need to research.) 長谷川長右門清茂 長谷川長右“衛”門清茂 (1818-1830)

• Working in Tsu, Sessyu. (B-70)
• Clock illustrated in book. (D-15
• Signed clock in possession of Ashley Strachan (web owner).
• 2 x signed clocks in Seiko Museum, Tokyo.

HATANAKA Ichizo 畑中一造

• Recorded in the “History of Onomachi”published by the Ono Town Office in 1929, as working in Nagoya. A student of INOUE Keishun. (B-68)

HAZAMA Shigetomi 間重富

• Astronomer and instrument maker. Possibly inventor of Double Foliot Balance (??).

HIRAYAMA Musashinojo or HIRAMA Musashi 平山武蔵之掾 (working 1684-1688)

• A master clockmaker working in Noboru-cho, Hachimancho, in Miyuki-cho, Kyoto. (B-70)
• Similar referenceIn Tsukada’s book, this maker working in Goko-machi, Kyoto. (B-67)
• 1686 – Named in an article published in KYO-HABUTAE, a guide book of Kyoto. (B-70)

HIROTA Riemon 広田理右衛門 (1760)

• Retained as a clock maker by the shogunate, or bakufu. (B-47)
• Surviving signed wadokei of 1760.
• Shogun’s resident clockmaker in Edo. (B-67)
• Produced the first kake dokei with adjustable weights in 1760.
• His sons succeeded him right up to the Meiji Restoration.

HIROSE, Taro 広瀬太郎

• Working in Nagasaki. (B-67)

HŌKYŌ Motosuke or “Motosa”

• Named in an article published in KYO-HABUTAE, a book about silk making, in 1686. (B-70)
• Working in Noburo-cho, Nakadachi-uri, Horikawa, Atari, Kyoto. (B-70)

HOSOKAWA Hanzo Yorinao 細川半蔵頼直 (1749-1796)

• Native of Tosa, Kochi Prefecture.
• ‘Karakuri Zui’ (‘Karakuri – An Illustrated Anthology’), published 1796. A work in three volumes dealing with mechanical toys and clocks, one volume being entirely devoted to clocks. It describes all the parts and the construction of a single-balance lantern clock, fully illustrated in diagram form.
• Since the technology used in the production of Japanese clocks was classified information at the time and only handed down to an apprentice, the book was revolutionary in the sense that it introduced the technology to the public.
• Mastered physics, mathematics, and astronomy, and was a calendar scholar to the Shogunate in the Kansei era.

Tokeiya ICHIROBEI 時計屋市郎兵衛

• “Tokeiya – clockshop”, because “Tokeiya Ichirobei” is the right title to identify the name of this maker.
• Receipt for clock described. (B-64)

Tokeiya ICHIZAEMON

• Working in Nagasaki. (B-67)

IIZUKA Igashichi 飯塚伊賀七

• Born in Hitachi, Ibaragi Prefecture. (L-9)

INOUE Keishun 井上恵春

• Recorded in the “History of Onomachi”published by the Ono Town Office in 1929, as born in Ōno-shijo (Owari-Ōno?), the commercial area of Ono, and returned there after studying clockmaking in Nagasaki. When he began producing clocks. He had many students. (B-68)

INOUE Yasuzō 井上安蔵

• Recorded in the “History of Onomachi”published by the Ono Town Office in 1929, as working in Nagoya. A student of INOUE Keishun. (B-68)

IWANO Tadayuki 岩野忠之

• Hanging clock with automatic waricoma dial. (C-Mar 2011)

IWAKUMO Sae FUJIWARA Kanetsugu 岩雲佐衛藤原賢次

• Possibly wrongly recorded as FUJIWARAKenji as working in Nijo-dori, Kyoto. (b-67)

IWAKUNI Sahei FUJIWARA Shigekata 岩国佐兵衛藤原重賢

• Working in Nijo-dori, Kyoto. (Q)

IYO Arimasa 伊豫在政

• 1829 – Yagura dokei with the automatic warikoma dial style. (C-Mar2014)
• 1834 – Wall clock with the pie chart style dial and the automatically extending and contracting hand. (C-Mar 2014)

KAGA

• Working in Ishikawa Prefecture.

KANEDA Ichibei (1880)

• Exhibited their imitations of imported clocks at the 2nd Domestic Industrial Exhibition. (L-10)

KANEMATSU Masatsura or Masatō 兼松正当

• 1804 to 1830 Working in Wakasa
• 1813 Produced the first kake-dokei with twin foliot (unreliable)

KANEKO Motosuke (1880)

• Exhibited their imitations of imported clocks at the 2nd Domestic Industrial Exhibition. (L-10)

KATŌ Otohachi might be KATŌ Otoya 加藤音八 or KANTO Otohachi

• Recorded in the “History of Onomachi”published by the Ono Town Office in 1929, as working in Nagoya. A student of INOUE Keishun. (B-68)

KATSURAGAWA Hoshū 桂川甫周 (1779–1810)

• The doctor served shogun and a friend of Isaac Titingh a Dutch company in Nagasaki. (B-66)

KIHEI or Kahei 嘉兵衛 (1797-8)

• Apprentice to the TSUDA clock making family. Supervisor of wheel filing, etc. in making a clock for the lord of the Satsuma. Listed with Kihei below. (B-42)
• Apprentice to Yorikata Sukezaemon Tsuda in making a clock for the lord of the Satsuma.

KINKOSHA (1875)

• A manufacturer by this name started making clocks, using a water mill as motive power.

KOBAYASHI Denjiro 小林伝次郎 (1848-1853)

• Made a bracelet watch with a musical box playing a folk song. (B-48)
• Musical Makura-dokei inscribed “Kaei period (1848-1854). Made by Denjiro Kobayashi in Edo.” (B-xix / Plate 15)
• Working in Edo during the Kaei era. (B-67)
• Reference. (F)
• Famous maker of mechanical devices and made a musical Makura Clock and a bracelet watch, Tokyo.
• Surviving clock. Working in province of Settsu – probably Osaka. (A)

KOBAYASHI Koki (c.1830)

• In addition to handwritten kanji characters, J D-R writes “Mr Iskiguro informed me (1917) that turning of metal (as the pillars) was not practised before about 1830 & in confirmation the back plate inside is engraved (on either side) with the makers name & date (most unusual). This reads translated “This clock was made by Kohei Kobayashi living in Settsu (province) in the 8th month of Sacred Year of Tem-po” = 1830 (Osaka is in Settsu)”.
• Further he writes “The name K. Koki Kobayashi may be “mitsu nori””. (N-23)
• Description of Fig.27. “Made by Koki Kobayayashi living in the province of Settsu in the 8th month of the second year Tempo period” = 1830As Osaka is in Setsu province, the clock-maker probably resided in that important city”. (O-254) (P-Lot173)

KUNOHE Tōkichi, (also translated as KOKONOE Fujikuchi) 九戸藤吉

• 1847 Made a large watch for Lord Junsho of Hirosaki Castle. The estimate details survive. (B-48)
• A retained clockmaker for the shogun with pay of 10 ‘kamme’ of silver. (B-67)
• Working in Hirosake. (B-70)

KOMAKI Kyoshichi (or Seishichi) 小牧清七

• Recorded in the “History of Onomachi” published by the Ono Town Office in 1929, as working in Nagoya. A student of INOUE Keishun. (N-25)

KONISHI

• Remains of a Makura Dokei described by J D-R as Bracket Clock.
• In addition to handwritten kanji characters, J D-R’shand writing scores out first column and rewrites as “Ko Nishi Saki (made this), or, Made this Nishi Ko”.
• Note: on page 5 when referring to another clock, it is stated “A present from R Konishi, Tokyo, Dec 1907”. This may, or may not, be relevant. (N-25)
• The clock referred to above is shown as Figs. 35 and 36, but makes no reference to maker. (O-260)
• Catalogue states “signed Ko Nishi”. (P-177

KŌNO Kichirōzaemon (Generation 1) 幸野吉郎左右衛門

• 1729 – Received orders from a daimyo. “When Lord Hosoi of Inaba, in eastern Tottori Prefecture, was in service in Edo, I was ordered to repair an ‘incense watch,’ or senko-dokei. This reveals that he received the shogun’s work by way of the Lord of Inaba, magistrate of Nagasaki. (B-32) (H)
• A retained clockmaker for the shogun in Nagasaki with pay of 10 kamme of silver. (B-67)
• Highly respected maker. (G-122)

KŌNO Kichirōshichi (Generation 2) 幸野吉郎七

• 1758 – There were no watch repairers in Edo, work was brought to Nagasaki. Kichirōshichi Kōno, following Kichirōzaemon, repaired the “striking incense watch” by order of Lord Tsubouchi Suruga, the magistrate of Nagasaki. This was in the time of the ninth shogun, Ieshige, who ruled from 1744 to 1760, when a watch of this complication would have had to have been imported.
• The aforementioned ‘incense watch,’senko-dokeir is assumed to have been a Western clockwatch, because although this was in the time of the eighth shogun, Yoshimune, who ruled from 1716 to 1744, even present-dayclockmakers and watchmakers call the mainspring container, or barrel, an’incense case,’ as its shape resembles an incense container.
• Working in Nagasaki. (B-67)

KŌNO Shigejiro (Generation 3) 幸野繁次郎

• 1771 – Working in Nagasaki. (B-67)

KŌNO Kichirōhachi (Generation 4)

• 1779 – Working in Nagasaki. (B-67)

KUCHIKI Masatsuna (1779-1819)

• A clockmaker friend of Isaac Titingh of a Dutch company in Nagasaki. (B-66)

MASAKICHI

• 1844 – Lived in Makitaka, suburb of Osaka. Made a small size finger-ring watch. In 1927, Hyoe Takabayashi reported that it is preserved by the Nishi-Honganji Temple.

MASATSUGU

• Working in Norimono-cho, Edo. (B-70)

MATSUDAIRA Izumo-no Kami

• Working in Matsue. (B-70)

MATAEMON

• 1797/8 – Apprentice to the TSUDA clock making family. Chief clock maker in making a clock for the lord of the Satsuma. (B-42)

MIHATA Eizo

• Working in Nagasaki. (B-67)

MIHATA Giemon

• Working in Nagasaki. (B-67)

MIHATA Shigetoshi

• Working in Nagasaki. (B-67)

MIYAKE Katsuji

• Named in an article published in KYO-HABUTAE, a book about silk making, in 1686. (B-70)
• Working in Ichijo Horikawa, Kyoto. (B-67)

MIYAKE Masatoshi

• Octagonal table clock with automatic waricoma dial. (C-Mar2011)

MIYAKE Miyake (?)

• Octagonal table clock with automatic waricoma dial. (C-Mar 2011)

MIYAKE Shokichi

• Bracket clock with automatic waricoma dial. (C-Mar 2011)

MIZUNO Ichiso

• 1880 – Exhibited their imitations of imported clocks at the 2nd Domestic Industrial Exhibition. (L-10)

MOTONOBU

Working in Kajibashi, Edo. (B-70)

MURAKAMI Hanbei (or Hanpei) Tsunefusa 村上半平常房

• 1812 – Maker of clock described in Edwardes book. (I)
• 1816 – Maker of a clock Inscribed on the movement: “Time telling bell with adjustable-chapter dial. The 13th year of Bunka (1816) Fire-rat (March). Made by Han-bei Murakami.” (B-67 Plate 10)
• Referenced. (B-67)

NAKAGAWA Jun-an

• 1779-1810 – A clockmaker friend of Isaac Titingh of a Dutch company in Nagasaki. (B-60)

OBATA Eizō Fujiwara Norimasa 御幡栄三藤原紀理

• “Norimasa” is one of possibility to read these kanji or Japanese characters, and needs to be researched.
• Working in Nagasaki.(B-67)

OBATA Shigetoshi

• Makura dokei mid-19th century. (G Lot 122)

OHNO Benkichi

• Working in Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture. (L-9)

OHNO Norichika

• A wadokei mechanic who post Edo Period worked for the government Mint and was known for his skill with imported machine tools.

ONO Tokusaburo

• Exhibited their imitations of imported clocks at the 2nd Domestic Industrial Exhibition, held around 1880. (L-10)

OHNO Yazaburo

ŌNUMA Rizaemon 大沼理左右衛門

• 1778 – Named as clockmaker on receipt. (B-65)

ŌMINOKAMAI Motonobu

• Named in the ZOHO EDO SOKANOKO MEISHO DAIZEN published in Edo in 1690. (B-70)
• Working in Edo. (B-70)

ŌNUMA Sōken

• Working in Edo. (B-67)

OKADA Yasuhei

• Working in Ichijo Horikawa, Kyoto. (B-67)

Tokeiya RIEMON

• 1690 – Working in Yumicho, Edo. (B-70)
• Named in the ZOHO EDO SOKANOKO MEISHO DAIZEN published in Edo in 1690. (B-70)

SAKATA Kosuke

• Working in Nijo-dori, Kyoto. (B-67)

SAKU Shigenori

• 1800Makura dokei. (G Lot 123)

SATO Eikichi refer B: SATO Nagakichi

• 1804 – 1818 – Working in Morioka during the Bunka era. (B-70)

SHIGEMASA

• Referenced. (B-70)

SHIMAMURA Motonobu

• Working in Edo. (B-67)

SHIMAMURA Yoshizo

• Working in Edo. (B-67)

SHIMOZUMA Yoshikazu

• 1830-1844Working in the castle town of Matsue, during the Tempo era. (B-70)

SHOKICHI

• 1830-1843A clockmaker in Osaka is purported to have made a ring watch. (B-48).

SUKESABURO

• 1797Assistant to Yorikata Sukezaemon Tsuda in making a clock for the lord of the Satsuma.

SUGIURA Jirokichi

• Recorded in the “History of Onomachi”published by the Ono Town Office in 1929, as working in Nagoya. A student of INOUE Keishun. (B-68)

TADATAKA Ino

• 1791The ASADA Goryu suiyokyugi may have been made by Tozaburo Toda, who was a technician, under the guidance of Goryu and in consultation with Ino Tadataka. (B-47)

TAKAGI Chuzo

• Manager of the TSUDA clock making family when making a clock in 1797-8 for the lord of the Satsuma.

TAKEDA Ōmi

• There was an ingenious clockmaker, who’s works were greatly appreciated in the Imperial Court. He developed new karakuri dolls inspired by ordinary experiences, such as watching children playing with sand, and brought them to the court.
• Beginning with a play using karakuri dolls in Dohtonbori, Osaka , he also influenced the Japanese puppet drama ningyo-johruri. This form of puppet drama is still loved by many people in Japan. In this way, karakuri became familiar not only to the nobility, but also to the common people.

TAKEDA Ohmi

• Originally a karakuri (automaton) maker and became clock maker. Started karakuri performances in 1662.

TAKEI

• (B-70)

TAKEUCHI Genbei

• Recorded in the “History of Onomachi” published by the Ono Town Office in 1929, as working in Nagoya. A student of INOUE Keishun. (B-68)

TAKEUCHI Tsunekichi

• Recorded in the “History of Onomachi”published by the Ono Town Office in 1929, as working in Nagoya. A student of INOUE. (B-68)

TANAKA Hisashige (Generation 1)

• See separate web page.

TANAKA Hisashige (Generation 2)

• Working in Hitachi, Ibaragi Prefecture (L)
• The successor to TANAKA Hisashige I, he established Tanaka Seisakujo and produced measuring devices, home appliances, machine tools, cables and iron bridges. Tanaka Seisakujo became Shibaura Seisakujo and then Tokyo Shibaura Seisakujo, which led to the current name Toshiba.
• Working in Ichijo Horikawa, Kyoto. (B-67)

TANAKA Ichiemon

• Working in Edo. (B-67)
• Named in the ZOHO EDO SOKANOKO MEISHO DAIZEN published in Edo in 1690. (B-70)

TANAKA Seisuke

• A wadokei mechanic who post Edo Period worked for the government Telegraph Office and was known for his skill with imported machine tools.

TODA Tozaburo

• 1791The ASADA Goryu suiyokyugi may have been made by Tozaburo Toda, who was a technician, under the guidance of Goryu and in consultation with Ino Tadataka. (B-47, 64, 67)

TOKIMORI

• Clockmaker in Sendai. (B-7o)

TSUDA Sukezaemon Masayuki (Generation 1)

• The father of Japanese clocks.
• See separate web page.

TSUDA Sukezaemon Seinuki(?) (Generation 2)

• 1639

TSUDA Sukezaemon Nobutsura (Generation 3)

• 1688Double foliot clock. (C-Mar 2010)

TSUDA Sukezaemon Shinnuki(?) (Generation 4)

• 1678, 1686 & 1688.

TSUDA Sukezaemon Shinmin(?) (Generation 5)

• 1703.

TSUDA Sukezaemon Katsuji (Generation 6)

• 1710, 1738 & 1778.(?)

TSUDA Sukezaemon Yorikata (Generation 7)

• 1792Clock movement “Made by Yorikata Tsuda in the fourth year of the Kansei era; Rat year”. (B-vii Plate 3)
• 1797Yorikata Sukezaemon Tsuda, the seventh descendant of Masayuki Sukezaemon, was, in 1797 (Kansei 9), requested by the Lord of Owari to make a standing clock, Yagura-dokei, for presentation to Bungo-no-Kami-Matsudaira, the daimyo of Satsuma.
• A bill for the expense of making the clock is recorded. This work was started on 20 April 1797, Serpent year, the ninth year of Kansei (1789-1801), and was completed on 16 February the next year. On 23 February it was sent to Edo.
• Also, instructions are given to engrave into both front posts of the clock movement the name of the seventh Sakuzaemon Tsuda, who designed this Yagura-dokei, and who was the finisher-adjuster and general supervisor, as follows: “Torisuke Sukezaemon Tsuda, a clockmaker in Owari, made this in Kansei 10, Tsuchi-no-e Uma, the Earth-Horse year” (1798).

TSUDA Sukezaemon Yorisuke (Generation 8)

• 1789, 1792 & 1797 – A son of the TSUDA clock making family, who designed the Yagura-dokei, and who was finisher adjuster and general supervisor, and whose name was instructed to be engraved on the two front pillars of a clock made in 1797-8 for the lord of the Satsuma as follows:
• “Yorisuke Sukezaemon Tsuda, a clockmaker of Owari, made this in Kansei 10, Tsuchi-no-e Uma, the Earth-Horse year.”
• It took eleven months for the Tsuda family to make the wa-dokei for the Lord of Satsuma. The price was very high, because wa-dokei mechanics did not use lathes or gear-cutting machines.

TSUDA Sukezaemon Seitoshi(?) (Generation 9)

• 1811 – ??

TSUDA Sukezaemon Masashino (?) (Generation 10)

• 1830 & 1836 – ??

TSUDA Sukezaemon Yoakiro(?) (Generation 11)

• 1853 – ??

TSUDA Sukezaemon Yorikata (Generation 12)

• ??

UENO Toshinojo

• 1843A merchant and the official clockmaker in Nagasaki, tried to import a complete set of the equipment necessary to produce daguerreotypes, but unfortunately he was not successful and according to contemporary records, it was not until five years later, in 1848, that it finally arrived.

WATANABE Kurasuke

WATANABE Yuemon

• Working in Nagasaki. (B-67)

YAMAMOTO Kanemon

• Working in Edo. (B-67)

YAMATOYA Ihei

• Referenced. (B-70)

YOSHIBEI

• 1797Apprentice to the TSUDA clock making family. Was contracted as Adjuster in the making a clock for the lord of the Satsuma but was absent because of an eye infection.

YOSHIKAWA Tsuruhiko

• Clock repairer from Fukagawa. First employee of Kintaro Hattori (1860-1934) when he founded the Hattori Seiko Co. (later to become Seiko).

YOSHINORI

• Referenced. (B-70)

YOSHITAKA

• (B-70)