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Begin Japanology

S4 · E28 — Traditional Japanese Mathematics

S4:E28 · Traditional Japanese Mathematics

Episodes

43 episodes in this season

Mochi Rice Cake

28 min

Watches and Clocks

Watches and Clocks

28 min

Fugu Blowfish

28 min

Haneda Airport

28 min

Kagura Dances

28 min

Snow

28 min

Pollen Allergy

28 min

Sashimono Woodwork

28 min

Cranes

28 min

Kitchen Knives

28 min

Fishing

28 min

Armour

Armour

28 min

Judo

28 min

The Life of Taro Okamoto

28 min

The Life of Osamu Dazai

28 min

The Life of Kenzo Tange

28 min

The Life of Hideko Maehata

28 min

Toilets

Toilets

28 min

Lifts

28 min

Motorcycles

28 min

Unagi Eel

Unagi Eel

28 min

Japanophiles - Ilan Yanizky

28 min

Japanophiles - Silvain Guignard

28 min

Japanophiles - Stéphane Danton

28 min

Japanophiles - Dorothy Feibleman

28 min

Plastic Food Samples

28 min

Insects

28 min

Traditional Japanese Mathematics

28 min

Bicycles

Bicycles

28 min

Chusonji

Chusonji

28 min

Seaweed

Seaweed

28 min

Charcoal

Charcoal

28 min

Rain

Rain

28 min

Golf

Golf

28 min

Shipbuilding

Shipbuilding

28 min

Japanophiles - Bruce Huebner

28 min

Japanophiles - Noelke Muho

28 min

Japanophiles - Matt Alt

28 min

Karaoke

28 min

Holidays

28 min

Red Sea Bream

Red Sea Bream

28 min

Shopping Streets

28 min

Chickens and Eggs

Chickens and Eggs

28 min

Begin Japanology

TV Series

200828m8.0

Documentary

Now playing

Traditional Japanese Mathematics

Season 4 · Episode 28 · Sep 1, 2011

Imagine that you have two equally-sized square sheets of paper. How would you cut each sheet of paper so that the pieces could be combined to make one larger square? This problem comes from Japan's indigenous mathematics tradition, wasan. In the 17th century and beyond, wasan enjoyed great and widespread popularity. Tablets with math problems written on them can be found in some Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Japanese mathematical genius Seki Takakazu raised wasan to perhaps its highest level. He revealed an understanding of mathematics that, in some respects, was ahead of Western knowledge of the time. In the late 19th century, wasan was replaced by Western-style mathematics and fell into obscurity, but now wasan is enjoying a revival. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is traditional Japanese mathematics. By examining the history of wasan, we will reveal the Japanese attitude towards math.

Begin Japanology

TV Series

200828m8.0

Documentary

Now playing

Traditional Japanese Mathematics

Season 4 · Episode 28 · Sep 1, 2011

Imagine that you have two equally-sized square sheets of paper. How would you cut each sheet of paper so that the pieces could be combined to make one larger square? This problem comes from Japan's indigenous mathematics tradition, wasan. In the 17th century and beyond, wasan enjoyed great and widespread popularity. Tablets with math problems written on them can be found in some Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Japanese mathematical genius Seki Takakazu raised wasan to perhaps its highest level. He revealed an understanding of mathematics that, in some respects, was ahead of Western knowledge of the time. In the late 19th century, wasan was replaced by Western-style mathematics and fell into obscurity, but now wasan is enjoying a revival. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is traditional Japanese mathematics. By examining the history of wasan, we will reveal the Japanese attitude towards math.