Genzo Shimazu(1829-1870, 1869-1951)
Born as the second son of Kiyobei, a Buddhist and religious utensil artisan. The first generation Genzo studied science at the Shamitsu kyoku and in 1875, he began working in the family factory, making science tools for educational purposes. In 1877, upon an order from the Kyoto Precture, he made a successful lift off of an air baloon at the Imperial Palace and received the praise and applause of observers. In 1882, he published "A Table for Scientific Tools," which was the first catalog of science tools produced in Japan, recording approximately 110 kinds of science tools. The first son of the first generation Genzo, Umejiro (the second generation Shimazu Genzo) continued experimenting in the spirit of his father and built upon his research. In 1884, at age sixteen, he built the first electric generator in Japan. In 1895, he successfully tested battery poles and in the following year, in 1896, when Roentgen discovered the X-ray, Shimazu succeded in photographing X-rays. He also built X-ray equipments for medical treatment, made batteries and developed a variety of new technologies. In 1930, he was recognized as one of the ten greatest Japanese intenventors.



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