Is forgotten Japanese technology making a comeback? Why was Japanese technology so advanced in the past?

Thursday 12/12/2024 | 19:29 PM

As civilization progresses, some technologies are forgotten. In this article, I will tell you about three legendary technologies lost in Japan that have made a comeback.

Koto (old sword)

Koto is one of the Japanese swords. As the name suggests, it is an “old sword”, made between 800 and 1595 AD, and is characterized by its straight blade, which is not warped like the Japanese swords you may be familiar with. The sword is said to have a risk of breaking because of this, but it is said to be the sharpest of all Japanese swords.

All the materials and production methods were secrets passed down by mouth from master to apprentice, but this is no longer the case. After much research, a manufacturing method was found in 1996, and the technique was revived after 800 years. They are indeed really sharp, but it is also said that it is not as sharp as the preserved ancient sword, so it isn’t a complete revival at this point in time.

Gilding

Gilding has been used on Japanese buildings since ancient times. However, the method has not been feasible until now. Gold plating on steel was just not possible, and the technique used in ancient buildings was a mystery. This is being revived in modern times. It was achieved when copper was accidentally mixed in during the gilding production process. It is used on buildings that are more than 1,000 years old, but why such technology existed remains a mystery.

Universal clock

This ultra-high-performance clock was manufactured in 1851.

As it is mechanical, the mechanism needs to be wound up, but only once a year. It is said to be able to tell not only the time and date but also the movements of the sun and moon at the same time. It was impossible to reproduce because it was so difficult to understand. After the death of its inventor, it became a lost technology, but more than 100 craftsmen and experts spent a year trying to restore it as a national project, and as a result, it has been restored after 154 years.

Although everything has digital capabilities these days, if it is possible to make such elaborate machines, the technology can be applied to other industries besides watchmaking.

Despite the celebratory return of these technologies, the question remains: How were the Japanese able to make such achievements in the past? Besides Japan, there are many other places in the world where technologies have been lost, the manufacturing methods of which remain unknown.

Were there exceptional geniuses who appeared by chance, or were the technologies the work of extra-terrestrials or people from the future? What do you think?

ABE KENGO