Shinnin Kawaguchi (河口 信任 1736–1811)

The first man in Japan to perform and compile his work’s results on head and eyeball dissection.

A sculpture of Shinnin Kawaguchi (By courtesy of the Koga Museum of History.)

Dissection Knives and Compilations (By courtesy of the Koga Museum of History.)

Born in the Doi family of the Karatsu Clan (now Karatsu City in Saga prefecture), Shinnin left for Nagasaki at the age of 23 in order to study medecine. He graduated from the surgical department where he obtained a Kurisaki-style training certification. He subsequently moved to Koga after Lord Toshisato Doi decided to transfer the entire Clan there. Following his Lord Toshisato who had assumed office within the Kyoto Shoushidai (an important administrative and political office in the early modern government of Japan), Shinnin mainly spent his time dissecting human bodies, under license from the Shoushidai. His findings were compiled in a book called “Kaishihen” (“Corpse Analysis”) Some small knives used during his autopsies are still available today, and since they are the oldest existing dissecting knives to date, they are considered as a material of immense value.

Japanese version of this article available here.