How Christians Introduced the First Mechanical Clocks to Japan for GOD

The Jesuits use clock diplomacy in Japan.
0:00 Starting the clock revolution
1:17 Clock diplomacy
5:42 Why the Japanese couldn’t use European clocks
7:23 Useless for time, perfect for clout
9:23 The Japanese learn to make clocks
NEED FOOD =)
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SOURCES
🔸 Jesuits and Western Clock in Japan’s “Christian Century”: brill.com/view/journals/jjs/7...
🔸 A Historical Overview of Japanese Clocks and Karakuri: link.springer.com/chapter/10....
🔸 Diplomatic Devices: Social Lives of Foreign Timepieces: brill.com/view/journals/kron/...
🔸 daily.jstor.org/a-tale-of-two...
🔸 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanes...
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#JapaneseHistory #HistoryOfJapan #Linfamy

[@Linfamy]

These clocks actually look pretty cool. I need to buy more clocks, please help me do that: www.patreon.com/Linfamy

[@WanJae42]

What's the current conversion rate between rice and clocks?

[@zionleach3001]

Didn't know japan had a thing against clocks. Probably worried it would turn into a yokai.

[@mistmanjones3555]

Please cover the effect of Christianity on Japan such as the revolts and how it led to isolationism! It’s a pretty niche topic but very interesting

[@EternalResonance]

1:34 Masamune Shirow was making books back then too of course. Glad to know you're a fan as well

[@AhMotherland]

"I showed you my clock. Please reply." - Francis Xavier, 1551

[@JonWintersGold]

"Just show them your big clock". Seriously Linfamy has a way of making any scenario dodgy.

[@NotSomeJustinWithoutAMoustache]

Him and Zefrank, although Linfamy makes it less obvious imo.

[@gehrigstory6674]

Clock-a-doodle-doo!!! Oh, wait.🐔

[@joecaner]

The Jesuits were clock-blocked.

[@avrahamvidal4255]

@@joecaner LOL 😂

[@leandrokynortas9473]

How in the hell is Nobunaga almost always (burning the temple was a dumb move) the only sane man here? Everyone: "Foreigners? EVIL!" Nobunaga: "...actually, they have different tech, why don't we try to learn it and improve some stuff here?"

[@mariox204]

I guess thats how you conquer a aislationist nation? By being a little bit less xenophobic to make more alliances?

[@DarkWizard33451]

Fun fact: much of Europe originally had the same type of hour as Japan (also called, "the true hour"), but switched to equal hours because they valued accurate timekeeping over the idealized daily Office times (i.e. the times monks were supposed to pray)

[@gwammeh]

“…it was a tightly-controlled tour, is what I’m saying.” Me, from a modern monarchy: Ah yes, I’m familiar with the idea.

[@Jobe-13]

The Japanese way of telling time makes sense in a way.

[@penelopegreene]

That sums up every other culture's relationship with the Japanese! XD "Hey! I just saw the Japanese do something. Whao--WAIT??? That actually kinda makes sense, in a way..." 0.o

[@Libbathegreat]

I think it's way more sensible than western time keeping. The day starts when the sun's up, period.

[@ChasmChaos]

@@Libbathegreat you must be a big fan of daylight saving time then.

[@Libbathegreat]

@@ChasmChaos I'm in favor of permanent DST versus switching back and forth twice a year. But that's only one side of the equation. I'd prefer a lot more flexibility on work/business/school hours depending on local conditions and what latitude you're at etc. You can still have international time keeping and accept that business hours/school hours and so forth are going to vary from region to region.

[@Mikeztarp]

It only makes sense when the best way to keep time you have is sundials. Westerners did the same thing before they figured out a better way.

[@Libbathegreat]

I never knew about Japan's clock-worshipping phase 😏 Makes sense the Jesuits used clocks as a missionizing tool. The world's first ever fully mechanical clocks were installed in the 12th cent. not to tell time but to regulate the tolling of church bells ("clock" comes from the German "Glocke", or "bell"). These clocks didn't even have a face. The bells only tolled at the hours of the numerous daily services. Getting the Japanese intrigued enough by clocks to adopt Western time-keeping would've been a clever backdoor cultural wedge for Christian assimilation to slip through.

[@Mikeztarp]

According to etymonline, "clock" comes from Medieval Latin "clocca" (which probably comes from Celtic), but it does mean "bell". What I think is even nicer is it's originally onomatopoeic. In Japanese, the kanji for time, 「時」, is composed of 「日」, "sun", and 「寺」, "temple", and I've heard this was because the temples also rang bells to mark the passage of time.

[@alex_zetsu]

It doesn't seem the Jesuits used them as a missionizing tool at first. If we take what Linfamy said at face value, they just noticed the Japanese really liked clocks. So unless there is a part he skipped, the clocks were just one of many things they brought with them at first and then they noticed the attention it got.

[@francisnopantses1108]

Makes sense on two levels. One, linfamy has already described the Japanese fervor for Chinese bronze mirrors in antiquity. These import curios have great cache. (Not just to Japanese. For example in early medieval Europe people have been found buried with tourist truckers from the Holy Land.) Second, Japan is famous for brands like Seiko. It's like seeing the birth of that industry.

[@francisnopantses1108]

@@Mikeztarp Etymonline is a good source but keep in mind some are disputed and that won't be reflected there as a tertiary source. As for the character for ji, it comes from Chinese. The folk etymologies for kanji are better as mnemonic devices than taken seriously. Most Chinese characters have a sound component relating to Old Chinese, sometimes Early Middle Chinese. ( Or contemporary Mandarin in the case of Chinese simplified characters.) They really aren't complicated ideographs but rather a rebus. I have heard the same thing before about this character but knowing what I know now I would be skeptical.

[@WildBillCox13]

"Just show them-" -said Socrates never. Great stuff, Lin. Liked and gladly shared.

[@Linfamy]

Thanks! :)

[@WildBillCox13]

"Which annoyed . . ."

[@Periwinkleaccount]

@@Linfamy are you continuing it the reply chain?

[@onetwo9500]

Your big clock

[@halg3625]

Now, the strange clock in "Majora's Mask" makes total sense. Even the Angry Video Game Nerd couldn't understand why the only 2 numbers, on the clock, were both 6. I learn so many interesting things from this channel.

[@veronicasponchia5838]

Your humor is pure treasure beyond all clocks

[@ghillieguy52]

it's not the size of the clock that matters, it's how you divvy up the hours.

[@cjacree3701]

Omg yay a new video. My family was seriously having limfamy withdrawals. Your comedy gold. 🥰

[@tripple-a6031]

Gotta love both the small clocks and the big clocks.

[@BatCountryAdventures]

"The Japanese can make some pretty neat things when they put their minds to it" So they eventually became such amazing watchmakers that Switzerland cancelled their horology accuracy competition because the Japanese kept winning them. The Japanese also later brought about the "Quartz Crisis" that decimated the Switzerland watchmaking industry.

[@blenderbanana]

I want to learn more!

[@steve1978ger]

"uneven" hours were used in Europe, too, from the old Greeks well into the middle ages.

[@thareqprimaharianto8725]

This is one time in Japanese history when letter "L" is very important

[@stanisawzokiewski3308]

So the Japanese really love westerner's big clocks, that are hard to find in Japan

[@Linfamy]

Foreigners had huge clocks

[@Embassy_of_Jupiter]

They are indeed Big in Japan

[@ZarlanTheGreen]

Having relative/varying time periods, based on the length of time from sunrise to sunset, was actually also used in "the West", further in the past. It's probably pretty much what was used by every society, when they first split the days up, in time periods. Uniform time, came later, as a consequence of developing methods to measure time. You could say that clocks created the objective/set time periods.

[@francisnopantses1108]

Yep, that was how solar clocks worked.

[@ZarlanTheGreen]

@@francisnopantses1108 No. Sundials shadows the exact same place, at (say) 11:00, every day, regardless of how long/short the day is.

[@marcosalmeida3947]

@@ZarlanTheGreen Say what..? I know things are like that in the equator, but not in other latitudes. Could you explain how that works?

[@ZarlanTheGreen]

@@marcosalmeida3947 I don't get what you're saying.

[@marcosalmeida3947]

@@ZarlanTheGreen You said solar clocks dial the exact same place at exactly the same time every day. I asked how that works away from the equator, as the solar noon changes visibly trough the year on these regions.

[@Dfathurr]

So basically. Clocks for Sengoku Daimyo were equals of bronze for Yayoi Aristocracy, Howitzers for Meiji Nobles, and Figurines for Modern Weebs. They didn't really know or understand wht they want it. But they want it anyway

[@francisnopantses1108]

Lmao

[@carolinnelemos9053]

Laughed out loud with: "Ah another amazon card from cousin Jobunaga, I think he wants to marry my daughter." 🤣🤣🤣

[@michaelmoorrees3585]

"The Japanese can make nice things". And when this video ended, KZbin stuck in a Toyota commercial.

[@Linfamy]

Toyotas are definitely nice :)

[@ZarlanTheGreen]

Ah, mechanical clocks! Didn't know their introduction to Japan, was connected to religion. I look forward to a wadokei video, soon. I'd kinda like to have a wadokei (preferably electric, to avoid maintenance), though only as a novelty. For actual time keeping, I strictly stick to modern electric digital timepieces …with the exception of wall clocks, and also a pocket watch (electric), to wear with formal wear.

[@silveryuno]

9:54 If a Japanese said that to me I would reply "Oxalá". It's a portuguese word that comes from "'in shah Allah", meaning "If God wants".

[@ngamashaka4894]

Catholics developed clocks because of the monks praying schedule: 3 times 8 hours. 8 hours praying, 8 hours sleeping and 8 hours working.

[@francisnopantses1108]

They had to inflict sleep deprivation on monks so they would quit masturbating. If you look at real schedules from strict monasteries actually monks got much less than 8hrs sleep and nodding off during prayer or work was not uncommon. They also abstained from meat because meat was believed to increase carnal (fleshly) desires. Nuns meanwhile were typically underfed and some were anorexic. Having a curvy body was considered base and animalistic, so the goal was to become like a male eunuch.

[@ngamashaka4894]

@@francisnopantses1108 You really think this shit ?

[@Lady_Chalk]

I'm thinking about Samurai Champloo

[@ironwolf5802]

It's fascinating how fascinated people were about clocks. Makes me wonder how they would see watches being a tiny clock on the wrist.

[@Americanbadashh]

Yes Japanese clock video please

[@Divorceja]

I didn't know about the Jesuits and the Japanese and their link to clocks. Good Education, Lin!

[@LloydSeven]

Good timing for this video. Thanks.

[@ShesquatchPiney]

Learned so much!

[@Iskaid]

I really need a source for the assalaamu'alaikum part 😂 I was so confused and had to go back and watch it again

[@Linfamy]

:p

[@Iskaid]

@@Linfamy I could believe it, especially since the Islamic empire had already reached the Malay Archipelago and Mainland Southeast Asia by that point and surely they would have heard tales of Muslim-Christian battles

[@ADayintheLifeoftheTw]

I always loved the clip of this one kid who just said "eggs salami bacon."

[@mogts]

Was that a joke or a true story? I honestly can't tell.

[@bmw3-er]

@@ADayintheLifeoftheTw 😂

[@lektik2941]

I'll never get over just how WIDE seated nobles are illustrated in Japanese history!

[@Ulmicola]

This video is one letter away from becoming a tale of unbridled lust and unchecked passion. Nice.

[@Fenrisson]

Loved the video! It was very interesting and funny. Keep it up!

[@eyuelnegash2681]

Linfamy you make my day💚

[@Lucious410]

Interesting video, thanks 😊

[@dameneko]

Please make a video about wadokei!! It would be so epic!

[@alexandredelavant7844]

Nice video like always! Hope to hearing you again soon!

[@kamimaminamisami7078]

More videos about clocks please!

[@rustyschackleford4762]

Man this video is definitely ranking up there as one of your best works thus far (imo)!

[@djryken]

You are such a great writer with charismatic delivery, thank you!

[@jasonfurumetarualkemisto5917]

Just found this channel, subscribed

[@Goddot]

As most of Japan is subtropical their day/night shifts are way faster than in the more northern Europpean lands, which kinda explains how it can be seen as a good point of the day to measure time. Wheen night falls in 15 minutes it's esier to pinpoint it than when it takes 2 hours.

[@haphazardlark1502]

Whenever you see a chance at a rhyming or alliteration scheme, you go for it. As it should be.

[@lektik2941]

Linfamy, I love your sense of humor. Your videos always make me laugh, while also being very informative!

[@caseyclayton7793]

This is super fascinating, working in the field of watch repair I always find it interesting to see how different cultures viewed time differently. Would love to learn more abythe later clocks

[@Replicaate]

This whole time (hah!) I had absolutely no idea that Japan measured time completely different from Europeans. Thanks, Lin!

[@tyn999]

I always enjoy your videos! It's a fun way to learn about Japanese culture!

[@roywongjianchung4533]

to this day many japanese still confuse about 24hr clock system. They worked until 10PM night everyday thinking it is still early for the day.

[@charliem5254]

Love me some linfamy

[@Jumpoable]

Them clock jokes & the clock rhyme made me spit out my tea.

[@jamcalx]

1:34 OH YOOOOOOOU! *cue laugh track*

[@DonnaBarrHerself]

Whoa. This gives a whole new spin on the fourth episode of the movie Kwaidan.

[@Stellarseacowz]

Finally a new video

[@blindpilot3849]

What a timely video, I love all your vids big time Linfamy! 😁

[@jayraweater]

@6:17 that's Vancouver, that house is down the street from me!

[@Linfamy]

Wow!

[@dhebert81]

Awesome!

[@Maddin1313]

I'd love to hear about these Japanese time compliant clocks!

[@darthclaire7179]

“Why would those idiots not switch to a measurement that was consistent and logical!” *measures something in inches* “oh, never mind, I get it.”

[@ChasmChaos]

To be fair, imperial units is consistent. It's just that conversions are arbitrary and hard to do on the fly, something that metric fixes with a 10-based conversion factor. Having a system of time where the length of an hour changes based on the day of the year seems way more silly. Labourers must have hated summer.

[@darthclaire7179]

@@ChasmChaos my main point here is the people tend to cling to things that they are used to even when presented with a more logical system

[@ChasmChaos]

@@darthclaire7179 that's true. I remember reading about a 10-based time system that was proposed as well. A day has 10 hours, each hour having 100 minutes or so etc. Didn't gain traction. Nice username BTW.

[@maxasaurus3008]

Hey Linfamy: can you do a episode on hikikomori? Thanks man keep up the classic work!

[@Holsp]

Wait wait wait wait. You showed the Prague Orloj clock. I need to know, were there Japanese people in Prague? If so, circa what year would that be?

[@Linfamy]

No, they did not visit not Prague. I was just using a stock image of the Prague clock.

[@deathdoor]

3:25 "he had a lot of time on his hands" Good job.

[@petiaivailova2563]

Casio is one of my favorite brands - quality and affordable!

[@iglybo]

very interesting!

He doesn’t mispeak ‘’clock’’ just once eh? :o

[@alderoth01]

This was informative and hilarious 😂😂😂. "Just show them your clock" 😂😂😂.

[@ashleyklump4638]

Please! Make a video about the Japanese clocks! Pretty please!

[@Linfamy]

;)

[@karenburrows9184]

And now we have Seiko. Thank you, Jesuits! Who knew? Linfamy, that's who. PS: Love the rhyming.

[@francisnopantses1108]

Tell us more about the special clocks! Was the Japanese time system based on China? It sounds similar but not the same. They had two hour long hours during the day and three hour long watches at night. I get the impression their time also changed with the seasons, eg maoshi is always dawn. Sishi (4th hour?) follows maoshi, although noon is called wu, character looks like bull but isn't.

[@mrcellophane226]

9:58 SOURCE

[@Linfamy]

👀

[@plumcorp.1024]

Your faithful dog is back!

[@RLTea]

HAHAHAHA thank you for the sarcasm in this video

[@Embassy_of_Jupiter]

9:54 I can really appreciate the pettiness

[@garthst.claire3459]

The Ancient Romans did the same thing with the day and night always being 6 hours long each no matter the season, with the same problem that in summer "day" hours were longer, and night hours were shorter, just like described here.

[@victoriawilliams2786]

And here I am on the eve of Daylight Saving Time, where we turn our clocks back an hour in Maine and many other US states. 😂

[@sunkuu]

How the tables turn, from the Japanese being known for being late to the Westerners now lol

[@herrerasauro7429]

A great video, but you could have at least mentioned the reasons sentiments against jesuists changed. The "annoying habit" portuguese had back then of kidnapping people as slaves may have something to do with it.

[@like90]

“Clock blocked” lmao 😂

[@strongback6550]

As someone from Finland, the concept of hours being determined by these day/night cycle seems silly to me. We would need to scratch off the entire summer from the calendar with this method of timekeeping due to midnight sun as well as needing to somehow cram 12 hours into 6 in winters

[@ABW941]

Is there a Linfamy video about japanese automatons?

[@armalvior]

Take a shot of tequila everytime Linfamy say CLOCK... WE'LL BE DAMNED AND DRUNK.

[@jeffwolcott7815]

Just like the Chinese Bronze Bells fad a few hundred years before.

[@xra_fan01]

Though personally, I believe the watch is the most efficient way to whip out your clock.

[@freezvitamin]

big, beautiful clocks always make japanese crazy.

[@lyndsaybrown8471]

From bells to clocks, the Japan story.

[@f.b.l.9813]

I should go to Japan and show them my Big, Study Clock!

[@ScarletRebel96]

Its because of European clockwork mechanics that the japanese eventually invented Karakuri dolls which were essentially the first real robots in history

[@ZarlanTheGreen]

Sorry to disappoint out, but Europeans and Middle Easterners made tons of mechanical stuff, much like karakuri dolls, long before clockwork mechanics were introduced to Japan. You should look into it. They made some rather interesting/fascinating stuff. No less so, than the Japanese karakuri stuff. (which is also interesting/fascinating, of course)

[@rizkiramadhan9266]

Arabs made robots earlier.

[@ZarlanTheGreen]

@@rizkiramadhan9266 Not all Middle Easterners were/are Arabs. A lot of the "Arabs" you speak of, were Persians, Kurds, Jew, Armenians, Assyrians, Turks, etc etc

[@rizkiramadhan9266]

@@ZarlanTheGreen true

[@ScarletRebel96]

@@ZarlanTheGreen damn guess my information took a big L, but history is one of the few things im glad to be corrected on tho

[@harshadkishor9768]

Hey sir please explain sumo wrestling

[@knHebrew]

Oh wow

[@obdalamfa4254]

Please talk about japanese clock

[@iris3mily104]

First! 🙌🏾

[@Linfamy]

Close! :p

[@quincyferdanand3125]

@@Linfamy hey can you do a video on Shinto view of god/gods compared to Christianity/Abrahamic view or conception. And also a way the Japanese rejected Christianity and fought off colonization or foreign European influences. Like the Japanese will practice Shinto but they won’t consider themselves religious or Shinto a religion

[@mllhild]

Masamune Shirow, thats some good taste there. Indeed a wonder of the world made by Masamune-Kami-sama

[@bigfootpart4therevengeancing]

Maybe this explains why Japan formed a certain alliance with Das Vaterland not too long ago. I have to admit, though, those brass clocks are pretty impressive.

[@AngelicHalfblood]

Wait... I heard that 2:00am in Japan was bewitching hour, or the time where spooky stuff happens. So what time would that be be in European time?

[@mauzki-]

Japans are pretty big in Japan to this day, like they really do like the collectable designer ones, to the point it's actually the cheapest way to get a zodiac watch is sometimes from a Japanese seller.

[@Cam-jam]

Fin fact during rebelion where the Christians were aided by the portagese the monarch was empress Meishō she was only 12 at the time and was 5 when she ttok the throne!

[@shaider1982]

I wonder if the knowhow to build these clocks where tramsfered to making tea-serving windup geisha-doll. One maker's company ended up becoming part of what became Toshiba.

[@francisnopantses1108]

Wait.... Mechanical geishas were real? ( If you don't know, there's a classic Star Trek episode in which Nurse Christine Chapel's fiance dumps her for an android, and Chapel angrily refers to her as a mechanical geisha.)

[@shaider1982]

​​​​@@francisnopantses1108 more like a little doll dressed up like a geisha and has wheels. The doll is complex and is activated when a cup is placed on it and moves in a certain pattern as seen in this video:kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2PQmKlur9J9Z6c

[@roelant8069]

Having a set number of hours in the day no matter how long the day took is not an exclusively Japanese thing by the way It's how the Romans kept time too, but using the now familiar 24 hours per day. But unlike the modern clock the first hours of day and night started at sunrise and sunset

[@jharbin4409]

Presumptuous little euro clocks. Just gonna ring a bell to announce the hour at any time!