Gen'emon Imamura: CHRONOLOGY |
| Kanbun11 | (1671) | Imamura Gen'emon is born in Nagasaki as son of Imamura Ichizaemon, "internal intepreter" (naitsûji) at the Dutch trading post Dejima. |
| Genroku 3 | 1690 | The German traveller EngelbertKaempfer arrives in Japan. While working as the trading post physician he starts his intensive investigations into the country, its people and their history. Luckily Gen'emon becomes his "chamber assistent" (heya-kozukai). While beeing taught Dutch and absorbing Western knowledge Gen'emon returns these favors by procuring Japanese books and other materials and helping Kaempfer to get a better understanding of Japan. |
| Genroku 4 | 1691 | Gen'emon accompanies Kaempfer to the court in Edo. |
| Genroku 5 | 1692 | Second journey to the court in Edo. |
| Genroku 7 | 1694 | Due to health problems Gen'emon's father resigns after 14 years of service. |
| Genroku 8 | 1695 | Gen'emon passes an examination and is appointed "trainee interpreter" (keikotsûji). This is the lowest official rank interpreters could attain at Dejima. |
| Genroku 9 | 1696 | After only one year Gen'emon is promoted to "junior interpreter" (kotsûji). This extremely rare carrier jump indicates Gen'emon's abilities and his successful interactions in the closely knit society of Nagasaki. |
| Hôei 4 | 1707 | Gen'emon is promoted "senior interpreter" (ôtsûji), the highest rank only attained by a minority among Dutch interpreters. Any further carrier step is confined to special functions in addition to this rank. |
| Hôei5 | 1708 | Gen'emon is appointed "junior annual interpreter" (nenban-kotsûji). In this position he represents the interpreters at the trading post Dejima. At the end of 1708 he works as an interpreter during the interrogation of the Italian priest Giovanni Battista Sidotti who was arrested when illegaly entering Japan. As Siddoti does not speak Dutch, Gen'emon has to learn Latin as quick as possible from a Dutchman at Dejima. |
| Hôei 6 | 1709 | Siddoti is transferred to Edo accompanied by Gen'emon, who interpretes during further interrrogations. |
| Shôtoku 2 | 1712 | Appointed to "senior Edo interpreter", a position in which he bears responsability during the court journey of the Dutch trading post chief. Gen'mon's materials compiled during the interrogations of Siddoti are used by the famous scholar Arai Hakuseki for his "Investigation of Foreign Countries". |
| Kyôhô 6 | 1721 | Gen'emon's eldest son is appointed "trainee interpreter". |
| Kyôhô 10 | 1725 | Gen'emon is appointed "central governmental servant" (goyôkata). In this function he has to take care of the communication between Edo and Nagasaki. In summer Persian horses ordered by the shôgun are brought to Nagasaki by their German caretaker Hans Juergen Keyser(ling). After collecting informations from Keyserling Gen'emon compiles his first report on "Western horses" (15 paragraphs). |
| Kyôhô 11 | 1726 | Gen'emon files further extensive reports on Western horses. |
| Kyôhô 13 | 1728 | Gen'emon is appointed once more to "central governmental servant" and "supervisor of the interpreters". |
| Kyôhô 14 | 1729 | Together with Keyserling and the horses Gen'mon travels to Edo. He compiles two reports on the medical treatment of horses. These are the first Japanese texts dealing with Western-style vetenary medicine. |
| Kyôhô15 | 1730 | Keyser(ling) demonstrates European riding techniques in front of shôgun Yoshimune. Gen'emon's services as an interpreter are rewarded generously. |
| Genbun 1 | 1736 | Due to his age and illness, Gen'emon is releaved from his duties as "supervisor of the interpreters", but has to continue work as "central governmental servant". On the eighth day of the eighth month (22 September in Western calendar) he dies and is buried in the precincts of the Shôkakuzan daion Temple in Nagasaki |
