Do you like mathematics and geometry?

You will do after you know some talented people used to live in Ojiya city.

One of them is “SATO SETSUZAN”. He was born as the second son of a Chijimi merchant in 1814. He opened a private mathematics school called “TSUUKIDOU”. Many people around Ojiya, Kashiwazaki and Nagaoka learned his mathematical technique there. In his disciples, “MURAYAMA TEIJI” and “HIROKAWA SEIKEN” completed his teachings and were certified. I will write about “HIROKAWA SEIEN” some other day.

“SATO SETSUZAN” wrote “SANPOU ENRI SANDAI”, in which questions and answers are given with some figures. One of questions is to seek the position of the centre of balance when a disc has a circular hole in contact with the circumference. Another is about a sphere made of gold and silver. “ENRI” means a theory of circles.

His grave is beside “SUMIYOSHI JINJYA” quietly. You should visit there if you want to take after his talent and of course there is a well-known/long-established “OJIYA SOBA YA” nearby. Let’s satisfy our intellectual curiosity and appetite in Ojiya city!

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