Tanikawa Kotosuga (谷川士清)
Kotosuga TANIKAWA (April 5, 1709-November 20, 1776) was a scholar of Japanese classical culture in the Edo period. His popular name was Yojun. His nickname was Kokai. His pen name was Tansai.
He was born in a family of doctors in Tsu City, Ise Province (present-day Tsu City, Mie Prefecture). While he learned medical science in Kyoto, he also learned Suika Shinto (Shinto thoughts advocated by Ansai YAMAZAKI) from Isai TAMAKI..
After coming back to Tsu, while running medical practice, he also learned waka (a 31-syllable Japanese poem) from Imperial Prince Arisugawanomiya Yorihito and studied Japanese classical culture by himself.
He accomplished a great achievement in the study of Japanese language. He made the first Japanese verb conjugation chart, 'wagotsuon' recorded in his book, "Nihon Shoki Tsusho" (A Compendium Treatise on Chronicles of Japan) volume 1 and compiled the first Japanese dictionary arranged in order of the Japanese syllabary, "Wakun no shiori." However, he was not able to publish a complete set of his dictionary in his lifetime, thus his bereaved family carried out his wishes after his death and published it in 1887.
On the other hand, there is a negative evaluation that his study of classics just compiled the conventional theories without creative and unique theories. In addition, Norinaga MOTOORI, who gave wago tsuon the highest praise, criticized that his theories were not academic, because there were a lot of strained interpretations about classics based on Suika Shinto.
His Main Works
"Nihon Shoki Tsusho"
"Wakun no shiori"
"Zoku Dainihonshi Shiki" (a commentary on Japanese history)