Kenkado Kimura was born into a sake-brewing family in the Horie district of Osaka. He was versed in herbalism and various other fields of learning and the arts, and received visits by many men of culture who relied on his knowledge and collections. Kimura's collection consists of two types of items: rare stones, including fossils, rocks, and ores, and the shells, which are housed in a tiered box with stylish lacquer decoration. People in those days undoubtedly sat around the collection of such specimens and enjoyed some intellectual conversation about them. This collection is said to have been in the possession of the Osaka Museum in the Meiji era (1868-1912), and is therefore also a resource that conveys the history of Osaka’s museums.

Who is Kenkado Kimura?

Kenkado Kimura (who usually went by the name Kichiemon Tsuboi) was born in 1736. He excelled in studies of the arts and sciences from an early age, and collected books, calligraphy, paintings, pottery, maps, and animal and plant specimens. In time, he became versed in all fields of learning. Thanks to his extensive knowledge and multiple talents, he was renowned as the “intellectual giant of Naniwa.”

Pages of "Specimens of shells and stones collected by Kenkado Kimura" of the Osaka Museum of Natural History

Materials related to the "Specimens of shells and stones collected by Kenkado Kimura"

Kenkado Diaries (Hazama Bunko), 1779–1802

Kenkado Kimura, Landscape, 1799

Important Cultural Property, Portrait of Kenkado Kimura, by Buncho Tani (1802)