SANGAKU: the Journal of Japanese Alpine Club

Kinichi Minamikawa

The Japanese Alpine Club (JAC) was founded on October 14, 1905, in Tokyo and therefore celebrates its centenary next year. As a background to its birth, I have to mention that, Rev. Walter Weston, member of the Alpine Club, contributed towards awakening young mountaineers who had become gradually conscious of so-called modern alpinism by strongly suggesting that a nation-wide club similar to AC, was necessary in Japan. With some back-up support given by AC itself, JAC made its start, nearly half century after AC’s foundation. By then most European countries already had formed such nation-based clubs, but as yet any of the Asian countries had not formed any clubs. The establishment of the JAC (1905) was almost at the same time as that of such clubs in the USA (1903) and Canada (1906). JAC thus enjoyed its relatively early start, which possibly relates to active performance in the Himalaya and other areas.

The first issue of SANGAKU was published in April of the following year of JAC’s foundation. One of the founders, Usui Kojima, wrote on the first page, “We wish to feature here our various thoughts on mountaineering, and enlighten readers about the wide possibilities of climbing and nature throughout Japan. This is to follow the path taken by The Alpine Journal” (Vol.1-1). And in the next issue (Vol.1-2), another founder member, Hisayoshi Takeda, released an account on the Himalayas, with the heading “What the Himalayas signify”.You might remember the year of The Himalayan Club’s foundation, i.e. 1928. 2 decades before that year, JAC had already geared its eager mind toward the Himalayas, and since then this spirit has succeeded and grown. There have been various adverse circumstances like War during the course, but the club has widely flourished in the post-war years.

Now, let me refer to publication records of SANGAKU. Until 1935, three issues were published every year and later on two issues until 1949. Further issues were forced to stop during the War. Publication was restarted in 1951 on an annual basis and that continues even now. Totally 156 issues have been published as of 2003. The consolidated indexes of those issues were compiled thrice in the past as following:

1) Vol.1 to Vol.25 (as a supplement of Vol.25)

2) Vol.25 to Vol.60 (issued on May, 1971)

3) Vol.1 to Vol.85 (1993 as a commercial publication)

There have also been commemorating and special issues published as below;

Vol.5-1: 5^th anniversary commemoration, 1910

Vol.10-1: 10^th anniversary, 1915

Vol.11 & succeeding: 8 special issues edited for regional mountains in Japan, such as Chichibu, Oze, Kurobe etc.

Vol.30-2: 30^th anniversary, 1930

Vol.44-1: Usui Kojima memorial issue, 1949

Vol.70: 70^th anniversary, 1976

SANGAKU contains remarkable overseas and domestic mountaineering records, reviews on mountaineers, club members’ obituaries, book reviews, etc., as seen in similar journals of other countries. Editing techniques and philosophieshave evolved, with a concentration on local mountains and mountaineering in the earlier stage, and extensive overseas expeditions records in the latter period, especially after the War. The journal has therefore had two faces, the domestic one and the outward one, held together by a common principle of exploration. Due to circumstances such as the isolated existence of Japan, and a language barrier SANGAKU has not been able to function as Japan’s mountaineering voice to the outside world, although, some short descriptions of major articles in English have been added since Volume 53 (1959). In addition, there was a period when articles in English were written by residential foreigners such as W. Weston, W.H.M. Walton, W.H. Elwin, J.G.S. Gausden, during Vol.13(1918) and Vol.19(1923). Recently, however, JAC has started another annual publicationin English since 2001; “Japanese Alpine News”, edited by Mr. Tamotsu Nakamura which is intended to provide information on noteworthy mountaineering activities by Japanese climbers to worldwide readers.

As is generally seen, the qualities of journals much rely on the proper perspective of the editors. However, this was not the case with SANGAKU. Unlike some other clubs, JAC often followed the system of an editorial committee consisting of a number of experts in order to compile the journal . The editor here is sometimes only symbolic. “ Notwithstanding this, however, it is also true that SANGAKU owes much to a number of real Editors who have extended their intelligence and foresight and as a result contributed to SANGAKU’s historical developments in every aspect, especially in the early ages. To my mind, there are three without whom, a description of the journal would be incomplete:

Usui Kojima: He was by far the most distinguished person in membership of JAC, who was not only the core initiator for the foundation of JAC, but more so the founder of SANGAKU. He was editor from the first issue through Vol.9 (1918), when he left Japan for his new assignment in the USA.

Ritaroh Kogure: He edited SANGAKU for 8 years covering Vol.14 (1920) to Vol.22 (1928), setting up office at home to concentrate better. He was elected as Chairman of JAC in 1935, and remained so until his death in April 1944. During this time he he maintained unwavering enthusiasm for research on the Himalayan mountains, and translated A Sketch of the Geography and Geology of the Himalayan Mountains and Tibet (1932-33 ed.)revised by Sidney G. Burrad, H.H. Hayden and A.M. Heron. He had actually completed this work by around 1941 but it was kept unknown. Later, the script discovered and published in SANGAKU Vol.45 (1950). As it was in this year that the first eight-thousander Annapurna was climbed, Himalayan aspirants in Japan paid great attention to the article. It thus contributed much to the beginning of an era of Japanese climbing in the Himalayas.

Tatsuo Mochizuki: His life was substantially devoted to the enrichment of SANGAKU as it is now, continuing his editorship as long as 21 years since 1949 through 1973 (Vol.44-2 to Vol.68). He was the most authoritative editor who established the presence of so-to-speak club life on its Journal. On the other hand he pursued his studies of worldwide exploration and earnestly recorded them in SANGAKU for enlightening young generation members. Some of these articles include , “Minya Gonka-its history of exploration”, Vol.35-2 (1940), “On C.P. Skrine’s reseach on Qungur Mountains”, Vol.36-2 (1941), among others. He also meticulously recored the long line-up of numerous expeditions records attained by Japanese parties over the years. He was a reputable editor as well as a superb writer. Incidentally, another valuable contribution to Japanese mountaineers was the translation of ”Abode of Snow —A History of Himalayan Expedition and Mountaineering” by Kenneth Mason(1955), with whom, he had maintained communication for his best understanding on the subject.

Lastly, it may be appropriate to mention JAC’s publications other than SANGAKU. These are Yama(monthly bulletin): started in 1930, of which there are 706 issues as of March 2004, and Yama Nikki (mountain diary): published during 1930 and 1989. The former, is still functioning for recording day-to-day club activities, while the latter has regretfully disappeared due to financial constraints.

SUMMERY

About SANGAKU, by Kinichi Minamikawa who is the current editor of the Japanese Alpine Club Journal.

 

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