Sekiya Kiyokage - World’s First Professor of Seismology

 関谷清景 (地震学者) 明治24年の前田吉彦宛のはがき

These two postal cards were sent to Maeda Yoshihiko by Sekiya Kiyokage (Seikei). They were postmarked in Suma, Settsu (摂津須磨), which is today's Suma-ku, Kobe, on August 27, 1891, and August 30, 1891. He lists his return address as Zenshōji in Itayado Village, Yatabe District (八部郡板宿村禅昌寺). Since we cannot read his message to Maeda, we do not know whether Sekiya was writing about earthquakes, art, or another subject. It appears that he frequented Zenshōji Temple to recuperate from his recurring illness.

関谷清景 (Sekiya Seikei, also known as Kiyokage) was a pivotal figure in the early development of seismology. He was invited to serve as an assistant at the Tokyo University Earthquake Observation Station in April 1880, and by June of the following year, he had become an associate professor. Sekiya worked under the Scottish mechanical engineering professor, John Milne, who was instrumental in creating precise seismographs and recording seismic activity. This collaboration greatly influenced Sekiya, who, originally specializing in mechanical engineering, learned seismic observation and research techniques from Milne.

In March 1886, Sekiya became the world’s first professor of seismology at the University of Tokyo, marking a significant milestone in the academic establishment of the field. Despite seismology not yet being recognized as a standalone discipline, his lectures primarily attracted students from the civil and architectural engineering departments. He played a key role in forming Japan's first seismic observation network and contributed significantly to public education on earthquake preparedness by translating and publishing articles from the Seismological Society of Japan's journal.

Sekiya’s dedication to field research, even while suffering from tuberculosis, is notable. He conducted detailed investigations of major earthquakes, including the 1888 eruption of Mount Bandai and the 1889 Kumamoto earthquake, often at the expense of his health. In 1891, he became a key member of the Earthquake Prevention Research Committee and worked on compiling the "Great Japanese Earthquake Records," a project that continued posthumously under the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute.

Sekiya's relentless efforts and contributions to seismology, despite his deteriorating health, laid the foundation for future earthquake research in Japan. He passed away on January 8, 1896, in Suma, Kobe, but his legacy in the field of seismology endures.