RANZAN ONO, 



Written on the Occasion of his Centennial. 



By 

 M. Shirai. 



Ranzax Oxo, the second son of Moto-shige Ono, was born 

 on the 21st August, 1729 in Kyoto, and. died on the 27th 

 January, 1810 at the age of eight}' two. His father was an 

 official of no conspicuous rank in the Imperial Court at Kyoto, 

 but was noted for his profound knowledge of both the modern 

 and classical ceremonials in the Imperial Household. His elder 

 brother, Moto-hide, succeeded the office. Ranzan had many 

 other literary' names, among which are Ibun (J£H3t), Kiu-ho-shi 

 (tt'fy?), Shu-ho-kex (Jfe^ff), Moto-hiro ($&($); his legal name 

 was Kixai (f£[^). He was of a weak constitution and near- 

 sighted, but had a very good memor}' and clear understanding. 

 From his boyhood upward he showed a taste for reading and 

 writing. It is said that at the age of eleven, he copied an 

 elaborate Chinese work on natural history called " Hiden- 

 kwakyo " {M'\'UJ\L$l)s consisting of six volumes — a fact which 

 shows his extraordinary talent and patience. At the age of 

 thirteen, he became a pupil of the celebrated naturalist Jo-AN 

 MATSUOKA (^MftN-fe), and attended his lectures until the death 

 of the scholar severed the connection, which took place on the 

 11th of July, IS If',. RANZAN was then eighteen years old. 



From that time forward, he devoted himself to the study ol 

 natural history and especially of materia medica. IK- never went 

 out of doors except on botanical excursions, and busied himself 

 day and night in reading and copying classics. Iii his 25th year, 

 he was already an able botanist and commenced lectures on 

 "Pentsau" or"Honzo" I^V-' at his own residence at M.inita- 



niaeln, Kyoto. He was also an adepl in thearl ol painting and 



carving scab. In 1754, when he was 2G years old, he intended 



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