Mach was not as simple as calculation

 

My artifact is SOROBAN: Japanese abacus. This is a hand calculator. It was made from China and came to Japan. A vertical line is single digit. It helps us to calculate with their beads to change position. Under a bead means one. Upper bead means five. There are different types of soroban in this picture. One has a button to clean beads. Another one has no button, so it is cleared using the hand. We can do addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with it. You get used to calculating with soroban, the next step is “Anzan”: mental arithmetic. First, imagine Soroban yourself and calculate the number in your head with the moving position of it.   

Soroban is one of the popular lessons in Japan from long ago. That is because Soroban students can not only prove calculation skills but also boost their own focus and attention span. So, many Japanese parents encourage their children to learn soroban. 

This soroban is my brother's. I also have soroban. But because mine is more expensive and better than my brother's, he borrows mine now. Mine moved more smoothly. My soroban was my father’s. So, it is a special artifact for me.

When I was 14 years old, I joined a qualifying convention of soroban. Soroban conventions are a competition in speed and accuracy of calculation. If I won it, I could participate in the final convention. Only 12 people could participate in the final. 

“I would be glad if you and my son could win the convention and go to the final in a prefecture of Tohoku,” my father said.

I said, “My brother will be able to win because he plays better than me. But I don’t have confidence.”

My father encouraged me.  However, I couldn't make it through the qualifying rounds that year. So, I couldn’t go to the final.  

Next year, I decided to try again and do more practice. Finally, I went through the convention and went to the final. The final is held in a prefecture of the Tohoku region.  

It is a challenge that People who start playing Soroban is decreasing. Recently, there are many kinds of clubs or lessons. So, Soroban students are decreasing every year. To do soroban, students can get the ability to memorize because they use the right side of the brain. Right brain is used to memorize things that you see, hear and so on.

 

Another solution is to decrease the amount of craftsman made Soroban. Because of the decreasing number of students and abacus school and rising electronic calculators, reduce production.   

Soroban that has been created by 4 craftsman and process. It needed mass production at the peak of Soroban history. So, the specialization system was established then. However, Miyanaga, president one of the Soroban company, said the system is facing difficulties. If only one craftsman would retire, the production does not hold. Now, there are 12~13 small and medium enterprises in Ono city, Hyogo. Almost all enterprises are run by older craftsman.

Soroban’s most important thing is beads, my expression. They are not good, too moving and too hard. So, it is not easy for everyone to make it without training for a long time.

To solve this problem, Miyanaga works to sell overseas. In Japan, more and more children decreasing. He found that there are new demand in foreign. Also, he made a new system for craftsman to raise their motivation. Soroban of the company are engraved on 4 artisan's name.