Salaryman Masculinity

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The Astrolabe

An ancient instrument for solving problems of location and distance, as well as time

Astrolábon órganon is the word used in Ptolemaeus Syntaxis 5.1 to describe a form of armillary sphere consisting of both fixed and rotating rings for determining the ecliptic co-ordinates of stars. Also called astrolabe were two-dimensional representations of the celestial sphere: over fixed disks with a representation of the horizon of the earth (in each case for a specific geographic latitude) and its parallels up to the zenith lies a rotating representation of the heavens (called ‘spider’ or ‘net’) with zodiac and indicators for some of the brightest stars. On the back is an indicator (‘alidade’) with visor plates for calculating the height of the stars. The astrolabe allows its user to determine the hours of day and night, the positions of stars, and the height and depth of objects on earth (mountains, buildings, wells). The oldest extant descriptions of the flat, planispheric astrolabe come from Iohannes Philoponus, 6th century AD, and (in Syrian) from Severus Sebokht, c. 660 AD. Indirect references may date back as early as Theon (4th cent.). Between the 8th and the 9th centuries the Arabs appropriated the knowledge of the astrolabe. At the end of the 10th century and again in the 12th century, they passed it on to Western Europe, where astrolabes were constructed up until the 17th cent. Today, one Byzantine astrolabe (from 1062) is extant, as are some 750 Arabic-Islamic astrolabes and approximately the same number of European astrolabes.

This information is abstracted from Brill's New Pauly, the English edition of the authoritative Der Neue Pauly, Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. The encyclopaedic coverage and high academic standard of the work, the interdisciplinary and contemporary approach and clear and accessible presentation have made the New Pauly the unrivalled modern reference work for the ancient world. For more information see www.brillsnewpauly.com or visit our website catalog: www.brill.nl/bnp
Brill’s New Pauly and the complete original Der Neue Pauly, the recognized standard reference works for students and scholars of the ancient world are also available online. This dual-language edition offers basic and advanced search facilities and is fully browsable. New English translations are added as they become available. See www.paulyonline.brill.nl for more information and a demo version.

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Publications & Services> Books> Book Series> Salaryman Masculinity

Salaryman Masculinity

Continuity and Change in Hegemonic Masculinity in Japan

Tomoko Hidaka

Books

Available
Publication year: 2010


Series:	Social Sciences in Asia, 29
ISBN-13 (i)The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) has been changed from 10 to 13 digits on 1 January 2007:	978 90 04 18303 2
ISBN-10:	90 04 18303 5

Cover:	Paperback
Number of pages:	xiv, 224 pp.
Google Book Search:	View this book at Google Book Search

List price:	€ 83.00 / US$ 118.00

Table of contents

Preface
Notes on the Text

Introduction
Chapter One Growing Up: Gendered Experiences in the Family
Chapter Two Growing Up: Gendered Experiences in School
Chapter Three Love and Marriage
Chapter Four Work
Chapter Five Ikigai
Conclusion

Appendices
References

Readership

For those who are interested in Men and Masculinities Studies and Gender Studies as well as Japanese Studies, especially such as gender, work and family in Japan.

About the author(s)

Tomoko Hidaka, Ph.D. (2006) in Social Sciences, University of Adelaide, is a Visiting Research Fellow at University of Adelaide. She has contributed a chapter for a forthcoming book entitled Home and Family in Japan (Routledge, 2010).

Here is an important volume offering new insights into the generational transformation of Japanese hegemonic masculinity. Drawing on thirty-nine life-histories of three generations of sararīman (salaryman) each working, or having worked for large companies, this book is an in-depth study of Japanese salaryman masculinity, that is, the ‘hegemonic masculinity’ in Japan. Through Japanese salarymen’s own accounts of themselves, the author investigates the construction of their masculinity throughout their lives; childhood, adolescence, young adult experiences, as well as work and family life. While changes are reflected in the participants’ narratives, little research has been done to link these changes in the performance of masculinity to the dramatic economic and social changes over the last century.

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