Abstract
It has been said that "Architecture" was translated "Zokagaku" in Japanese when European architecture was introduced in our country in early Meiji era for the first time. But that word was translated "Kenchikugaku" in the book "Hyakkazensho-Kenchikugaku", published in the 15th year of Meiji (1882) by the Education Ministry. The translated term is not a simple literal equivalent, but it must have the living function in its meaning. So then the author consulted various Japanese books for the translated word of "Architecture" through the whole early Meiji era. As the result, these facts were found that "Kenchikugaku" was not given at the time of publishment of that book, but it had already been used that time before, that is, in many European-Japanese dictionaries, European histories and geographies, the term for "Architecture" was not found as "Zokagaku", but as "Kenchikugaku" through the whole periods. In other words, "Zokagaku" was the translation by the "Koobusho" (the Ministry of Public Works) and "Kenchikugaku" widely used by the "Monbusho" (the Education Ministry). These two words were used at the same time by each group. And the title of the "Hyakkazensho-Kenchikugaku" was the representative of the latter. In this point, it was made clear that this translated book on European architecture has a great significance through the architectural history of Meiji era.
