Dr.jiro Aizawa

[gernot]

I always wanted to start a topic about the famous Dr.Aizawa.

In the past years there have already different information and pictures been posted, why not just start an own topic to fill in all the collected knowledge about him.

I have so many picture files of him on my computer that it will definitively take some weeks to post all of them, so now this is just a start.

Everybody feels free to add more information. This is not my personal topic.

Jiro Aizawa was born in 1903 and died in 1996. (an incredible age and lifetime)

He became one of the most popular and famous builder of robots of all sizes in Japan.

The mosst famous big robots have been presented during the Expo in Oska in 1970. See attached picture.

Let us just start with the picture of the dear doctor in his famous robot room, most of us know well from Henks post a lonmg long time ago, I will add some more step by step, so be patient.

 

 

 

 

[gernot]

Here are some more picture I took at an exhibition of the Robot museum in Nagoya some years ago (which closed after only one year).

The first and important informaton is the fact that Aizawa published one or more books already in the 1930s about robots and how to build a robot (That is what I understood). He probably got the first patent in Japan for a robot back then.

So he really was a pioneer and robot enthusiast all of his lifetime.

He continued making robots in the 50s when some of his creations were presented in popular magazines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MaxPower]

Thank you for sharing this information and posting these photos, Gernot; I am eager to see and learn more about this fascinating man and his life's work!

[robothut]

You had made a thread 3 years ago about a musuem in Japan that ended with us talking about Mr Jiro Aizawa. Here is the link.

Here are 2 pictures of Jiro Aizawa from my books.

 

 

 

[Tengumaster89]

Wow! Thanks for sharing. I have seen Kitahara's collections in exhibits twice now but never saw Aizawa's, sadly.

[robothut]

Mechanix Illustrated Issue: Sep, 1951

 

[gernot]

It is hard to get any information about Mr. Aizawa.

Lucky enough about two years ago several of his big robot creations have been located in a warehouse and will be kept and presented to the public.

There was a website showing those big robots and added same value informaton about Mr. Aizawa. Unfornuatley the information was only available in Japanese.

So I tried my best and used an online translator to translate all the information.

I will post here some parts of this translation which contains some information, even it is hard to understand:

Here is the text (sorry for the confusing translation, but some information can be understand):

"The Japan juvenile culture research institute (the location,:, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku chief director Omori order) Foundation started preparations for reconstruction work of the robot which late Jiro Aizawa (1903-1996) called a popular name [Dr. robot] by with the first chief director of the foundation produced for from 1,950 to 1,960's. The thing which did it [homecoming] in the Japanese juvenile culture Institute from [the ゆうばり robot size Hall of Science] where there was this robot in Yuubari-shi, Hokkaido on December 1, last year. I slept in a warehouse, but a package was untied this time till now. I watch the time, and, to see a state, it is restored in future to a change. It is assumed that I want to exhibit it the loan to events.

The Japan juvenile culture research institute Foundation establishes Jiro Aizawa to the first chief director in April, 1952. The purpose of the establishment is., also known as [, through a scientific toy, I contribute to child welfare] Jiro Aizawa was affected by a machine box exhibited at the age of a primary schoolchild by the exhibition in London and produced 800 human beings type robot in total afterwards. The Aizawa seems to have counted a robot with [a person]. I express a body and a head, the eyes which were square-built to a big foot in large quantities with a light, and there should be the thing that many people watched the robot of the humorous, friendly figure which an antenna grew on a head once somewhere. This robot that there is the thing which I was able to grind with radio control [a walk] calls popularity very much in those days in 1960's and, for example, decorates the cover of [a weekly boy magazine] of (43) on October 22, 1967. It is said that it was inflected by the roof and the event of the department store very much. It is still often that such a picture is drawn with the illustration which I drew a figure of [a robot] on. It is certain that it is the one of the designs which determined an image of current [a robot] strongly.

Aizawa has friendship with Mr. Osamu Tezuka and founder Masaru Ibuka of Sony of the comic artist, and it is said that both of them cooperated with the establishment and the administration of the foundation. In international exposition [EXPO70] held in Osaka in 1970, a robot of Aizawa was exhibited by [Fuji Baking robot building] which Mr. Osamu Tezuka produced. It is said that it was extreme popularity to children.

I can still watch the robot of Tezuka and Aizawa in [a robot theater] of the general Aichi child center. There is the building of the general Aichi child center of Naoko in [World Exposition Aichi memory Park] of the World Exposition Aichi site trace. The building redecorated the thing which was [wooden bowl pack Treasure Island / a robot station]. Originally this robot seems to be a thing exhibited in [) transferred after the Fuji Baking robot building (international exposition end in the Aichi young people Park] of Osaka World Exposition. In addition, some robots are put in care health center for the elderly / 櫻川 ケアーセンター which I opened by the relations that Mr. chief director / Omori order of the foundation holds the posts and the chief director of 医療法人社団龍岡会 in 2005

Surprisingly, Aizawa in what and 1934 (1934) [it is said that registered a trademark of words called robot ][ROBOT].] But Aizawa who had a thought called [all the robots are brothers] seems to have tried for the spread of the names. I wrote it for the article at the time of the reconstruction before [the study law of nature], but it is in 1928 that original [學天則] (D DAY code) was exhibited at [Emperor Showa Grand Ceremony of Accession memory exhibition] a movie [metropolis] exhibition SF magazine [アメージングストーリー] foundation of a periodical Karel Capek having coined a word with [a robot] as words for the robot of the labor use in drama [R / U / R] in 1927 in 1926 in 1920 by Osaka Mainichi Shimbun (1928). It is the interesting story that [a robot] was registered a trademark of six years after [the study law of nature] that imaged a robot.

Mr. current Omori order succeeds it and administers the foundation now after Kenichi of the son of Aizawa succeeded it. But unfortunately it is the present conditions that I am good, and lose in detail the others of the robot because a detailed document isn't left. It is said that the kind of the list isn't left. At the foundation which this year begins, and began full-scale activity once again, I look for the exhibition ahead of the robot, and the information of the robot recruits you in total. Because it seems to have been produced 800 bodies in all, it seems that I remain in each place even if most aren't changes now. The person having information please seem to contact it to the foundation.

It is Ishikawa Japan juvenile culture Institute spokesman Foundation"

End of translation, here are some pictures of those still existing big robots, located two years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gernot]

More pictures of his work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gernot]

more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gernot]

more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nasa]

Thanks Gernot....this has always been one of my favorite robot pics.....nice to put a name to it....cheers nasa

[robothut]

Here is a you tube video that shows Robot Kro walking and operating.

http://youtu.be/OUSmhfuY6Kc?t=34s

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

What an incredible collection of seldom seen eye candy!! Thanks Gernot!

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

It's interesting to see the safety lines set up across the robots on high shelves to keep them from falling off. Particularly in Japan which is earthquake country. I wonder if Robert Lesser would have done this if he wasn't living in New York?

[Morbius]

Bob Lesser was way ahead of his time...the ultimate 'man cave'. Literally! One of the nicest people I've ever met, story teller extraordinaire...does anyone know how he's doing these days?

I recall at the Chicago Toy Show in 2006 (?) I was with wandering the buildings with him and Darryl when we entered a sales pavilion and were confronted by thousands of dolls. Bob shouts out "Dolls, who collects DOLLS!! Nothin' for us here." and we made a hasty exit with him.

BTW John, how did you know I'd been perusing that above pic of Dr. Kro a day or two ago? Found it on google this week and I was thinking of re-posting it here but didn't have a clue as to where to put it.