Kunitomo Ikkansai

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Kunitomo Ikkansai (1778-1840, 国友一貫斎) was Japanese gun manufacturer of the early 19th century, who, after having spent several months in Edo where he could get accustomed with Dutch wares, built in 1831 Japan's first reflective telescope, of the Gregorian type, a European innovation made in 1670.

Kunitomo's telescope had a magnification of 60, and allowed him to make very detailed studies of sun spots and lunar topography. Four of them remain to this day.

Kunimoto also developped manufacturing methods for guns, and also created an airgun based on rangaku knowledge acquired from the Dutch in Dejima.

[edit] Other uses of the name

• 6100 Kunitomoikkansai, a main belt discovered in 1991, is named after Kunitomo Ikkansai.