By KAZUO MATSUURA/ Staff Writer
July 18, 2022 at 07:00 JST
A letter signed by Thomas Edison and addressed to Shinjiro Horii is shown in Higashi-Omi, Shiga Prefecture, on June 27. (Kazuo Matsuura)
HIGASHI-OMI, Shiga Prefecture--A letter found in a museum storeroom here that was sent by Thomas Edison a century ago to the developer of Japan’s first mimeograph machine offers a heartwarming picture of the famed U.S. inventor.
Edison (1847-1931), a prolific inventor best known for the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph and the motion picture camera, expressed warm thoughts for remembering him on his 75th birthday.
Shinjiro Horii (1856-1932) and his son created a simple printing press that produces copies of a document using a stencil in 1894 based on a mimeograph invented by Edison, a predecessor of today’s photocopier.
The missive, dated Feb. 16, 1922, was found at the Gariban Densho-kan museum, which specializes on mimeographs. The museum was formerly a home of the Horii family.
“The letter is an important material that shows interactions between the Horii family and Edison,” said a representative of the Higashi-Omi city government on June 27.
Edison wrote: “It was very pleasant to be so kindly remembered by you on my birthday. I want to thank you for your message of congratulations and good wishes. Your courtesy is greatly appreciated.”
The letter bears what appears to be Edison’s handwritten signature.
According to city government officials, an event was organized in Tokyo on Feb. 11, 1922, by industrialist Eiichi Shibusawa (1840-1931) and others to mark Edison’s 75th birthday.
Horii and his son are said to have sent Edison their congratulations to coincide with the event. Edison apparently wrote back to express his appreciation.
It is unclear which of the two Horiis the letter was addressed to because Horii and his son were both called Shinjiro, officials said.
The letter is expected to be displayed at facilities across Shiga Prefecture.
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