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In 1832, a Japanese man named Doi Toshitsura published a book called Sekka Zusetsu, or "A Book of Snowflakes." Doi was a feudal lord who ruled the Koga Domain. He spent twenty years of his life studying snowflakes, using a microscope to examine them closely. He is widely considered to be the first person in Japan to do this.
Because snowflakes melt very quickly, Doi Toshitsura had to work with great care. On cold nights, he would cool a black cloth outdoors, then catch fresh snow on the fabric. Using tweezers, he transferred a single snowflake onto a special tray to examine it under his microscope. He was extremely careful not to breathe on the sample, as his warm breath would melt the delicate ice crystal.
Doi learned from a scholar named Takami Senseki, who was knowledgeable about rangaku, or "Dutch learning." This referred to Western science that entered Japan via Dutch traders. For a long time, these traders were restricted to a small island in Nagasaki called Dejima, which was the only place in Japan where Westerners were allowed to visit.
Through this connection, Dutch science books eventually reached Japan. One such book was Katechismus der natur by J. F. Martinet. Sekka Zusetsu contains eighty-six illustrations of Doi's own snowflake drawings, along with twelve images copied from Martinet's Dutch book.
Doi's detailed work with his Dutch microscope earned him the nickname "the Snow Lord." His book was initially printed in a small, private edition. Later, in 1840, he released a larger, expanded version. However, the beautiful snowflake patterns did not remain confined to the book; they soon appeared on other items as well.
These patterns were incorporated into cloth, teacups, and hairpins. Their popularity grew partly due to another bestseller titled Hokuetsu Seppu (Snow Stories of North Etsu Province), a book about Japan's snowy regions that featured Doi's snowflake designs.
You can still see the influence of Doi Toshitsura's work today. In the city of Koga, where he once ruled, his snowflake designs are an integral part of the landscape. The patterns are set into public sidewalks and featured in local art. His lifelong project was to capture the fleeting beauty of snow crystals, successfully transforming his scientific observations into a lasting cultural design.