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Hirayama Fireworks Catalog

Last Updated February 16, 2024

Hirayama Fireworks Factory is a fireworks company jointly established in Yokohama in 1877 by Jinta Hirayama from Mikawa and Shigeho Iwata from Buzen Nakatsu in 1877.
It seems that fireworks orders were received not only from Japan but also overseas, and there is a catalog for export created for sale overseas.
On Sunday, July 31, 2011, Takashi Sakurai of the Japan Patent Office was invited as a lecturer in the basement 1st floor hall of Chuo-toshokan.
You can see six fireworks catalogs published by Hirayama Fireworks Manufacturing Co., Ltd. on the Web Gallery of Digital Archive Yokohama's Memory.

Web gallery "The World of Hirayama Fireworks Catalog: Jinta Hirayama, the first Japanese fireworks artist to obtain U.S. Patent"
(Digital Archive Yokohama's Memory) 
URL: https://archive.lib.city.yokohama.lg.jp/museweb/detail?cls=web_gallery&pkey=00000002 (external site)

1 Who is the first Japanese person to obtain a foreign patent?

The patent system started in Japan in 1885 due to the enforcement of the Monopoly Patent Ordinance and the establishment of a monopoly patent office. In 1899, he joined the Paris Convention and participated in the international patent protection framework. Since the Paris Convention came into effect, the earliest Japanese invention filed for patents in the United States, the earliest patent was the "water pipe type boiler" filed by Jiro Miyahara.
The problem here is that before Miyahara, before Miyahara, before Japan entered the international framework for patent protection, and even when Japan did not even have a patent system, there was no patent system in Japan. When I asked the US Patent and Trademark Office to provide information, there was a Japanese patent in 1883. It is Jinta Hirayama, and the name of the invention is "Day Fireworks".

2 Who is Jinta Hirayama?

Jinta Hirayama, the first Japanese person to obtain a U.S. patent in 1883, was born in Toyohashi on January 13, 1840. He worked as a member of the Mikawa Yoshida clan, but he went to Yokohama early on and worked on various businesses. Around 1877, the Hirayama Fireworks Factory was established in Takashimacho, and the U.S. patent was obtained in 1883. In 1890, he moved to his hometown Toyohashi in 1890, and died in the same area at the age of 60 in Meiji 33.
Before obtaining the U.S. patent, it was written in the 100 Years History of the Industrial Property System (1st volume) (S59.3) of the Industrial Property Rights (1st volume) (S59.3).

3 What kind of invention did you get a patent?

By the way, what was Jinta's invention?
According to records by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the invention is "Daylight Fire-works." It's "daytime fireworks". As the name implies, fireworks were raised in the daytime instead of at night, and when exploded, dolls and other crafts jump out. Explosives and fuses were attached to the outer skin filled with designs made of Japanese paper, etc., and when ignited, the outer skin was released into the air, and the contents were released.

What kind of fireworks are you?

Let's take a look at the video below.
The Hirayama Fireworks Factory publishes fireworks catalogs for export. Chuo-toshokan has seven catalogs of six species, and you can see what the contents of "daytime fireworks" made of paper and other materials.

Web gallery "The World of Hirayama Fireworks Catalog: Jinta Hirayama, the first Japanese fireworks artist to obtain U.S. Patent" (outside site)

5 Path to Patents

How did Jinta carry out procedures for acquiring American patents in an era when Japan did not have a patent system?
Although documents are exchanged through the proxy/agent of the United States, the oath required for application was visited by the Kanagawa Consulate General Rice in December 1882 and signed by Deputy Consul General Rice. In March 1883, a patent application was filed, but this was rejected due to inadequate documents. I prepared the documents again and submitted it for the second time in June, and it was August that the patent was registered in August.

6 Meiji’s Global Strategy

Before Japan entered the Paris Convention, there were only three Japanese patents, including Jinta Hirayama, who applied from Japan and obtained them in the United States. At that time, the Japanese perspective at that time had not yet reached the point of obtaining patents overseas and linking it to business.
Against this backdrop, Hirayama's rapid overseas business strategy has emerged as a pioneer in global business in Japan.

For inquiries to this page

Board of Education Secretariat Chuo-toshokan Research Materials Division

Phone: 045-262-7336

Phone: 045-262-7336

Fax: 045-262-0054

Email address: ky-libkocho-c@city.yokohama.jp

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Page ID: 810-223-638

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