Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Yukawa, Hideki

(Encyclopedia)Yukawa, Hideki hēˈdĕkē yo͞okäˈwä [key], 1907–81, Japanese physicist, grad. Kyoto Univ., 1929, Ph.D. Osaka Univ., 1938. He was professor of physics at Kyoto Univ. from 1939 to 1970. He receiv...

white alder

(Encyclopedia)white alder, deciduous shrub or small tree (Clethra alnifolia) native to the Appalachians, named for the resemblance of its leaves to those of the unrelated true alders. It is cultivated as an ornamen...

Suiyuan

(Encyclopedia)Suiyuan swāˈyüänˈ [key], former province (c.126,000 sq mi/326,340 sq km), N China. The capital was Guisui (Hohhot). The region of Suiyuan, part of Inner Mongolia, is chiefly a high arid plateau; ...

Sei Shonagon

(Encyclopedia)Sei Shonagon sĕē shōˈnäˈgōn [key], c.966?-?, Japanese poet and essayist of the mid-Heian period. She is best known for her Makura no sôshi [pillow book], a collection of anecdotes, reflections...

Saito, Makoto

(Encyclopedia)Saito, Makoto mäkōˈtō sīˈtō [key], 1858–1936, Japanese admiral and statesman. A moderate militarist, his selection as prime minister (1932–34) to replace Ki Inukai, who had been assassinate...

Asian drama

(Encyclopedia)Asian drama, dramatic works produced in the East. Of the three major Asian dramas—Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese—the oldest is Sanskrit, although the dates of its origin are uncertain. See also Sansk...

Fukui, Kenichi

(Encyclopedia)Fukui, Kenichi kĕnˈēchē fo͝oko͞oˈē, fo͝okˈo͞o-ē [key], 1918–98, Japanese chemist, b. Nara, Japan, Ph.D. Kyoto Univ., 1948. As a professor at Kyoto Univ., Fukui developed the theory that ...

Jayapura

(Encyclopedia)Jayapura or Djajapura so͞okärˌnəpo͝orˈə [key], town, capital of Papua (Indonesian New Guinea), Indonesia. A regional trade center and seaport, it is on Yos Sudarso Bay (formerly Humboldt Bay; a...

Ogata Kenzan

(Encyclopedia)Ogata Kenzan ōgäˈtä kĕnˈzän [key] 1663–1743, Japanese potter and painter; younger brother of Ogata Korin. A follower of the Rimpa school, he set up kilns for the production of ceramics in the...

Okubo, Toshimichi

(Encyclopedia)Okubo, Toshimichi tōˌshēmēˈchē ōˈko͞obō [key], 1830–78, Japanese statesman. A major figure in the Meiji restoration, he was influential in introducing Western ideas to Japan. He supported ...