Disclaimer: machine translated by DeepL which may contain errors.
What the Mirror Pond Has Reflected
Akihito Ishizaki (Professor, Department of Chemistry)
On my way home from elementary school, I would often toss pebbles into the pond at the local shrine and be scolded for it. Once, a white snake suddenly slithered out from a corner of the shrine grounds, and I ran away in terror. I was born and raised in Yamato-Katsuragi, a land that still retains its rich rural scenery today—a land that also appears in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the ancient chronicles of Japan.
I learned only as an adult that Tsunosashi Shrine, where I used to play, is associated with Princess Iitoyo Aono-himemiko, a woman who, after the death of the 22nd Emperor Seinei left the throne without an heir, briefly assumed political responsibilities to fill the vacuum. The Nihon Shoki records, “What one wishes to see in Yamato lies in the palace of Tsunosashi at the high fortress of Oshimi.” It is said that the princess established her palace, Tsunosashi-no-miya, in this place and steered the affairs of state. These events occurred even earlier than the era of Empress Suiko, the 33rd monarch. The pond is called "Mirror Pond" because she is said to have gazed into its surface each morning to compose herself.
At times I find myself wondering whether the white snake that once frightened me might have been an incarnation of the princess herself. I am quietly drawn to the refined dignity and strength emanating from this female leader of the late fifth century.
How did the princess perceive the phenomenon of seeing her reflection on the water’s surface? Today we understand it through physics—light reflection and human vision—but for people in ancient times, it must have been a mystical experience, as though the self and nature were merging. Over the course of many ages, humans accumulated such intuitive recognitions of nature and eventually elevated them into systematic knowledge, now known as the natural sciences. When I reflect on this long intellectual journey, I feel a quiet sense of awe.
The phrase “promotion of women” has long become familiar to us. Yet more than fifteen centuries ago, this country already had women who played vital roles in politics and religious life. They were not appointed by institutional design; rather, they stood at the forefront because society needed them. In times of turmoil or transition, people sought not gender but wisdom and courage. Only after a long passage of time have we begun to create institutional frameworks to allow women to fully exercise their abilities. Still, the true purpose is not the promotion itself, but the new possibilities that diverse perspectives can bring to society. When women join in decision-making, issues previously overlooked become visible, leading to more flexible and realistic judgments.
Whenever I think of the Mirror Pond, I am reminded of the enduring progression of scientific understanding from ancient to modern times, and of the gradual maturation of our society.
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