Tokuso Takashima - Hokkai

After initially working as an assistant to a French engineer, Coignet (1872-1875), at the Ikuno School of Mines, he joined the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, where he carried out botanical surveys. His report on the natural distribution of forest species in Japan was published in Tokyo in 1874.

After a trip to Europe in 1884 with Takei, the Japanese Minister of Agriculture at the time, he exhibited the forest map of Japan at the International Forestry Exhibition in Edinburgh (1884). He was appointed secretary-interpreter and on this occasion traveled to France (Nancy), Germany and then Italy.

He was authorized to attend the Nancy forestry school in May 1885 and entered the 61^st graduating class in October 1885. On August 2, 1887, the school awarded him a certificate of studies. He completed an internship in Provence, which resulted in a richly illustrated report.

During his time at the forestry school in Nancy, he set about producing various catalogued works:

• plates glued to canvas devoted to forest pathology. An inventory mentions seven in 1898; only four remain today.
• the illustration “Chêne liège” (Cork Oak) on the frontispiece of the 3^rd edition of “Cours de technologie forestière” (Course in Forestry Technology) by Henry Nanquette, revised by Lucien Boppe.
• FLICHE (P.) Note sur le genre Ostrya. Bulletin de la Société botanique de France, vol.34, page 171.

DR / Illustration du chêne liège de l'ouvrage Cours de technologie forestière, créé à l'école de Nancy, par H. Nanquette (1887)

DR / Illustration du chêne liège à Takei

His time in Nancy provided the opportunity for numerous exchanges with Art Nouveau artists. He met Émile Gallé, Louis Hestaux, Camille Martin and René Wiener, who distributed his drawings in Nancy’s artistic circles. These stories are beautifully detailed in the article by Yamane I., translated in 2005 by François Le Tacon.

In 1888, he returned to Japan, where he became Director of Forests. When he left, he left 98 of his works to Nancy art lovers, in addition to the plates donated to the Forestry School.