Persians who taught mathematics in Japan more than a thousand years ago

The piece of wood engraved with the name of the Persian teacher shows that foreigners have come to live and work in Japan more than a thousand years ago.

Ancient piece of wood engraved with the name of the Persian math teacher in Japan.(Photo: Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Propertise).

Archaeologists found a piece of wood engraved on the name of a math teacher in Japan for more than 1,000 years before carrying out the excavation project in the ancient capital of Nara, the Independent on October 6 reported.

By using infrared imaging technology to analyze carved words on a piece of wood, they found this was the name of a Persian teacher who worked at the mandarin school in Nara, the Japanese capital. Version 710–784.

Akirhiro Watanabe, of the Nara Cultural Property Research Institute, who is in charge of the research project, speculated that this could be a math teacher, because the famous Persians knew the field.

"Previous research has shown that Japan and Persia have traded directly since the 7th century. However, this is the first time there is evidence that Persians work here. This proves that Nara is an international city, where foreigners are treated equally, " Akirhiro commented.