Nakano Giken

• Born: 1666
• Died: 1720

Nakano Giken was a Chinese language interpreter from Nagasaki who taught spoken Chinese in the household of Makino Narisada, lord of Sekiyado han. He is credited with being among those who taught Chinese to Ogyû Sorai, and through Makino's connections with Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, Nakano too participated in Yoshiyasu and Sorai's Chinese-language salon.

Giken served Narisada from 1684 until his own death in 1720; the only time he is believed to have been away from Narisada's service during this lengthy period was for some time in 1705, when Giken sojourned in Kyoto.

References

• Rebeckah Clements, "Speaking in Tongues? Daimyo, Zen Monks, and Spoken Chinese in Japan, 1661–1711," The Journal of Asian Studies Vol. 76, No. 3 (August) 2017: 608-609.