− | Masumi was born in the countryside outside of [[Nagoya]], in [[1754]]. For reasons which remain largely unknown, he left on a journey in [[1783]], possibly intending from the very beginning to make his way to the island of Ezo (today known as [[Hokkaido|Hokkaidô]]). After much traveling, in [[1788]] he finally found his way across the Tsugaru Strait, to Ezo, where he remained for four years, attempting to learn the language of the [[Ainu]], and to assemble an Ainu-Japanese dictionary. He returned to Honshû (Tôhoku), spending his remaining years in what is today [[Akita prefecture]] (i.e. parts of [[Dewa province|Dewa]] and [[Mutsu province]]s), never returning south to [[Edo]] or Nagoya. He died in [[1829]], leaving numerous diaries full of ''[[waka]]'' poetry, paintings, and descriptions in great detail of people and places. | + | Masumi was born in the countryside outside of [[Nagoya]], in [[1754]]. For reasons which remain largely unknown, he left on a journey in [[1783]], possibly intending from the very beginning to make his way to the island of Ezo (today known as [[Hokkaido|Hokkaidô]]). After much traveling, in [[1788]] he finally found his way across the Tsugaru Strait, to Ezo, where he remained for four years, attempting to learn the language of the [[Ainu]], and to assemble an Ainu-Japanese dictionary. He returned to Honshû (Tôhoku), spending his remaining years in what is today [[Akita prefecture]] (i.e. parts of [[Dewa province|Dewa]] and [[Mutsu province]]s), never returning south to [[Edo]] or Nagoya. |
| + | In his later years, he attempted to chart the complete topography of this area, a project he never completed. Masumi died in [[1829]], leaving numerous diaries full of ''[[waka]]'' poetry, paintings, and descriptions in great detail of people and places. |