"the 7'8" tall automaton would start his performance by touching a mace to his head before he proceeded to write out Chinese characters...

"touring Germany when he was somehow lost...

"In 2008, the Osaka Science Museum produced a new Gakutensoku. At 10'6", the new golden-skinned automata...

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gakutensoku

--- More on Nishimura & motives: https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-short-strange-life-of-the-firs...