Japanese Soroban: A Brief History and Comments on its Educational Role, The

Overview The Japanese soroban (or abacus) is the descendent of ancient counting devices and has been evolved over centuries to provide the most advanced computations possible on a manual device. The soroban also provides advantages in mathematical education both from theoretical principals and through anecdotal experience especially in Japan. This document will discuss the history of the soroban as well as describe the beneficial role it can play in educational settings.