Why is て-form + 見る used here?

Question

The following is an excerpt from a dialogue between my language partner and me: YouTube で馬肉とニンニク料理のレポートを観ましたよ。馬肉と言えば、九州、特に熊本県だと思っていましたが、調べてみると、青森県も馬肉生産量で３位に入っていました。

The sentence in question: 馬肉と言えば、九州、特に熊本県だと思っていましたが、調べてみると、青森県も馬肉生産量で３位に入っていました。

My attempt at translation: "Speaking of horsemeat, even though I think that it is kyushu and especially Kumamoto, when you (try to) check it up, Aomori also has entered the 3rd rank in the production of horsemeat."

While the "try out" semantics of て-form +　見る can be applied without a problem here, I don't see what it adds to the sentence. Therefore it feels a little redundant, that's why I wanted to ask wether there is more to it than what the standard translation for this pattern reveals.

Answer 1

Now, let us check the form of てみる again.

And from your original sentence,

馬肉と言えば、九州、特に熊本県だと思っていましたが、調べてみると

and up to this point except for てみると is O.K to me.

Speaking of horsemeat, even though I think that it is kyushu and especially Kumamoto,

And you are wondering if the verb "try out" is needed. By the way, since who checked which prefectures produced horsemeat many, it is not "you" but "I"

Speaking about the conclusion, the answer ( translation ) would be

After I checked ( may be here it is better for you to write what you checked up ( ex, dictionaries, books etc ) up ( again ( I think adding the word again would be nicer IMO ))

The reason is, from the source at the first line,

the てみる in question is

（1）目的があって、試しにする動作を表す。 　・今度売り出されたビールはおいしいかどうか、買って飲んでみた。

translation

(1) Denote the action to try as a test to accomplish a purpose, I tried the new beer if it tastes well.

Now here is the problem. In your case you do not need to insert "try out", here in turn, English sounds strange to me.

So I personally recommend for you to use "after I checked up" instead.

The another reason would probably your sentence in question would rather sound near the definition (4)

（4）あることを発見するための条件となる動作・行為であることを表す。 　・ここも住み慣れてみると、なかなかいい所だ。

Denote the action to find out something. I fount this place is good to live after I have lived for a while.

The nuance in question in Japanese sounds similar to the definition of (4).

The person who is interested in the production of horsemeat does not have a strong desire to "try to check" but only occasionally found out the amount of the production of the horsemeat in Aomori prefecture ranked in 3rd.

I hope you understand.