December 16, 2022
‘Gakumon no Susume’
‘An Encouragement of Learning’
Yukichi Fukuzawa, one of the leading educators of the Meiji Era and founder of Keio University, was a relative of Sueji Yamada, founder of The Japan Times.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Fukuzawa’s book “Gaku-mon no Susume” (“An Encouragement of Learning”). Fukuzawa, also known for being portrayed on ¥10,000 bills since 1984, says in the book that “heaven does not create one man above or below another man,” which had a significant impact on the Japanese people in the era and made the book a bestseller.
Fukuzawa’s experience in the United States and Europe as a member of a government mission affected Japan’s modern educational system, promulgated in 1872, because the idea driving the educational reform was identical to what the book said — that fundamentally, achieving success depends on one’s education — according to Kumaji Yoshida, an educationist in the 1900s.
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To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the publication of “An Encouragement of Learning,” Keio University President Kohei Itoh sat down to talk with a special guest. For more information, please visit Keio University’s special page.
“Gakumon no Susume” special page:
https://www.keio.ac.jp/ja/gakumon150/