‘Gakumon no Susume’

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.

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/