[Special Feature: Keio Year 4—150th Anniversary of the Naming of the Gijuku] "Rangaku Kotohajime" and Yukichi Fukuzawa—What Their Encounter Brought About

Image: "The Fountainhead of Western Studies is Here" Monument

Reading "The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa," one finds many descriptions, especially regarding the first half of his life, that make one think about the mysteries of human fate and chance encounters. While Yukichi Fukuzawa was studying Chinese classics in Nakatsu, his older brother Sannosuke asked him one day if he would like to try reading original Dutch books in Nagasaki. Wishing to leave the restrictive environment of Nakatsu, Yukichi Fukuzawa went to Nagasaki, and from there, the path to his studies in Rangaku (Dutch studies) opened up. Later, when he left Nagasaki for Edo, he stopped in Osaka, where his brother argued that he should study Rangaku in Osaka. That is why he ended up studying at Ogata Koan's Tekijuku. Distinguishing himself through intense study at Tekijuku and having his eyes opened to Western natural sciences, Yukichi Fukuzawa went to Edo in 1858 by order of the Nakatsu Domain to teach Rangaku at the domain residence. It was after moving to Edo that he turned to English studies, gained three experiences in the West, and became known for his writing and education.

One connection calls forth another, which in turn leads to the next—this is one of the interesting aspects of the "Autobiography." Of course, it is not just interesting. If his brother had not recommended studying in Nagasaki, if he had not entered Tekijuku in Osaka, or if he had not been called to Edo at that time, the Yukichi Fukuzawa we know would likely not have existed. It is certain that his life was shaped by his own decisions along with the accumulation of countless connections that seem both accidental and inevitable. Looking back on the past in his "Autobiography," Yukichi Fukuzawa says the following:

...A young boy from a minor samurai family of a small old domain, stuffed into a cramped little box, picking at the corners of a tiered food box with the toothpick of domain politics—that boy suddenly jumped out and not only abandoned his hometown but also cast aside the Chinese classical teachings he was born into to enter the gates of Western learning. Reading books different from before, associating with people different from before, moving about freely, and traveling to foreign countries two or three times, his thoughts gradually broadened. Setting aside the old domain, Japan itself began to look small. What a lively and great change that was! (Annotated by Masafumi Tomita, Keio University Press edition, p. 317)

This passage seems to suggest that many mysterious coincidences contributed to that lively change.

By the way, among the connections people encounter, there are those that sometimes cause intense emotional movements and make one realize their own mission.

...Truly, this book has captivated me for many years, and even as I write this today, I cannot help but be moved. I am writing this while wiping away tears. I hope the second edition will be printed in large numbers and distributed throughout the country. ("Collected Letters of Yukichi Fukuzawa," Vol. 6, No. 1466)

This is a passage from a letter Yukichi Fukuzawa sent on April 1, 1890, to Sensai Nagayo, a close friend since their days at Tekijuku.

The "this book" that had strongly moved Yukichi Fukuzawa's heart for many years refers to "Rangaku Kotohajime" (The Beginnings of Dutch Studies; hereinafter also abbreviated as "Kotohajime"), a memoir left by Genpaku Sugita (Isai). The Japanese Association of Medical Sciences, established that year, decided to reprint "Kotohajime" and distribute it to members to commemorate the achievements of their predecessors on the occasion of its first general meeting. Yukichi Fukuzawa wrote the preface and sent it to Nagayo. The letter mentioned above was attached at that time, and the "this" in the text refers to Yukichi Fukuzawa's preface, "Preface to the Second Edition of Rangaku Kotohajime."

Even so, in this letter, Yukichi Fukuzawa not only records his strong feelings for "Kotohajime" but even says that he was overcome with emotion while writing the preface and wrote it while wiping away tears. Why did "Kotohajime" move Yukichi Fukuzawa's heart to such an extent? Actually, the general reason can be understood by reading this preface. Let's take a look at it first.

The first part of the preface describes how Yukichi Fukuzawa encountered this book. According to this, the Sugita family's treasured copy of "Rangaku Kotohajime" was destroyed in the Great Ansei Earthquake in Edo, and it was thought that no manuscripts remained. However, "in the final years of the old Shogunate," Yukichi Fukuzawa's friend Takahira Kanda accidentally discovered a copy of "Kotohajime" at a street stall behind the Yushima Seido. Moreover, since it was Genpaku's own handwriting presented to his disciple Bansui (Gentaku) Otsuki, Kanda told his colleagues about it. As a result, "everyone vied to be the first to copy it, and suddenly obtaining several copies of Rangaku Kotohajime felt like meeting a friend who was thought to have already passed away." It is said that they felt as if they were reuniting with people who were supposed to be dead, and they copied it one after another, quickly producing several manuscripts. In reality, other manuscripts of "Kotohajime" did exist, but among Yukichi Fukuzawa's circle, it seems to have been understood as a phantom book. Therefore, the surprise and joy of suddenly holding the actual object must have been immense.

Even more than that, what moved Yukichi Fukuzawa and his colleagues was the content written therein. The preface states:

...The records in the book are every word a hardship. In particular, the passage describing how on March 5, 1771, they first faced the book 'Tafel Anatomia' at the house of Master Ranke, feeling as if they had set out onto the vast ocean in a boat without an oar or rudder, being utterly bewildered and having nothing to lean on, etc.—every time we read this, we perceive the hardships of our predecessors, are amazed by their courage, are moved by their sincerity and devotion, and cannot help but weep with emotion. I was most closely associated with the late Shuhei Mitsukuri, and at that time, having obtained that manuscript, the two of us would sit facing each other and read it over and over; whenever we reached that passage, we would both be choked with tears of emotion and end in silence. ("Complete Works of Yukichi Fukuzawa," Vol. 19, p. 769)

"Rangaku Kotohajime" is a record of the history of Rangaku written by Genpaku based on his own experiences. Among these, the part that moved Yukichi Fukuzawa and his colleagues—the description of how Genpaku and Ryotaku Maeno (Ranke), after witnessing a human dissection at the Kozukappara execution grounds in Senju in 1771, took the opportunity to begin the translation of "Tafel Anatomia" and proceeded with that difficult task—still leaves a deep impression today. Furthermore, the Western scholars of that time had also struggled to learn Rangaku themselves and knew the importance of this field of study. It is natural that they projected themselves onto the hardships of their predecessors and were moved by a deep sense of gratitude for their academic legacy.

Shortly thereafter, Japan reached a major turning point in its history. Only half a year passed from the Restoration of Imperial Rule on October 14, 1867 (Keio 3), to the bloodless surrender of Edo Castle. In September of the 4th year of Keio, it was announced that the era name would be changed to Meiji, retroactive to the beginning of the year. The Battle of Hakodate Goryokaku ended in May of the 2nd year of Meiji.

According to the preface, one day in the first year of Meiji, amidst this turmoil, Yukichi Fukuzawa visited Renkei, who had succeeded the Sugita family as the son-in-law of Genpaku's great-granddaughter Seikei, and proposed the publication of "Rangaku Kotohajime" as follows:

...The world is in an uproar and there are none who speak of literature. However, your family's Rangaku Kotohajime is a treasure of our scholarly society. If we lose this now, future generations will have no way to know the history of our Western studies, and the great achievements and immense favors that our predecessors performed through a thousand hardships for us successors will be in vain. Therefore, although there may be no one to look at it if we publish this book during the current disturbances, once it is carved onto wood blocks, there is no safer way to preserve it. Since these are truly uncertain times, we should publish it with the resolve that we may not be able to sell it widely. As for the expenses, I shall assist for the sake of this path and to repay the debt of gratitude to our predecessors... (Ibid., p. 770)

Renkei joyfully accepted this offer. With Yukichi Fukuzawa's efforts, "Rangaku Kotohajime" was published for the first time in January of the 2nd year of Meiji, with the Sugita family as the copyright holder. The version reprinted by the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences in 1890 was this edition, and the reason Yukichi Fukuzawa came to write the "Preface to the Second Edition of Rangaku Kotohajime" was that he himself had been deeply involved in its publication. An article briefly introducing these circumstances appeared in the "Yomiuri Shimbun" on April 16 of that same year.

○ Rangaku Kotohajime: This book is the posthumous manuscript of Master Genpaku Sugita (Isai). It was published in January of the 2nd year of Meiji through the efforts of Mr. Yukichi Fukuzawa and others, but as it was not widely distributed at the time, there were not many copies. Since then, as the years have passed, it has remained only in the hands of a few interested parties and has not been widely known to the world. On the occasion of the first general meeting of the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences on the 1st of this month, out of admiration for his original intent and a desire to commemorate it forever, they planned to reprint several thousand copies to distribute to like-minded people. It is a record of hardships intended to announce the merits of our predecessors and to make it known that today's civilization is not an accidental progress but was already conceived over a hundred years ago. (Notation slightly modified for readability)

I would like to add one supplement regarding the title "Rangaku Kotohajime." The photo below shows the "Kotohajime" that is thought to be the basis for the printed edition. It can be seen that Yukichi Fukuzawa edited the original title "Oranda Kotohajime" and changed it himself to "Rangaku Kotohajime." The reason for the title change is unknown. However, it is certain that this work, which had previously been called by three names—"Rangaku Kotohajime," "Ranto Kotohajime," and "Oranda Kotohajime"—came to be known to the world exclusively by the name "Rangaku Kotohajime" after the Meiji era, just as Yukichi Fukuzawa had corrected it.

Now, there are further possible reasons why "Kotohajime" became a book that "captivated [him] for many years."

The first is that Ryotaku Maeno (Ranke) was a physician of the Nakatsu Domain, and the place where they opened "Tafel Anatomia" and were "utterly bewildered" was coincidentally the Nakatsu Domain middle residence in Teppozu, Tsukiji—the very place where Yukichi Fukuzawa began teaching Dutch books and where he had established his Juku and residence when he encountered "Kotohajime."

It is unknown when Yukichi Fukuzawa learned of this strange coincidence, but in a speech at the Keio University Kyuyukai (Alumni Association) in April 1889, he mentioned this coincidence, saying, "It is mysterious that I shared the same place and the same work as my predecessors" (Complete Works, Vol. 12, p. 130). Thus, there is no doubt that he himself felt a mysterious connection.

In addition, I would like to mention that in 1894, Yukichi Fukuzawa had a plan to establish a memorial hall called "Rankedo" at this location ("Prospectus for the Establishment of Rankedo," Complete Works, Vol. 20, p. 387). The plan states that in order to "clarify the facts of why the foundation for opening the country existed even before the opening of our country, thereby deepening the feelings of nostalgia and planning for future progress," a park would be established on the site of the old domain residence, a hall would be built, a painting depicting the story of the translation of "Tafel Anatomia" would be displayed, and furthermore, many Rangaku materials from before the Restoration would be collected or borrowed for exhibition to ensure their preservation.

Actually, four years prior, the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences had resolved at its general meeting to petition for the honor of a posthumous court rank for Ryotaku to honor him. This was on the very day Yukichi Fukuzawa wrote the preface for the reprint of "Kotohajime." Yukichi Fukuzawa immediately published an article titled "Posthumous Rank for Predecessors of Western Studies," explaining the negative effects of honoring someone by granting a court rank and stating clearly, "I am absolutely opposed to this one matter." However, the petition was carried out by 13 representatives of the medical association, and Maeno was granted the Senior Fourth Rank in 1893. Considering this background, Yukichi Fukuzawa's plan to establish Rankedo was likely a search for a way to honor him based on his own convictions.

Unfortunately, this plan remained on the drawing board. However, today, at the roundabout in front of St. Luke's Hospital near the old site of Teppozu, "The Fountainhead of Western Studies is Here" monument commemorating the story of the translation of "Tafel Anatomia" and the "Birthplace of Keio University" monument, both designed by Yoshiro Taniguchi, stand side by side. If one visits, one can learn about the mysterious connection linking these two historical existences along with their respective facts.

The second point I wish to highlight is that the period from his encounter with "Kotohajime" to its publication coincided with an extremely important time for both Yukichi Fukuzawa himself and Keio University.

From late January to late June of Keio 3, Yukichi Fukuzawa went on his second trip to the United States as an attendant to the Shogunate's warship reception committee. During the trip, he not only spoke out with fierce criticism of the Shogunate, saying things like "No matter what, this Shogunate must be destroyed," but also disobeyed the orders of his superiors. After returning home, he faced accusations from them involving financial matters and was sentenced to house arrest until the end of October.

Yukichi Fukuzawa is said to have devoted this period of house arrest to his writing activities ("Autobiography"). However, on the other hand, investigating Western studies together with Keio students must have been an extremely important task. Already at the Juku, excellent successors who would lead the Juku in both management and academic affairs, such as the brothers Tokujirō Obata and Jinzaburo Obata, Toan Matsuyama, and Nobukichi Koizumi, were being developed. Furthermore, a harmonious atmosphere had been cultivated, such as everyone going out to Shinagawa to meet Yukichi Fukuzawa upon his return from America. For the sake of that Juku, Yukichi Fukuzawa was putting serious effort into improving the educational environment, such as purchasing a large number of textbooks in America and organizing the rules of the Juku.

It was at such a time that the Restoration of Imperial Rule took place, and as mentioned earlier, the era rapidly headed toward chaos thereafter. Amidst the loss of foresight regarding the country's future, the path Yukichi Fukuzawa chose was to unite with the people gathered at the Juku and devote himself solely to the study of Western learning.

As the day approached for Tsukiji to be requisitioned as a foreign settlement, Yukichi Fukuzawa purchased land in Shiba Shinsenza for 355 ryo at the end of Keio 3. Then, while some were evacuating as the flames of war approached, and regardless of friends who tried to stop him or the decrease in Keio students, he invested a further large sum of 400 ryo to build his home and the Juku building there. "The Centennial History of Keio University" describes this as "a decisive life-long gamble by the 35-year-old Fukuzawa."

In the spring of the following year, Keio 4, the people of the Juku organized the rules and set the daily schedule. At the completed Shiba Shinsenza Juku, they announced what could be called a declaration of independence titled "Keio Gijuku no Ki (Notes on Keio Gijuku)," making its inauguration clear to the world. The newspaper "Naigai Shinpo" on April 18 of that year stated that the opening of the Juku was on the 3rd of that month. Edo Castle had already been surrendered bloodlessly.

This Juku was a school for the "Keio Gijuku Shachu"—Yukichi Fukuzawa and his colleagues who were determined to study Western learning—and it was a school widely open to people with similar aspirations in the world. What is interesting is that while the "Keio Gijuku no Ki" written by Yukichi Fukuzawa explains the purpose of such a Juku, it devotes half of its space to explaining the history of Rangaku and Western studies in our country. After emphasizing that their current existence is a "gift from the ancients" and strongly preaching the resolve to engage in Western studies even if it is difficult, he concludes the end of this text as follows:

...If we can have people of later generations look upon us just as we admire the wise men of the past, would that not be a great pleasure? Oh, men of our party, cooperate and strive diligently to achieve that merit. (Complete Works, Vol. 19, p. 368)

How pleasant it would be to imagine people of later times looking at us in the same way we admire the wise men of the past—let us all work hard and achieve our own merits. What is seen in these words is a kind of historical consciousness that captures one's current self from both the past and the future. Amidst the turmoil of the world, Yukichi Fukuzawa, who devoted his heart solely to the study of Western learning, likely faced his studies by taking the existence of his predecessors and the history they opened up as his own strength, while considering those he studied with as comrades. I would like to think that "Rangaku Kotohajime," which suddenly appeared before Yukichi Fukuzawa and his colleagues at the end of the Edo period and delivered the voices of their predecessors, played a major role in helping them move forward through difficult times. Furthermore, I believe that this fact made Yukichi Fukuzawa's feelings toward "Kotohajime" even deeper.

I have recorded what can be known and considered regarding Yukichi Fukuzawa's encounter with "Rangaku Kotohajime" and its lifelong influence. "Keio University" was inaugurated 150 years ago. However, if we imagine Yukichi Fukuzawa weeping over "Kotohajime," it becomes possible for us to think of that era as something close to us, and furthermore, if we read the "Keio Gijuku no Ki," we realize that we ourselves are the "later generations" who were already within the vision of Yukichi Fukuzawa and his colleagues. We, too, wish to seek our own connections, know them, and cherish them.