Medical Records of Fukuzawa Yukichi's Final Moments

Fukuzawa Yukichi collapsed from a stroke on September 26, 1898. It is estimated to have been caused by a thalamic hemorrhage in the left brain. Although he was in critical condition for a time, he recovered. Despite some lingering symptoms, he began welcoming many visitors again and even practiced calligraphy as part of his rehabilitation. He was also gradually resuming his social activities. However, on January 25, 1901, he collapsed again, this time due to a hemorrhage in the right brain, and subsequently passed away.

Regarding these two instances of Fukuzawa's illness, an astonishing number of records were preserved by the Fukuzawa family and are currently kept at the Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies. These records detail who came to visit and what gifts were received. Even some of the noshi (gift wrapping) papers have been preserved, along with hundreds of telegrams. Most noteworthy among these are the records from the medical team. They meticulously documented what treatment was administered at what time and how he reacted. They recorded his state of consciousness, pulse, body temperature, and respiration, as well as the movement of his limbs and the words he spoke. Why? Firstly, it is largely because Matsuyama Toan, a disciple and Fukuzawa's family physician who practiced nearby, carefully preserved the most vivid materials. Furthermore, it was crucial that physicians close to Fukuzawa, such as Matsuyama and Kitasato Shibasaburo, requested examinations from leading figures in the medical world at the time—including Miura Kinnosuke, Hashimoto Tsunatsune, and Erwin Bälz—so that his ever-changing condition could be understood at any moment. Additionally, because of the massive influx of visitors, copies of the medical records were placed in the waiting room. There is even a guestbook from the waiting room where visitors playfully wrote down rumors and anecdotes. It is almost comical that a scene so fitting for Fukuzawa—who encouraged social interaction and believed that conversation itself was the first step toward civilization—unfolded in the visitors' waiting room.

Those records come to an end with Fukuzawa's death at 10:50 p.m. on February 3, 1901. This specific document, which conveys his condition via a line graph, was stored separately from the other medical records in the Mita Media Center (Keio University Library) since long ago. Matsuyama likely donated this piece early on as a historical document. A slip of paper that coldly records numerical data until the very moment of death—while it could be said to be fitting for Fukuzawa, who inspired the scientific spirit, it possesses a power that makes one solemnly straighten their posture. (Scheduled for display at the Keio History Museum Spring Special Exhibition "The Death of Fukuzawa Yukichi: The Birth of Independence and Self-Respect," Exhibition Period: June 18 – August 29, 2026)