Upon the Completion of the "Collected Works of Tokujirō Obata"

Image: (Supplementary Volume Box)

The "Collected Works of Tokujirō Obata", which began as a joint project between Keio University and the Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Association in 2020, saw the publication of Volumes 1 to 5—containing monographs, various collections, and letters—by last November. Finally, this July, the supplementary volume containing letters addressed to Obata, reference materials, a chronological biography, and an index has been published. However, this first collection of his works comes so late that for many readers of Mita-hyoron, Tokujirō Obata may still remain an unfamiliar figure.

Having had the opportunity to experience American and European civilization firsthand, Yukichi Fukuzawa wanted to develop his own Juku into a full-fledged academic institution. To do so, he first needed talented people. In 1864, the first year of the Genji era and his sixth year in Edo, Fukuzawa returned to his hometown and sought advice from those around him. The person recommended to him with one voice was Tokujirō Obata.

Obata, who was seven years younger than Fukuzawa, entered the Juku at Fukuzawa's request and lived up to those expectations. Starting from learning the ABCs, just two years later, he was hired as a teacher of English studies at the Shogunate's Kaiseijo due to his outstanding academic performance. At Fukuzawa's Juku, while pursuing his own studies, he took great care of the students, helping them with everything from academic questions to daily life. Reading the memoirs of Keio students who were enrolled from the Keio era to the early Meiji era reveals his dedicated work ethic.

Even after the school was named Keio University and the Meiji era began, he continued to support Fukuzawa's work. His contributions were not limited to educational activities; without Obata, the Mita Public Speaking Event, the Kojunsha, and the Jiji Shinpo newspaper would not have achieved the results we know today. This can be glimpsed from the evaluations of Obata by his contemporaries.

For instance: "Without a person like Mr. Obata, who has extensively studied both Chinese and Western texts, it is likely that the great Master of Mita's reputation would not be as complete as it is today" (June 1881, "Biographies of Newspaper Contributors, First Volume"); "Without Mr. Obata, the results of Keio University would surely not see the beauty they do today. Thus, many of those who stand in the political world today and judge worldly affairs owe much to Mr. Obata's influence" (March 1882, "On Figures of the Liberal and Official Parties, Second Volume"); "Those who know of Keio University must know of Mr. Tokujirō Obata, and among those who know the name of the venerable Fukuzawa, who could fail to remember his name?" (March 5, 1890, "Choya Shimbun").

Nevertheless, Obata's current level of recognition is low, even within Keio University. This is even more true for the general public, despite the fact that his name appears to the left of Fukuzawa's as a "co-author" in the first volume of the world-famous "Gakumon no susume (An Encouragement of Learning)." For many years, Obata was positioned in a supporting role, and before long, his achievements became integrated with those of Fukuzawa.

In 1887, when Nobukichi Koizumi was welcomed as the President of Keio University, those around them were concerned about Obata's feelings. In response, Fukuzawa stated that such worries were unnecessary; he was not discarding Obata, but rather the two of them were simply becoming retired elders of a large merchant house (Letter to Hikojiro Nakamigawa, October 1, 1887). However, the reaction of those around them was natural, as Fukuzawa had relied on Obata since they were young, getting through various situations by increasing Obata's burden.

Fukuzawa often said unreasonable things. For example, he would say he wanted to change a teacher he had already hired, Person A, to Person B, so Obata should turn Person A down. Obata had already told Person B's recommender that the position was decided for the person with the prior engagement, but he had to ask to mediate because Fukuzawa wanted Person B (Fukuzawa's letter to Obata, February 17, 1882; Obata's letter to Yozo Yamada, February 18, 1882). Also, regarding a certain person whose allowance was cut by the Okudaira family, Fukuzawa told Obata to speak up for him because it was pitiful and he should be reinstated. Was it really true that Fukuzawa wanted to speak himself but was too busy and "regrettably had to trouble your pure heart"? (Fukuzawa's letter to Obata, December 30, 1884).

I am suddenly reminded of Osamu Dazai's "Kakekomi Uttae" (The Appeal). It is the story of Judas, who voices his resentment toward a master who gives away bread—collected with great effort—to others as if by a miracle. However, Obata never broke with Fukuzawa. This is because Obata had a firm vision for modern society. He was not merely following Fukuzawa; whether it was the Mita Public Speaking Event, the Kojunsha, or of course Keio University, the roles they were to play were clear in his mind. To build the society he aimed for, he acted with Fukuzawa as his predecessor.

From the early Meiji era, Obata maintained that academic learning was necessary for social stability and that all Japanese people should polish their wisdom. Regarding Western civilization, he argued that seeds resulting from "a thousand polishings and a hundred refinements" over many years and efforts in a different climate would not grow if brought to Japanese soil and planted blindly. He appealed for the need for adaptation so that they could take root and grow in Japan. Even for those who did not have time to study foreign languages, he thought of ways to bridge the gap so they could obtain Western information, expanding a network for consulting on worldly affairs through magazines, public speaking events, and the Kojunsha—a new form of organization that did not exist in the early modern period.

Looking through the "Collected Works of Tokujirō Obata," various facets of Obata emerge: as a translator, an educator, an economist, and a politician serving in the House of Peers. He represents one way of being for a Meiji intellectual, and his consideration is indispensable for thinking about modern Japan. There is an aspect of modern Japan that cannot be understood if he is viewed only as Fukuzawa's shadow. I believe that Obata's collected works will surely contribute to the study of modern Japan. I hope you will request them at your library so you can hold them in your hands. Of course, if you were to purchase them, I would be beyond happy.

One final anecdote. To help students from his hometown of Nakatsu pay their tuition, Fukuzawa had them transcribe articles from English-language newspapers he had translated, but he was apparently always angry that the transcribers were slower than he was in doing the translation work (February 1927, "Biography of Yukichi Fukuzawa," Vol. 1). On the other hand, when the Jiji Shinpo was first launched, Obata would help the typesetters late into the night when they were unaccustomed to the work and tended to fall behind. It is said that when people saw a large man joined in the work and wondered who it was, it turned out to be Obata (May 20, 1905, "Jiji Shinpo"). If you had to choose a boss...