The Political Crisis of 1881

2021/05/18

Even Keio University, now known as a "leader among private schools," has faced numerous management crises. In particular, the early Meiji 10s (late 1870s) are known as a period of serious crisis.

Due to inflation following the Satsuma Rebellion in Meiji 10 (1877), many former samurai (shizoku) fell into poverty, leading to a significant decrease in enrollment at Keio University, where many of the Keio students were from samurai families. From Meiji 11 to 12, Fukuzawa sought financial support to maintain Keio University from powerful figures in the Meiji government, such as Shigenobu Okuma, Hirobumi Ito, and Kiyotaka Kuroda. According to Fukuzawa, while Okuma was supportive, Ito and others expressed reluctance, and the request was not granted.

Perhaps not as an act of retaliation, but immediately afterward, Fukuzawa wrote "On the National Assembly" and "Transition of People's Way of Thinking," advocating for the introduction of a British-style parliamentary cabinet system. This served as a catalyst, leading to a surge in demands for the establishment of a national assembly among the public and evolving into criticism of the Satsuma-Choshu clan cliques.

At that time, the person who viewed Fukuzawa as more dangerous than anyone else was Kowashi Inoue, known as Hirobumi Ito's right-hand man. The parliamentary cabinet system advocated by Fukuzawa was a system in which election results would influence the composition of the cabinet. In other words, if this were introduced, the figures who supported the Meiji government could all potentially disappear from power.

Partly due to Inoue's behind-the-scenes maneuvering, the introduction of a British-style parliamentary cabinet system was abandoned as a result of the Political Crisis of 1881. At the same time, many young bureaucrats who were students of Fukuzawa, such as Yukio Ozaki, Tsuyoshi Inukai, Hikojiro Nakamigawa, and Fumio Yano (Ryukei), were purged from government circles. It became difficult for those from Keio University to enter government service, and the result was "Keio University, strong in the business world."

Furthermore, the Ministry of Education's policy of unfavorable treatment toward private schools continued. A symbol of this was the loss of the privilege of conscription deferment for private schools. This was finally granted to Keio University in Meiji 29 (1896)—the year after Inoue passed away.

This book summarizes the reality and causes of the Political Crisis of 1881, which, as mentioned above, had a significant impact on Yukichi Fukuzawa and Keio University. The Political Crisis of 1881 can be examined from various perspectives, including not only Fukuzawa and Keio University but also the enactment of the constitution, the establishment of the assembly, and finance. If you are interested, please pick up a copy of this book.

The Political Crisis of 1881

Satoshi Kubota

Shueisha International Shinsho

280 pages, 1,012 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.