"Keio University and America: Takayuki Tatsumi's Farewell Lecture"

2022/11/19

Yukichi Fukuzawa traveled to America in 1860 and 1867. After two visits to the United States, he produced the first Japanese translation of Thomas Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence" (1776) in an effort to root the modern democracy represented by America in Japan. "Gakumon no susume (An Encouragement of Learning), Volume 1" (1872), written under its influence, celebrates its 150th anniversary of publication this year.

Furthermore, although Yukichi Fukuzawa did not fundamentally recognize any religion, he respected only the Unitarians, who were closely associated with Jefferson. The ideology of this Enlightenment sect, which denies the Christian Trinity and regards Jesus as a human prophet rather than a savior, forms the core of today's Americanism. He learned of this from his eldest son, Ichitaro, who studied abroad at Cornell University and Eastman College in North America. It is likely no coincidence that his grandson, Professor Eiichi Kiyooka, who also translated "The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa" into English, studied at Cornell University during the Jazz Age.

In this way, Keio University has had a deep relationship with America since its early days. Since I began working here in 1982, it has been my long-held dream to establish a center for American studies at this institution. Thus, about 12 years ago, I spoke with Mr. Naoyuki Agawa, who was then Vice-President, and launched the Keio University G-SEC American Studies Project. This later evolved into the Keio University American Studies Association, which held an international symposium in 2019 and published the inaugural issue of its journal in 2020 (Home | mysite). Therefore, to sum up my 38 years at Keio University as a scholar of American literature, this book contains three pieces: the title work, which is my farewell lecture; an unpublished manuscript titled "Modernism and Keio University" based on various lectures I have given; and my latest paper, "Circum-Continental Theory of Authorial Life," which focuses on an analysis of plays by Mark Twain, a literary giant born in the same year as Yukichi Fukuzawa.

The concept, consisting of three parts, was presented to the publisher who offered to turn it into a book immediately after I gave my farewell lecture last March. I never dreamed that two months after finishing my farewell lecture, I would be appointed Headmaster of Keio Academy of New York by the new President Ito and literally move to America.

The theme of this book seems far from over.

"Keio University and America: Takayuki Tatsumi's Farewell Lecture"

Takayuki Tatsumi

Takanashi Shobo

280 pages, 2,640 yen (tax included)

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