Modern American Students of Keio University: Meiji Adventures in Search of Civilized "Knowledge"

November 23, 2023

I first studied abroad in the United States in 2005. At that time, I wrote a biography of Nagamoto Okabe, who studied at Keio University in the early Meiji era, studied at Yale University, and later became a diplomat and politician after returning to Japan. Okabe was the former lord of the Kishiwada Domain and a rare individual who succeeded as both a pre-modern and modern elite. While tracing his footsteps during his studies abroad, I reflected on what he aimed to learn in a foreign land and what he brought back to Japan.

When the Boshin War ended and the Meiji state began to be built, the United States was also in the process of national reconstruction after suffering great losses in the Civil War. Many former feudal lords were enrolled at Keio University at the same time as Okabe, but those from the "rebel army" who joined the Northern Alliance (Ouetsu Reppan Domei) and fought against the new government forces were particularly prominent. A battle between North and South. The Boshin War also had that aspect, and the former lords who gathered at Keio University were entrusted with the reconstruction of the devastated northern lands.

Masayuki Okudaira, the first person discussed in this book, was also a former lord of the Nakatsu Domain. He went to the United States at the request of Yukichi Fukuzawa, who hoped he would serve as a model of scholarship for the people of his former domain. Junichi Tsuda, discussed in Chapter 2, was chosen by Fukuzawa as his companion; he graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and became a pioneer of legal education in Japan. From Chapter 3 onwards, I discuss the study abroad experiences in America of Fukuzawa's eldest son, Ichitaro, his second son, Sutejiro, and Ichitaro's eldest son, Yasokichi. To carry on Fukuzawa's legacy, such as the management of Keio University and the Jiji Shimpo newspaper, they pursued "knowledge" at institutions like Cornell University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University.

It goes without saying that Western "knowledge" was essential for the construction of modern Japan. Those tasked with this responsibility crossed the ocean carrying the expectations of their country, hometowns, alma maters, and families. Though not flashy, these practitioners who honestly fulfilled their missions in their respective fields were an important intellectual resource for Japan.

The number of students studying abroad, which plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic, is showing signs of recovery. For students encountering America for the first time, the paths taken by their predecessors—who once knew, learned from, and struggled in America—should hold significant meaning. I compiled this book with such expectations in mind.

I hope this book will be picked up by readers interested in America, modern Japan, and studying abroad.

Modern American Students of Keio University: Meiji Adventures in Search of Civilized "Knowledge"

Masamichi Ogawara

Keio University Press

270 pages, 3,520 yen (tax included)

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