Yukichi Fukuzawa and the "Environment"

2005/01/15

Published inJukuNo. 245, 2005

Yukichi Fukuzawa led Japan's modernization through "jitsugaku (science)," but his stance on "nature" and the "environment" is not widely known.
The "jitsugaku (science)" he advocated emphasized the fundamental principles of things, demanding a thorough understanding of and consideration for the laws of nature.
This article introduces Yukichi Fukuzawa's groundbreaking efforts in environmental conservation.
Along with an episode from the Hiyoshi Campus where his philosophy was put into practice, we will explore the idea of environmental conservation as a form of "jitsugaku (science)" that lives on at Keio University.

The "Ao-no-domon" (Blue Tunnel), widely known from Kan Kikuchi's masterpiece "Onshu no Kanata ni" (Beyond the Grudge), is located in what is now Honyabakei Town, south of Yukichi Fukuzawa's hometown of Nakatsu City in Oita Prefecture. In Kan Kikuchi's novel, the story behind the creation of Ao-no-domon is a dramatic tale involving a revenge plot centered on the monk Ryokai, but this differs somewhat from historical fact. In reality, about 250 years ago, a monk named Zenkai, who visited this area during his travels throughout the country, witnessed people and horses losing their lives at a treacherous spot known as "Kusariwatashi" (chain crossing) and resolved to build a safe tunnel for the villagers. The tunnel, which the monk carved out with only a chisel and hammer, is said to be approximately 342 meters long and took 30 long years to complete.

Yabakei, once praised by the scholar Rai Sanyo as an "unparalleled scenic beauty under the heavens," begins around the Ao-no-domon. "Kyoshuho," the peak that towers above the tunnel, is known as one of the most scenic spots in Yabakei, with its fantastic rocks and peaks standing tall against the sky as if "competing in beauty." Behind this natural spectacle, which has been preserved to this day, lies Yukichi Fukuzawa's love for the nature of his hometown and his little-known efforts.

According to "Fukuzawa Yukichi Den" (The Biography of Yukichi Fukuzawa) by Mikiaki Ishikawa, in the spring of 1894, Yukichi Fukuzawa returned to his hometown of Nakatsu for the first time in 20 years with his two sons, Ichitaro and Sutejiro, to visit his ancestors' graves. During his visit, while spending a day at Yabakei, he heard that the mountainous area near Kyoshuho was for sale. Fearing that this irreplaceable scenery would fall into the hands of someone thoughtless, who might cut down the trees and destroy the landscape, Fukuzawa decided to purchase the entire area, even though, as he wrote in a letter to Enji Sogi dated April 4, 1894, "there is not a single penny of profit to be made from acquiring it." Using his former colleague from the Nakatsu domain and brother-in-law, Takeshi Otabe, as the nominal owner, and with the help of Mr. Sogi (the recipient of the aforementioned letter), he gradually and discreetly purchased about 120 ares (12,000 square meters) of land from multiple owners without revealing his own name. Otabe, who had been involved in real estate brokerage in Nakatsu after the Meiji Restoration, was likely a convenient figure to serve as the nominal owner for such a land purchase.

In September 1900, the land's ownership was transferred to Kikuichi Otabe through family succession, but soon after, in November of the same year, it was formally sold and the title was changed to Fukuzawa Sutejiro, who had visited Yabakei with Yukichi Fukuzawa. With this, the land officially became the property of the Fukuzawa family, moving beyond a nominal ownership. In 1927, the ownership passed to Fukuzawa Tokitaro through inheritance, and during this period, the area was designated as a scenic forest to be protected for its landscape. However, the Fukuzawa family was not necessarily insistent on owning the land. The aforementioned "Fukuzawa Yukichi Den" states, "As it was a remote piece of land and difficult to manage adequately, in 1928, the ownership was transferred to a certain Oie of Masaka Village in the same area to ensure the preservation of its scenic beauty." Today, the ownership is divided among several people.

Purchasing land with one's own funds to protect the natural environment and scenery from thoughtless development... this initiative, carried out by Yukichi Fukuzawa out of love for his hometown, can be called a forerunner of Japan's National Trust movement for nature and environmental conservation.

This attitude of Yukichi Fukuzawa toward environmental conservation was steadily inherited by the Keio Gijuku Shachu.

In 1930, Keio University decided to relocate its preparatory schools and other lower divisions from Mita. The relocation site, Hiyoshidai, was a hilly area with fine views and remaining woodlands reminiscent of the Musashino Plain, making it one of the most scenic spots near Tokyo. Therefore, when constructing roads and athletic facilities on the site, great importance was placed on harmony with the surrounding environment. It is also said that the trees planted, such as ginkgo, zelkova, and Himalayan cedar, were personally selected one by one by Tomoo Maki, the trustee in charge.

Furthermore, the artifacts successively unearthed during the civil engineering work for the campus development were subjected to a full-scale academic investigation by the Mita Historical Society, resulting in the discovery of numerous Yayoi-period pit dwelling sites and kofun (ancient tombs). Hiyoshidai had been a major settlement for ancient people. The excavation yielded over 1,700 artifacts, including mirrors, bamboo combs, and beads, which were collectively designated as Important Cultural Properties. The National Treasure "Akikusamon-tsubo" (jar with autumn grass design), now in the university's collection, was also discovered nearby. Since many of the dwelling sites were difficult to preserve due to the construction of school buildings, one complete dwelling site was encased in concrete for preservation. This was the first attempt of its kind in Japan and had a significant impact on the academic world.

In an era that rushed toward modernization and did not consider the "environment" a particularly important issue, Yukichi Fukuzawa carried out pioneering efforts in environmental conservation with a true spirit of "independence and self-respect." At the root of these actions was, after all, "jitsugaku (science)." "In every field and every study, one should focus on practical matters, follow the facts and the objects, and seek the principles of things at hand to meet the needs of today." Yukichi Fukuzawa, who preached the utility of "jitsugaku (science)" based on discerning the fundamental principles of things, also demanded a deep understanding of the laws of nature when utilizing it. And this grand philosophy toward nature can still be witnessed today in the "Kyoshuho" of Yabakei and the beautiful tree-lined avenues of the Hiyoshi Campus.