Just for Fun? We Love It. | Masaru Tomita (Dean, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)
October 17, 2005
Did you know that Yukichi Fukuzawa was an avid drinker from a young age? It is said that when he resisted having his head shaved (sakayaki), his mother would calm him down by promising, "I'll give you some sake afterward." There are many other anecdotes like this that you would never imagine from the stern expression on the 10,000-yen bill. When his older brother scolded him for stepping on a piece of paper with a lord's name on it, Fukuzawa, in response, wiped his bottom with a piece of paper bearing a god's name and threw it in the toilet to see if he would be divinely punished. Upon discovering that the Dutch he had spent years studying was useless, he immediately resolved to start learning English from scratch, which was considered an "unconventional path" at the time. When he heard that the shogunate's first mission was going to America, he quickly pulled some strings and managed to accompany them, even though he was not a vassal. Despite the fact that "Things Western (Seiyō Jijō)," which he wrote based on his experience in the United States, became a bestseller, he was angered that only the publisher was making money and he, the author, was not being paid. So, he established his own publishing company.
Fukuzawa preached that "it is important to take the world lightly." He meant that nothing good comes from holding back with thoughts like, "It is too daunting for me," or from getting too worked up with grand ideas like, "For the sake of the country," or "This is my life's greatest work." In his autobiography, *Fukuō Jiden*, Fukuzawa states that even when he founded Keio University, he thought it would be fine if it failed at any time. This outstanding drive, which at first glance might seem careless and reckless, was the driving force behind Fukuzawa's renewal of Japan. And his mischievous, humorous character is likely why he was so loved and admired by his many students.
Try something because it looks interesting. If you find it fun, pursue it to the fullest.
I believe that Yukichi Fukuzawa would expect SFC to have this kind of "just for fun" atmosphere in its research projects, classes, and campus life.
(Posted: October 17, 2005)