Fukuzawa Yukichi

Uncommon card · No. 191486

Fukuzawa Yukichi (Japanese: 福澤 諭吉; 10 January 1835 – 3 February 1901) was a Japanese writer, educator, and philosopher who is regarded as one of the key figures of the Meiji era for his efforts to introduce and promote Western ideas and institutions in Japan. He was the founder of Keio Gijuku (the foundation of the modern Keio University) and the newspaper Jiji Shinpō. Born into a low-ranking samurai family, Fukuzawa became critical of the feudal class system of Tokugawa Japan. He studied Dutch (Rangaku) and later taught himself English, eventually becoming an official translator for the shogunate. He traveled abroad with the first Japanese mission to the United States in 1860 and the first mission to Europe in 1862. These experiences convinced him that Japan needed to adopt not only Western technology but also its social, economic, and political institutions to achieve national strength and equality. After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Fukuzawa became a leading promoter of the Bunmei...

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