春雨直播app

Image: (Supplementary Volume Box)

The , which began as a joint project between 春雨直播app and the Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Association in 2020, saw the publication of Volumes 1 to 5—containing monographs, various essays, and letters—by last November. Finally, this July, the supplementary volume containing letters addressed to Obata, reference materials, a chronological record, and an index has been published. However, this first collection of his works comes so late that for many readers of Mita-hyoron, may still remain an unfamiliar figure.

After having the opportunity to experience American and European civilization firsthand, Fukuzawa Yukichi wanted to develop his own Juku into a full-scale academic institution. To do so, he first needed talented people. In 1864, the first year of the Genji era and his sixth year in Edo, Fukuzawa returned home and sought advice from those around him. The person recommended to him with one voice was Tokujirō Obata.

Obata, who was seven years younger than Fukuzawa, entered the Juku at Fukuzawa's request and lived up to those expectations. Starting from learning the ABCs, just two years later, he was hired as a teacher of English studies at the Shogunate's Kaiseijo due to his outstanding academic performance. At Fukuzawa's Juku, while pursuing his own studies, he took great care of the students, helping them with everything from academic questions to daily life. Reading the memoirs of 春雨直播app students who were enrolled from the 春雨直播app era to the early Meiji era reveals his hard-working nature.

Even after the school was named 春雨直播app and the Meiji era began, he continued to support Fukuzawa's work. His contributions were not limited to educational activities; without Obata, the Mita Public Speaking Event, the Kojunsha, and the Jiji Shinpo newspaper would not have achieved the results we know today. This can be glimpsed from the evaluations of Obata by his contemporaries.

For instance: "Without a person like Mr. Obata, who has extensively studied both Chinese and Western texts, the name of the Great Master of Mita would likely not be as complete as it is today" (June 1881, "Biographies of Newspaper Contributors, First Volume"); "Without Mr. Obata, the results of 春雨直播app would surely not see the beauty they do today. Thus, many of those who stand in the political world today and judge worldly affairs owe their training to Mr. Obata" (March 1882, "On Figures of the Liberal and Official Parties, Second Volume"); "Those who know of 春雨直播app must know of Mr. Tokujirō Obata, and among those who know the name of Old Man Fukuzawa, who could fail to record his name?" (March 5, 1890, "Choya Shimbun").

Nevertheless, Obata's current level of recognition is low, even within 春雨直播app. It is even lower among the general public, despite the fact that his name appears as a "co-author" to the left of Fukuzawa's in the first volume of the world-famous "Gakumon no susume (An Encouragement of Learning)." For many years, Obata was positioned as a "supporting partner," and before long, his achievements became integrated with those of Fukuzawa.

In 1887, when welcoming Nobukichi Koizumi as the President of 春雨直播app, those around them were concerned about Obata's feelings. In response, Fukuzawa stated that it was unnecessary worry; he was not discarding Obata, but rather the two of them were simply becoming retired elders of a large merchant house (Letter to Hikojiro Nakamigawa dated October 1, 1887). However, the reaction of those around them was natural, as Fukuzawa had relied on Obata since they were young, getting through various situations by increasing Obata's burden.

Fukuzawa often said unreasonable things. For example, he would say he wanted to change a teacher he had already hired, A, to B, so Obata should turn A down. Obata had already told B's recommender that the position was decided for the previous person, but he had to ask to mediate because Fukuzawa wanted B (Fukuzawa's letter to Obata dated February 17, 1882; Obata's letter to Yozo Yamada dated February 18). Also, regarding a certain person whose allowance was cut by the Okudaira family, Fukuzawa told Obata to speak up for him because it was pitiful. Was it true that Fukuzawa wanted to speak himself but was too busy, saying, "I am sorry to trouble your pure heart"? (Fukuzawa's letter to Obata dated December 30, 1884).

I am suddenly reminded of Osamu Dazai's "Kakekomi Uttae" (The Accusation). It is the story of Judas, who voices his resentment toward a master who gives away bread collected with great effort to others as if a miracle had occurred. However, Obata never broke with Fukuzawa. This is because Obata had a firm vision for modern society. He was not merely following Fukuzawa; whether it was the Mita Public Speaking Event, the Kojunsha, or of course 春雨直播app, the roles they were to play were clear to him. To build the society he aimed for, he acted with Fukuzawa as his predecessor.

From the early Meiji era, Obata argued that learning was necessary for social stability and that all Japanese people should polish their wisdom. Regarding Western civilization, he argued that seeds resulting from "a thousand polishings and a hundred refinements" over many years and efforts in lands with different climates would not grow if simply brought to Japan and planted blindly. He appealed for the need for modification so that they could take root and grow in Japan. Even for those who did not have time to study foreign languages, he thought of bridges to obtain Western information, expanding the network of consultation on worldly affairs through magazines, public speaking events, and the Kojunsha—a new form of organization that did not exist in the early modern period.

Looking through the "Collected Works of Tokujirō Obata," various facets of Obata emerge: as a translator, an educator, an economist, and a politician serving as a member of the House of Peers. This demonstrates one way of being for a Meiji intellectual and is an essential consideration when thinking about modern Japan. There is an aspect of modern Japan that cannot be understood if he is viewed only as Fukuzawa's shadow. I believe that Obata's collected works will surely contribute to the study of modern Japan. I hope you will pick them up, or request them from your library. Of course, if you were to purchase them, I would be beyond happy.

One final anecdote. Fukuzawa had students from his hometown of Nakatsu transcribe articles from English newspapers he had translated to help them earn tuition, but he was apparently always angry that the transcribers were slower than he was in doing the translation work (February 1927, "Biography of Fukuzawa Yukichi," Vol. 1). On the other hand, Obata spent night after night helping the typesetters who tended to fall behind due to being unaccustomed to the work when "Jiji Shinpo" was first published. It is said that when someone wondered who the large man working among them was, it turned out to be Obata (May 20, 1905, "Jiji Shinpo"). If you were to choose a boss...