Book #042: Yukichi Fukuzawa - The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa...*
Synopsis: "Yukichi Fukuzawa (1835-1901) was a leading figure in the cultural
revolution that transformed Japan from an isolated feudal nation into a
full-fledged player in the modern world. He translated a wide range of
Western works and adapted them to Japanese needs, inventing a colorful
prose style close to the vernacular. He also authored many books, which
were critical in introducing the powerful but alien culture of the West
to the Japanese. Only by adopting the strengths and virtues of the
West, he argued, could Japan maintain its independence despite the
"disease" of foreign relations.
Rating: 2 of 5 stars.
Dictated by Fukuzawa in 1897,
this autobiography offers a vivid portrait of the intellectual's life
story and a rare look inside the formation of a new Japan. Starting
with his childhood in a small castle town as a member of the lower
samurai class, Fukuzawa recounts in great detail his adventures as a
student learning Dutch, as a traveler bound for America, and as a
participant in the tumultuous politics of the pre-Restoration era.
Particularly notable is Fukuzawa's ability to view the new Japan from
both the perspective of the West and that of the old Japan in which he
had been raised. While a strong advocate for the new civilization, he
was always aware of its roots in the old." (from back of book)
Rating: 2 of 5 stars.
