Hello folks. Last video in our trilogy on Fukuzawa, hope you enjoy it. Can't recommend his autobiography enough, fascinating man in a fascinating time. Plenty more stories in there. Enjoy!
To think his entire journey started because he was simply strolling through Yokohama, a place with nothing of significance to see at the time, and saw the foreigners there, who spoke English, and found himself unable to understand them. That small, insignificant event, the inability to communicate, ended up leading him on a journey that changed Japan forever.
i believe he went to Yokohama to see the foreigners and practice his portugeue that he was learning but they speaked english, he had an interest in foreign culture, i think that was the main force that set him in his journey
It's amazing even looking at the journey Yokohama itself has been through. What started as a hastily put together trading hub, grew into the second most populated city in Japan. We're lucky enough to be able to see a lot of that journey through photographs as well.
As an American I wasn't familiar with Fukuzawa prior to this. His writings and views sounded very enlightened and ahead of his time so I wanted to look more into his legacy. It was when his legacy and influence in Japan was compared to that of Benjamin Franklin in America that I truly understood what he did for his country. It seems almost poetic that Fukuzawa is honored by being on the 10,000 Yen banknote while Franklin is on the $100 bill when both men contributed very similarly to their respective countries in the fields of education and science.
Such a wonderful bit of appropriate coincidence, isn't it? Though, apparently, he's being replaced on the 10,000 yen note. If ture, that is sad indeed.
Not just that, I find it also very interesting to hear or read how people look at such alien concepts to them and how they describe it to understand how to transcribe such a thing if I need it whilst writing a story
i totally agree. I already knew most of the story, but hearing it narrated in such a lovely way and accompanied by the great pictures it really became much more vivid.
@@lam1991hahaha the reason why the Chinese and Korean used the same word is because at the time both were comparatively backwards and they kinda just took a lot of the Japanese vocabulary when they started their own modernization, eg telephone, politics, government etc
He went on to found the first private university in Japan (which still stands to this day!), and published an autobiography in the early 1900s, so he was a rather well known guy 👍
It is indeed fortunate they survived The thorough American fire bombing campaigns of WWII Not to mention the nukes Much of Japan's historical records and accounts were sadly incinerated
@@MrRinoHunter I mean I think the real story, though it's a little glossed over in the video, is that he opened Keio University, which is to this day not only open but one of the most prestigious in his nation. I could think of no greater honor for a teacher of his caliber.
@@jinhunterslay1638 Yeah, Japanese government have been upgrading its banknote for almost every 20 years. Upgrading is necessary for counterfeit-prevention. (if the government are lazy about that, one north boy may copy...it's just a joke)
It’s sad to see this series end. I nearly cried seeing the final pictures of Mr. Fukuzawa in his later years. What an incredibly interesting and kind hearted man, I wish I could have met him
This channel is pure gold. I've never been a history buff, but certainly one for cultures, stories and varying viewpoints - So finally history seems accessible to me :D
It's sad to see how his predictions of where the Empire would lead the country turned out to be true. If there had been more people like him, perhaps Japan would have been able to re-entered the world much more smoothly in the 20th century. I do think he would be proud to see that despite it's struggles Japan has become a major cultural influence in the world, and in particular how well it has not only adapted itself to a modern world but is in many respects leading the way.
Considering how the U.S. and Australia rejected Japan’s “Racial Equality Proposal” in 1919, it seems like its the western countries that needed more people like Yukichi Fukuzawa. Japan’s rise of nationalism and militarism wouldnt even have happened if the americans and australians could of just swallowed their white pride.
@@kn2549 I think this is very true. On Fukuzawa's visits to Europe, but especially to America, he was treated with an incredible amount of appreciativeness and respect. While this gives me great pride to know that he felt welcomed and happy in my nation, I can't help but wonder what would have happened had he shown up some 50+ years later. The Americans (and I assume the Australians as you said), were so unabashed with their crudeness towards the Japanese people that I just can't accept that the Japanese were completely responsible for the incredible building of hostility in the early 20th century. That said however, the Japanese certainly could have used more Fukuzawas, and less of a military mindset (but then, so could everyone else).
@@kn2549 looking at the atrocities japan did afterwards in china, korea, the philippines and all the the sea of malaysia I don't know how serious they took that "racial equality" thing.
This episode is particularly interesting as earlier this year I was in Kagoshima and visited Sengan-en. It told many stories of the Anglo-Satsuma war. Fascinating place!
After watching this series I can say that Fukuzawa Yukichi was a model historian. Presenting situations as is but vividly enough to convey emotions, analysing political circumstances and ones revolving around foreign affairs without presenting an opinion as the most rational and dictating the reader's point of view, but in an objective way that encourages critical thinking for the everyday person of any class reading it. It's often said that a person cannot change the world, but Fukuzawa Yukichi was an example of a simple man who managed to change at least his country only by the act of documenting.
Satsuma clan borrowed money from the Shogunate government to pay the British 25k pounds but never paid them back. Instead, the clan took up arms against the institution they owed money to , with others, defeated them and played a key role in the early modern Japan.
@@Name-rl3tq They had violated the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce of 1858 which ensured that British subjects in Japan were subject only to English Common Law in English courts and not to Customary Law of Japan in accordance with Japanese legal customs. Under English Common Law, Richardson did nothing wrong, and the principle of self-defense under English Common Law only extends to the defense of one's person and property, not to one's honor or reputation. Killing Richardson in violation of the treaty was an act of war, the British were absolutely entitled to demand whatever terms they saw fit if Japan desired to maintain peace.
@@costakeith9048 Unless that treaty was a bad faith arrangement imposed upon Japan by imperialist powers. I won't waste my breath defending honor killings, but let's not pretend that this was some great travesty imposed on the UK. It was a series of one-way concessions designed to negate Japanese sovereignty in order to enable exploitation. In other words, the treaty was invalid and the British had no justification for war whatsoever.
Great series, great channel! Some notes on Fukuzawa's rendering of "competition:" Relative to Indo-European languages, classical Japanese is rich in verbs and concrete nouns, but far less so in abstract nouns: in early texts, there are lots of indigenous words for "create", "destroy," etc., but not for "creation" or "destruction," which might be conveyed simply by using the verbs in a sort of gerund form (e.g. creat-ing, destroy-ing). In the medieval era (ca. 1200-1600) and early-modern (1600-1868) eras, we see increased use of compound nouns formed from multiple Chinese characters. Basically, the process was like creating Latinate vocabulary in English or French: when Western scientists and philosophers needed new words to describe new concepts, they might invent terms using Greek or Latin -- a process that still takes place today. (A word describing such terms, "neologism," is itself one: neo + logos = 'new word'). So Fukuzawa chose two characters, which in Japanese functioned a bit like Latin roots and suffixes: 競 and 争. Each can mean something like "compete" or "vie," and could be used as full words in Classical Chinese. The first is rendered "race" here because it is used in words involving racing: "horse race" (競馬), "foot race" (競走), etc. It can also represent Japanese verbs such as _kisou_ and the classical _kiou_, both of which mean "vie with" or "contest with." The second character was where the controversy was: 争 is used in words having to do with warfare and can represent Japanese verbs like _tatakau_, meaning "to fight." Around the same time as Western Europe (17th-18th centuries), Japan began confronting an issue that would eventually be made explicit in the West by Smith, Ricardo, and other thinkers associated with liberalism and the Scottish Enlightenment. They held that private competition, rather than religious duty or pure benevolence, is the best way to generate wealth and material progress for society. Like European aristocrats and clergy, Japan's samurai class found this vision rather distasteful and chaotic -- their ideal social order was basically a Confucian utopia, more or less constant over time. So even though Japan had a long mercantile tradition, and even a small but wealthy early-modern bourgeoisie in the cities of Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka, its government still reflected that samurai-centered ethic of social stasis, hostile to (or at least skeptical of) the notion that economic competition was something to be celebrated. Fukuzawa and others changed minds, and changed the world.
This channel has become one of my favorites in all of youtube as of late... And this trilogy made it even better! Love your work! Fukuzawa is a really interesting character and a man ahead of his time.. I found him as a truly good person in a world that wasn't ready for his way of thinking, but he ended up influencing that world if only a bit.
One of the most interesting observers in history. The exceptional voiceover, music, and editing is well deserved for his work. Btw, that Nokia bit was very funny :).
I appreciate your hard work, but I didn't want you to put this in a single video. I read his book before hand, and I found that you skipped a lot of interesting stories, since you had to make it in a short video. Nevertheless, I love all your videos. Thank you!!
I noticed in the letters about Europe that he didn't visit Germany, and I was curious about German-Japanese relations during this time period. This has been fascinating and I'd love to hear more, especially in that area. Thanks for this video!
@@Sensko I'm aware- that's part of why I was curious there wasn't a visit to one of the german states in the european visit- but I don't know much about it in any depth, would be cool to find a primary source =). Genuine thanks though!
The events in the first part are the backbone to Gai-jin, the last novel by James Clavell, whose excellent writing makes you feel there, relive the delicate balance between foreigners and Japanese after the murder of one of their countryman and the following conflict. Both this work as well as Shogun give a fascinating perspective on Japanese culture from both points of view.
I am enjoying the Fukuzawa series. I do enjoy the vastly different ways of thinking between Japan and the Western nations. Japan's ability to change and adapt is quite extraordinary. I believe that Fukuzawa would be proud of modern Japan. As a side note, the reason the minister dislikes the word "fight" is because the Japanese believe in "wa" or harmony. They live on a tiny archipelago where all members of society must work together to grow rice. Any competition was fiercely forbidden, because the greed of one man could ruin a whole village.
I have even heard some explosive ordinance technicians reffering to explosive devices as things that have “wa” which is not to be capricously and disturbed by unskilled idiots who lack respect -- lest some stupid person, monkeying with the explosive device, cause nothing but terrible disaster.
I have a deep relationship with Japan as I have lived there for years and my wife is Japanese. Thank you very much for this exquisite treatment of Mr. Fukuzawa. I'm sad the account has come to an end. I shall now go back and watch all three videos in the series again. Beautiful, wonderful work.
In the centuries XVI (Thenso embassy years 1582-1590) and XVII (Keicho embassy years 1619-1620)), two japonese delegations visited the Spanish emperors Felipe II and Felipe III and also the Pope in Rome thanks to the Jesuitic catholic order arrangements.
These are great I've only discovered them recently, thank God these accounts have been preserved I love the accounts of him visiting other countries for the first time
There's just something really compelling about listening to the accounts of people discovering and learning about alien nations and comparing them to the people of their home
Marco Polo's account isn't a first hand account, it's his cellmates 2nd hand account of what Marco Polo told him before he left prison. There are a number of things that we can't confirm are real about his story, but there are a number of things which are definitely evidence that parts of his tale were true, such as his mention of paper money, in the court of Kublai Khan, which would have been a wild fantastical idea to most Europeans, but which the Yuan dynasty of the mongols had actually done. I doubt Voices of the Past will do Marco Polo because it is not a first hand account though. It is believed after he left prison he wrote another account of his travels which would be first hand, but it has been lost to time unfortunately.
@Interpersonal Communicator You hold animosity towards someone who unwittingly communicated diseases in the 13th century...? Before anyone really even understood what that meant? And he didn't 'act like he founded a continent'. He acted like he /found/ a continent, which he did. Simply not having the been the first person to do so isn't that big of a deal, unless you are a person who also thinks that 13th century explorers should not only act on a modern understanding of medicine, but a modern understanding of geography and history. You are right, he wasn't an omniscient time traveler. What a piece of shit.
@@homelessrobot The guy you're replying to deleted his comment, so I can't reference it, but I just wanted to mention something. I mostly agree with what you're saying, in that Columbus initially could not have known European diseases could spread so easily to Native Americans, hell, he didn't know he was going to meet Native Americans. However, it is worth noting that the concept of disease was not foreign to Europeans. While they didn't know precisely how they were spread, or what they were, they had experienced several massive pandemics over their history. Columbus and his people, if they had cared about the well being of the natives, would have known what the problem was, and how to not wipe out 90% of America's population. Essentially, I mean to say, this is not purely a "modern understanding". I would love to hear your response to this idea.
Very interesting that in a world geopolitical sense, America and Japan were seen as political islands aligned against the dominance of Western Europe (while only a few in Japan would even be aware of this perspective). Americans wished Japan wouldn't have paid because they wished to see that dominance questioned. 10:01 When he talks about America within its Civil War, you can almost feel the implication that American weakness necessarily meant an increased dominance of Britain, like British aristocrats were gleefully watching as the problem of the runaway American colony was solving itself, & how painfully weak politically Japan would seem against an antagonistic Britain without America, having to sail to European waters for any western-produced goods.
Elements within both the French and British governments supported the confederacy, though they remained 'officially' neutral and refused to recognize it as an independent nation, probably because they didn't think they'd win and secondly because of the whole anti-slavery matter of politics that'd recently become dominant in their nations what with the South being heavily invested the the preservation of that particular trade. They also however conveniently 'doubted' the North's interest in ending it (despite most of the North already having abolished slavery) and their strong anti-slavery and abolitionist parties up until the emancipation proclamation, probably less out of sincere doubt so much as the provision of a convenient excuse to avoid outright condemnation of the Southern Confederacy despite their own local politics. See political weakness in the US aside, the abolition of slavery in the European states of note had led to a shortage of certain profitable and popular goods, cotton, tobacco etc. The Southern US just happens to have become a major exporter in exactly those goods, cultivated with the very same form of labor that European states had recently outlawed and thus couldn't exploit.* Ah good old political bullshit artistry at it's finest.
Britain and France were far more concerned by Prussia and Russia during this time. Japan was hardly a threat considering Britain and France had burnt down the Chinese capital a few years before just as the British had burnt Washington 50 years previous. Japan got away lightly.
Yeah later on in the 20th century when America became first a great power and then outright hegemonic during and after ww2 I read that someone, may have been Churchill or Eden, Mountbatten one of those famous brits of the time when speaking of the frustration in having to bow to America said “We had our chance to curtail the American behemoth and we didn’t take it, we have to deal with it” referring obviously to the civil war.
@@HueyPPLong By 1900 the US was the world's number one producer of steel, oil, and food. It also had 45 of the 50 states and was one of the largest territories in the world.
I got lost to my own thoughts there for a moment and was so confused when I heard the guy start speak about Nokia phone as the add was playing. "Wait, what time period did this guy live in again?"
Amazing good series. I knew nothing of this. Thank you. Remember watching Shogun on TV ages ago and had a Sake party on the last episode and got too drunk to remember any of it :)
@Krister Lagerström Perhaps if you only go back in time to when he is a year before his death, in feeble geriatric age.... Please...the Wuhan Cold literally has a death rate FAR lower than most normal influenza seasons. Don't believe everything you see on TV, but do your own research, or if you have no idea what you're talking about, you have no right to open your mouth, totalitarian. We used to call that part of Critical Thinking, and avoiding logical fallacies (especially Appeal to Authority Fallacy), but modern state-accredited, or otherwise modern-finance-system-financed, schooling systems, and peer-pressure-bending with money in science has made sure that was quashed in the last century or so, before it could even properly develop.... Making sure you chastise your fellow man with your factually unnecessary, culturally and socially subversive, but almost global religiously dogmatic state, world bank, and conglomerate media pushed drivel (i'm sure every chance you see to get a dopamine rush for your "correct act" for good-boy points) is actually part of the REAL CRISIS of the future of all mankind right now...and that actual crisis is nothing to do with a cold virus (which IS what the Coronavirus family is sometimes called), except how it's being used as a tool of fear-mongering for such.... I might foolishly dream to expect better from those who would be interested in hearing readings of primary sources, such as from this wonderful channel, lol....but then it does also attract the hordes of brainwashed pseudo-academics of the past few decades of Post-Modernist Western-school Marxist indoctrination that goes on in the universities these days.... Fear-based commies like you, who are so quick to throw away many centuries of civilizational mannerisms, that have built the intricate beauty of civilization, over a the occassional...inevitable and fairly regular...plague, if your "authorities" tell you to, are human scientifically socially-engineered drones/cattle, who think like you are literally helping our global masters set up their endgame of total techno-domination, and the end of free thought...and the outright extinguishing of Human Potential and the Creativity of the Human Spirit, beyond space...and perhaps eventually times, and civilization as we have understood it. That, to be replaced with a meaningless cybernetic hell-scape dystopia of total slavery. It's LITERALLY is a declaration of siding with the diabolical enemy in this existential war on true Humanity, in this most desperate and awful moment...whether you realize it or not....
My goodness! I so love these! Akasaka, Aoyama, Yokohama... I have stayed in all these places at one time or another and never *once* thought of any such history regarding them. Also, to think that this word 競争(Kyousou), or competition, was invented by Fukuzawa, because they had no equivalent, it's astounding. Just once, I wish I could sit down and have a chat with this man. I guess I also wish his autobiography was available on Apple Books. :(
Another great video. I'm sad knowing that this is the last we'll be hearing from you on this fascinating man here on your channel, but also so very thankful that you brought it to our attention at all. I've been eyeing my phone for a delivery confirmation all morning so I can continue with this wonderful autobiography. You've also got me very keen to dive deep into Japanese history again. It's a subject that really intrigues me, but one that I am guilty of putting off because there don't appear to be a lot of great resources for it in English (outside of World War II anyways). These videos have inspired me to really make more of an effort though, so again, thank you!
Fascinating! I've just found you and am enthralled hearing this eloquent voice from 19th Century Japan. His insights and observations, free of jingoistic prejudice and his dread of "Japan First" ideas is so relevant today. History never gets old it just gets forgotten.
"There was much discussion among the members of the mission before the voyage, but they decided finally that this apparent neglect could be made a proof of friendship between the two countries - Japan had trusted the American minister. Rather, the Japanese government had put it's faith in the goodwill of the American government, and no formal agreement was deemed necessary. The papers were simply memoranda in which we would not place any importance." I couldn't exactly explain why if you asked me: I'm sitting here wiping tears from my cheeks and covered in gooseflesh, smiling all the while. What a way to have my cereal and coffee at 6:30am on Sunday morning.
I thought the Japanese evvoy's fears about not having a receipt was fascinating. Because they didn't have one, they really feared America would genuinely (or maybe pretend to) not know what $800k they were talking about. The Japanese feared this even though the deal was made with an official American minister of state, and one of the two ships had already been delivered. I think it goes to show just how disjointed and ineffective the government of the Shogunate had become, for their envoys to make the assumption that the American government would be the same.
@@torrent You can ask native americans what promises from American government are worthed(even on paper) as you clearly are clueless in the topic of American history in this matter. Or just read the constitution and some history of black americans or Chinese imigrants that were invited to USA to do the work and after they did the work... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_massacre_of_1871
You clearly are clueless of all the empty promises U.S government has made I've the years. The only reason why they kept this promise was because they needed Japan as a trading partner against the English and Russians (and to offset the Chinese).
Great video. It is fascinating to hear the perspective of other cultures. This man's was very enlightened and I felt that he was almost prophetic of the problems an emperor would bring when you look at WW2.
Hello folks. Last video in our trilogy on Fukuzawa, hope you enjoy it. Can't recommend his autobiography enough, fascinating man in a fascinating time. Plenty more stories in there. Enjoy!
More east west contact vids please.
east in west first contacts in 18th or 19th century but different person or country please
Absolutely, more on the way.
@@VoicesofthePast accounts of fathers of modern science or the immigrants coming from europe and their first reaction to america
@@VoicesofthePast : -3
To think his entire journey started because he was simply strolling through Yokohama, a place with nothing of significance to see at the time, and saw the foreigners there, who spoke English, and found himself unable to understand them. That small, insignificant event, the inability to communicate, ended up leading him on a journey that changed Japan forever.
i believe he went to Yokohama to see the foreigners and practice his portugeue that he was learning but they speaked english, he had an interest in foreign culture, i think that was the main force that set him in his journey
It's amazing even looking at the journey Yokohama itself has been through. What started as a hastily put together trading hub, grew into the second most populated city in Japan. We're lucky enough to be able to see a lot of that journey through photographs as well.
@@xerxer9251 He was learning Dutch, not Portugese.
@@Jon-mh9lk oh yes you are right, my mistake.
The butterfly effect.
As an American I wasn't familiar with Fukuzawa prior to this. His writings and views sounded very enlightened and ahead of his time so I wanted to look more into his legacy. It was when his legacy and influence in Japan was compared to that of Benjamin Franklin in America that I truly understood what he did for his country. It seems almost poetic that Fukuzawa is honored by being on the 10,000 Yen banknote while Franklin is on the $100 bill when both men contributed very similarly to their respective countries in the fields of education and science.
Such a wonderful bit of appropriate coincidence, isn't it? Though, apparently, he's being replaced on the 10,000 yen note. If ture, that is sad indeed.
@Interpersonal Communicator What would be better? A fake statue? Fake art? Fake books? Weath is as real as any concept people hold dear.
@@MrBottlecapBill He's got no answer, he's an irrational anti-monetarist.
@Son Gohan The irony of your comment.
People love Yukichi but he likes travel. It's so sad he does not stay long in your wallet.
@Brad Sanchez Does Ben Franklin stay long in your pocket?
At first I'd say keep him in the bank, but he'd be negative.
@Brad Sanchez dont you just love it when you can ram the queen down your back pocket
i'm sure it sounded better in japanese..
So he's a fulfilled man, I'm weirdly happy
This channel is gold for history lovers
Not just that, I find it also very interesting to hear or read how people look at such alien concepts to them and how they describe it to understand how to transcribe such a thing if I need it whilst writing a story
i totally agree. I already knew most of the story, but hearing it narrated in such a lovely way and accompanied by the great pictures it really became much more vivid.
Just checked on Google Translate, and apparently his translation of "competition" stuck.
That’s how it’s call in Chinese and Korean as well (using the same characters in their own pronunciation), which is quite remarkable.
Thats fucking crazy. Just checked.
@@lam1991hahaha the reason why the Chinese and Korean used the same word is because at the time both were comparatively backwards and they kinda just took a lot of the Japanese vocabulary when they started their own modernization, eg telephone, politics, government etc
@@fishlo17 I learned recently that Chiang Kai-shek
and many of the contemporary Chinese elite went to Japan for study.
Yes, as a student of Japanese familiar with the term kyousou (競争) I was really amused to find out this is how it originated!
Thoroughly enjoying this series.
Could make an interesting anime
So sorry. Had not read your remarks before writing mine. I won’t hesitate to say though that great minds think alike.
This guy was and is so interesting. Thank christ his accounts survived
He went on to found the first private university in Japan (which still stands to this day!), and published an autobiography in the early 1900s, so he was a rather well known guy 👍
And he stuck around the 10k yen bill 😂
It is indeed fortunate they survived The thorough American fire bombing campaigns of WWII Not to mention the nukes Much of Japan's historical records and accounts were sadly incinerated
whyuhatan lmaoooooo yall will really do anything to bring that up
@Interpersonal Communicator Sadly so
Hearing Fukuzawa talking about his dream to be a tutor at 16:05 is somehow so pure and inspiring - what a tremendous series! Great work Voices!
He ended up opening a newspaper, so in the end he was able to fulfill his dream of education on a grander scale.
@@MrRinoHunter I mean I think the real story, though it's a little glossed over in the video, is that he opened Keio University, which is to this day not only open but one of the most prestigious in his nation. I could think of no greater honor for a teacher of his caliber.
Man, what a legend. A great man and a great account of his exploits.
I recently found this channel and I'm absolutely addicted.
Sad fact: Fukuzawa's 10,000 yen banknote will be replaced by Eiichi Shibusawa's one in 2024. (Shibusawa is also a superhero during modern japan tho)
:’(
Any idea of why this change? I don’t think that someone like Fukuzawa should be forgotten ...
@Interpersonal Communicator currency can be anything lol
Not sure about this...Japan has a habit of changing their currency’s design every 20 years or so
@@jinhunterslay1638
Yeah, Japanese government have been upgrading its banknote for almost every 20 years. Upgrading is necessary for counterfeit-prevention. (if the government are lazy about that, one north boy may copy...it's just a joke)
This guy was ahead of his time.
The impression I get is that he was ahead of our own time.
It’s sad to see this series end. I nearly cried seeing the final pictures of Mr. Fukuzawa in his later years. What an incredibly interesting and kind hearted man, I wish I could have met him
This Japanese series has been a hit for you. Congratulations!
I got a bit emotional at the end, this has been my favourite series yet!
MOAR I need to buy his autobiography now.
It's only around $6 used on amazon! Just picked up a copy myself.
David Nakamura what’s it called?
his autobiography excited me so much. (i am a former student of his college.)
Loving Mr Fukuzawas accounts, fantastically read too, thank you.
That's it, I'm buying his autobiography
Me too.
"Buying"? It's public domain! Download it!
Is this the same man who visited San Francisco and who was offered a job in Russia?
Yes
This channel is pure gold.
I've never been a history buff, but certainly one for cultures, stories and varying viewpoints - So finally history seems accessible to me :D
It's sad to see how his predictions of where the Empire would lead the country turned out to be true. If there had been more people like him, perhaps Japan would have been able to re-entered the world much more smoothly in the 20th century. I do think he would be proud to see that despite it's struggles Japan has become a major cultural influence in the world, and in particular how well it has not only adapted itself to a modern world but is in many respects leading the way.
Leading the whole world in male suicide. It's not a totally golden change...
He wrote his biography in 1899 if I'm not mistaken, so he already knew his side had mostly won.
Considering how the U.S. and Australia rejected Japan’s “Racial Equality Proposal” in 1919, it seems like its the western countries that needed more people like Yukichi Fukuzawa. Japan’s rise of nationalism and militarism wouldnt even have happened if the americans and australians could of just swallowed their white pride.
@@kn2549 I think this is very true. On Fukuzawa's visits to Europe, but especially to America, he was treated with an incredible amount of appreciativeness and respect. While this gives me great pride to know that he felt welcomed and happy in my nation, I can't help but wonder what would have happened had he shown up some 50+ years later. The Americans (and I assume the Australians as you said), were so unabashed with their crudeness towards the Japanese people that I just can't accept that the Japanese were completely responsible for the incredible building of hostility in the early 20th century. That said however, the Japanese certainly could have used more Fukuzawas, and less of a military mindset (but then, so could everyone else).
@@kn2549 looking at the atrocities japan did afterwards in china, korea, the philippines and all the the sea of malaysia I don't know how serious they took that "racial equality" thing.
This episode is particularly interesting as earlier this year I was in Kagoshima and visited Sengan-en. It told many stories of the Anglo-Satsuma war. Fascinating place!
Why do I feel like I just said farewell to a good friend? I'm glad that such a good person had lived.
This series has been my favorite. Hope you do more on this fascinating man.
Unfortunately this was the last one
I wanna get his biography though
After watching this series I can say that Fukuzawa Yukichi was a model historian. Presenting situations as is but vividly enough to convey emotions, analysing political circumstances and ones revolving around foreign affairs without presenting an opinion as the most rational and dictating the reader's point of view, but in an objective way that encourages critical thinking for the everyday person of any class reading it.
It's often said that a person cannot change the world, but Fukuzawa Yukichi was an example of a simple man who managed to change at least his country only by the act of documenting.
Shockingly unbias as well.
Satsuma clan borrowed money from the Shogunate government to pay the British 25k pounds but never paid them back. Instead, the clan took up arms against the institution they owed money to , with others, defeated them and played a key role in the early modern Japan.
No wonder they became upset. They didn't just klilled the british guy with no reason.
A bit like those Americans who supported independence to escape their British tax burden...
@@Name-rl3tq They had violated the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce of 1858 which ensured that British subjects in Japan were subject only to English Common Law in English courts and not to Customary Law of Japan in accordance with Japanese legal customs. Under English Common Law, Richardson did nothing wrong, and the principle of self-defense under English Common Law only extends to the defense of one's person and property, not to one's honor or reputation. Killing Richardson in violation of the treaty was an act of war, the British were absolutely entitled to demand whatever terms they saw fit if Japan desired to maintain peace.
@@costakeith9048 Unless that treaty was a bad faith arrangement imposed upon Japan by imperialist powers. I won't waste my breath defending honor killings, but let's not pretend that this was some great travesty imposed on the UK. It was a series of one-way concessions designed to negate Japanese sovereignty in order to enable exploitation. In other words, the treaty was invalid and the British had no justification for war whatsoever.
@@ThutilDid you just try to legalese defence an honour killing?
Great series, great channel! Some notes on Fukuzawa's rendering of "competition:"
Relative to Indo-European languages, classical Japanese is rich in verbs and concrete nouns, but far less so in abstract nouns: in early texts, there are lots of indigenous words for "create", "destroy," etc., but not for "creation" or "destruction," which might be conveyed simply by using the verbs in a sort of gerund form (e.g. creat-ing, destroy-ing). In the medieval era (ca. 1200-1600) and early-modern (1600-1868) eras, we see increased use of compound nouns formed from multiple Chinese characters. Basically, the process was like creating Latinate vocabulary in English or French: when Western scientists and philosophers needed new words to describe new concepts, they might invent terms using Greek or Latin -- a process that still takes place today. (A word describing such terms, "neologism," is itself one: neo + logos = 'new word').
So Fukuzawa chose two characters, which in Japanese functioned a bit like Latin roots and suffixes: 競 and 争. Each can mean something like "compete" or "vie," and could be used as full words in Classical Chinese. The first is rendered "race" here because it is used in words involving racing: "horse race" (競馬), "foot race" (競走), etc. It can also represent Japanese verbs such as _kisou_ and the classical _kiou_, both of which mean "vie with" or "contest with." The second character was where the controversy was: 争 is used in words having to do with warfare and can represent Japanese verbs like _tatakau_, meaning "to fight."
Around the same time as Western Europe (17th-18th centuries), Japan began confronting an issue that would eventually be made explicit in the West by Smith, Ricardo, and other thinkers associated with liberalism and the Scottish Enlightenment. They held that private competition, rather than religious duty or pure benevolence, is the best way to generate wealth and material progress for society. Like European aristocrats and clergy, Japan's samurai class found this vision rather distasteful and chaotic -- their ideal social order was basically a Confucian utopia, more or less constant over time. So even though Japan had a long mercantile tradition, and even a small but wealthy early-modern bourgeoisie in the cities of Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka, its government still reflected that samurai-centered ethic of social stasis, hostile to (or at least skeptical of) the notion that economic competition was something to be celebrated. Fukuzawa and others changed minds, and changed the world.
Truly an agent of history.
I love this series. I felt so connected to this dude.
I can't express enough how much I love this channel. This story was an especially good one! Keep up the great work!
This channel has become one of my favorites in all of youtube as of late... And this trilogy made it even better! Love your work! Fukuzawa is a really interesting character and a man ahead of his time.. I found him as a truly good person in a world that wasn't ready for his way of thinking, but he ended up influencing that world if only a bit.
One of the most interesting observers in history. The exceptional voiceover, music, and editing is well deserved for his work.
Btw, that Nokia bit was very funny :).
This is my fav channel right now 😊
Great ending to the series. Thank you!
Absolutely brilliant video
This is great work. Much appreciated.
I appreciate your hard work, but I didn't want you to put this in a single video. I read his book before hand, and I found that you skipped a lot of interesting stories, since you had to make it in a short video. Nevertheless, I love all your videos. Thank you!!
Awesome content as always. Interested to see/hear about the first Portuguese contact with Malacca!
Loved his story all throughout! :)
this channel all we needed , keep it up bro
This channel is gold
I love voices of the past. It’s my favourite channel of yours
Thank you for this gem of time travel series... Awesome!
Such a blessing to be able to ear these people's. ... this one was awesome!
These videos are fantastic! Bravo Gentlemen!
I noticed in the letters about Europe that he didn't visit Germany, and I was curious about German-Japanese relations during this time period. This has been fascinating and I'd love to hear more, especially in that area. Thanks for this video!
Japanese envoys did visit Prussia and the new Japanese army was build on the Prussian model.
@@Sensko I'm aware- that's part of why I was curious there wasn't a visit to one of the german states in the european visit- but I don't know much about it in any depth, would be cool to find a primary source =). Genuine thanks though!
@@BundistButch1919I Honestly want to jear about what the Japanese saw in the Franco Prussian war.
thank you very much for these awesome videos. this is fascinating stuff. keep up the good work.
Thanks for the upload. 🙏🏽
Already read the rest of the biography after the first two videos, but this was still so cool to watch!
Mighty intresting video, loved it to bits. Love this channel!!!
Please do one video a day.. we history junkies need our dose
The events in the first part are the backbone to Gai-jin, the last novel by James Clavell, whose excellent writing makes you feel there, relive the delicate balance between foreigners and Japanese after the murder of one of their countryman and the following conflict. Both this work as well as Shogun give a fascinating perspective on Japanese culture from both points of view.
Remember reading Clavell's books in high school. Really loved them. His books set in Hong Kong are really amazing as well.
Read then Gaijin, where it goes after the opening of Japan after the coming of Commodore Perry.
Please please please do more! I beg you!
Thanks for continuing the series! Subbed after the previous two and look forward to the next
☼ again, _such an incredible_ contribution this series.
I am enjoying the Fukuzawa series. I do enjoy the vastly different ways of thinking between Japan and the Western nations. Japan's ability to change and adapt is quite extraordinary. I believe that Fukuzawa would be proud of modern Japan. As a side note, the reason the minister dislikes the word "fight" is because the Japanese believe in "wa" or harmony. They live on a tiny archipelago where all members of society must work together to grow rice. Any competition was fiercely forbidden, because the greed of one man could ruin a whole village.
I have even heard some explosive ordinance technicians reffering to explosive devices as things that have “wa” which is not to be capricously and disturbed by unskilled idiots who lack respect -- lest some stupid person, monkeying with the explosive device, cause nothing but terrible disaster.
I would imagine it's a Confucian thing, because there's no equivalent in Chinese either.
I have a deep relationship with Japan as I have lived there for years and my wife is Japanese. Thank you very much for this exquisite treatment of Mr. Fukuzawa. I'm sad the account has come to an end. I shall now go back and watch all three videos in the series again. Beautiful, wonderful work.
Race-mixer
It's funny all this started because he wanted to study a foreign language.
Fantastic. Thank you for such a wonderfull story
In the centuries XVI (Thenso embassy years 1582-1590) and XVII (Keicho embassy years 1619-1620)), two japonese delegations visited the Spanish emperors Felipe II and Felipe III and also the Pope in Rome thanks to the Jesuitic catholic order arrangements.
These are great I've only discovered them recently, thank God these accounts have been preserved I love the accounts of him visiting other countries for the first time
What a renaissance man this writer turned out to be, quite the journey
This trilogy is my favorite. I hope that you can make a few more with the same person. Fascinating stuff to say the least.
There's just something really compelling about listening to the accounts of people discovering and learning about alien nations and comparing them to the people of their home
You might like to do Marco Polo's account
Or William of Rubruck
Marco Polo's account isn't a first hand account, it's his cellmates 2nd hand account of what Marco Polo told him before he left prison. There are a number of things that we can't confirm are real about his story, but there are a number of things which are definitely evidence that parts of his tale were true, such as his mention of paper money, in the court of Kublai Khan, which would have been a wild fantastical idea to most Europeans, but which the Yuan dynasty of the mongols had actually done. I doubt Voices of the Past will do Marco Polo because it is not a first hand account though. It is believed after he left prison he wrote another account of his travels which would be first hand, but it has been lost to time unfortunately.
@Interpersonal Communicator yes blame it on China you foo
@Interpersonal Communicator You hold animosity towards someone who unwittingly communicated diseases in the 13th century...? Before anyone really even understood what that meant? And he didn't 'act like he founded a continent'. He acted like he /found/ a continent, which he did. Simply not having the been the first person to do so isn't that big of a deal, unless you are a person who also thinks that 13th century explorers should not only act on a modern understanding of medicine, but a modern understanding of geography and history.
You are right, he wasn't an omniscient time traveler. What a piece of shit.
@@homelessrobot The guy you're replying to deleted his comment, so I can't reference it, but I just wanted to mention something. I mostly agree with what you're saying, in that Columbus initially could not have known European diseases could spread so easily to Native Americans, hell, he didn't know he was going to meet Native Americans. However, it is worth noting that the concept of disease was not foreign to Europeans. While they didn't know precisely how they were spread, or what they were, they had experienced several massive pandemics over their history. Columbus and his people, if they had cared about the well being of the natives, would have known what the problem was, and how to not wipe out 90% of America's population.
Essentially, I mean to say, this is not purely a "modern understanding". I would love to hear your response to this idea.
I love this guy & your very well done videos! Please keep up the great work, it's very appreciated!
Us Brits, at the time, tended to just show up in a place and make insane demands.
"You, you and you there, buy our shit or else"
Great work
Love this! Keep it up
Fukuzawa was a true gentleman. What an endearing piece of history and video great work Voices of the Past!
Very interesting that in a world geopolitical sense, America and Japan were seen as political islands aligned against the dominance of Western Europe (while only a few in Japan would even be aware of this perspective). Americans wished Japan wouldn't have paid because they wished to see that dominance questioned. 10:01 When he talks about America within its Civil War, you can almost feel the implication that American weakness necessarily meant an increased dominance of Britain, like British aristocrats were gleefully watching as the problem of the runaway American colony was solving itself, & how painfully weak politically Japan would seem against an antagonistic Britain without America, having to sail to European waters for any western-produced goods.
Elements within both the French and British governments supported the confederacy, though they remained 'officially' neutral and refused to recognize it as an independent nation, probably because they didn't think they'd win and secondly because of the whole anti-slavery matter of politics that'd recently become dominant in their nations what with the South being heavily invested the the preservation of that particular trade.
They also however conveniently 'doubted' the North's interest in ending it (despite most of the North already having abolished slavery) and their strong anti-slavery and abolitionist parties up until the emancipation proclamation, probably less out of sincere doubt so much as the provision of a convenient excuse to avoid outright condemnation of the Southern Confederacy despite their own local politics.
See political weakness in the US aside, the abolition of slavery in the European states of note had led to a shortage of certain profitable and popular goods, cotton, tobacco etc. The Southern US just happens to have become a major exporter in exactly those goods, cultivated with the very same form of labor that European states had recently outlawed and thus couldn't exploit.*
Ah good old political bullshit artistry at it's finest.
Britain and France were far more concerned by Prussia and Russia during this time. Japan was hardly a threat considering Britain and France had burnt down the Chinese capital a few years before just as the British had burnt Washington 50 years previous. Japan got away lightly.
Yeah later on in the 20th century when America became first a great power and then outright hegemonic during and after ww2 I read that someone, may have been Churchill or Eden, Mountbatten one of those famous brits of the time when speaking of the frustration in having to bow to America said “We had our chance to curtail the American behemoth and we didn’t take it, we have to deal with it” referring obviously to the civil war.
@@HueyPPLong By 1900 the US was the world's number one producer of steel, oil, and food. It also had 45 of the 50 states and was one of the largest territories in the world.
Thoroughly enjoyable. More First Japanese and Samurai pieces please.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Japanese history from 1800s onward has been my jam since my early university days. I’ve been loving these videos. Thanks for posting!
Ive been looking foward to this!!
okay now I want another one lmao
Fascinating individual. Truly unique.
I got lost to my own thoughts there for a moment and was so confused when I heard the guy start speak about Nokia phone as the add was playing. "Wait, what time period did this guy live in again?"
Amazing good series. I knew nothing of this. Thank you. Remember watching Shogun on TV ages ago and had a Sake party on the last episode and got too drunk to remember any of it :)
Thank you for everything you do. These peaceful readings of primary sources are an absolute treasure.
An important story very well told
This series has been brilliant. I so appreciate this channel.
If time machines were possible, I'd build one just to shake Yukichi's hand
@Krister Lagerström sad
@Krister Lagerström Fine, I'll wear a glove and mask.
@@Cipher71 Maybe just bow.
@Krister Lagerström Perhaps if you only go back in time to when he is a year before his death, in feeble geriatric age.... Please...the Wuhan Cold literally has a death rate FAR lower than most normal influenza seasons. Don't believe everything you see on TV, but do your own research, or if you have no idea what you're talking about, you have no right to open your mouth, totalitarian. We used to call that part of Critical Thinking, and avoiding logical fallacies (especially Appeal to Authority Fallacy), but modern state-accredited, or otherwise modern-finance-system-financed, schooling systems, and peer-pressure-bending with money in science has made sure that was quashed in the last century or so, before it could even properly develop.... Making sure you chastise your fellow man with your factually unnecessary, culturally and socially subversive, but almost global religiously dogmatic state, world bank, and conglomerate media pushed drivel (i'm sure every chance you see to get a dopamine rush for your "correct act" for good-boy points) is actually part of the REAL CRISIS of the future of all mankind right now...and that actual crisis is nothing to do with a cold virus (which IS what the Coronavirus family is sometimes called), except how it's being used as a tool of fear-mongering for such.... I might foolishly dream to expect better from those who would be interested in hearing readings of primary sources, such as from this wonderful channel, lol....but then it does also attract the hordes of brainwashed pseudo-academics of the past few decades of Post-Modernist Western-school Marxist indoctrination that goes on in the universities these days.... Fear-based commies like you, who are so quick to throw away many centuries of civilizational mannerisms, that have built the intricate beauty of civilization, over a the occassional...inevitable and fairly regular...plague, if your "authorities" tell you to, are human scientifically socially-engineered drones/cattle, who think like you are literally helping our global masters set up their endgame of total techno-domination, and the end of free thought...and the outright extinguishing of Human Potential and the Creativity of the Human Spirit, beyond space...and perhaps eventually times, and civilization as we have understood it. That, to be replaced with a meaningless cybernetic hell-scape dystopia of total slavery. It's LITERALLY is a declaration of siding with the diabolical enemy in this existential war on true Humanity, in this most desperate and awful moment...whether you realize it or not....
i love these accounts. more japanese stuff would be awesome !
My goodness! I so love these! Akasaka, Aoyama, Yokohama... I have stayed in all these places at one time or another and never *once* thought of any such history regarding them. Also, to think that this word 競争(Kyousou), or competition, was invented by Fukuzawa, because they had no equivalent, it's astounding. Just once, I wish I could sit down and have a chat with this man. I guess I also wish his autobiography was available on Apple Books. :(
A great piece of history, so interesting, thankyou for sharing.
Another great video. I'm sad knowing that this is the last we'll be hearing from you on this fascinating man here on your channel, but also so very thankful that you brought it to our attention at all. I've been eyeing my phone for a delivery confirmation all morning so I can continue with this wonderful autobiography. You've also got me very keen to dive deep into Japanese history again. It's a subject that really intrigues me, but one that I am guilty of putting off because there don't appear to be a lot of great resources for it in English (outside of World War II anyways). These videos have inspired me to really make more of an effort though, so again, thank you!
Fascinating! I've just found you and am enthralled hearing this eloquent voice from 19th Century Japan. His insights and observations, free of jingoistic prejudice and his dread of
"Japan First" ideas is so relevant today. History never gets old it just gets forgotten.
I love this channel so much ❤️
Mr Fukuzawa was an amazing fellow!
thanks so much for this most interesting program...
"There was much discussion among the members of the mission before the voyage, but they decided finally that this apparent neglect could be made a proof of friendship between the two countries - Japan had trusted the American minister. Rather, the Japanese government had put it's faith in the goodwill of the American government, and no formal agreement was deemed necessary. The papers were simply memoranda in which we would not place any importance."
I couldn't exactly explain why if you asked me: I'm sitting here wiping tears from my cheeks and covered in gooseflesh, smiling all the while. What a way to have my cereal and coffee at 6:30am on Sunday morning.
A perfect description of the american character, as sublime as that of de Toqueville.
wow, thanks for internetising! I would never heard this amazing story otherwise.
"Here you have 800.000 Dollars.. go buy me two ships!"
OK, you want a receipt?
Na fam.. im good
800.000 Dollars back then is about 12 million today
I thought the Japanese evvoy's fears about not having a receipt was fascinating. Because they didn't have one, they really feared America would genuinely (or maybe pretend to) not know what $800k they were talking about.
The Japanese feared this even though the deal was made with an official American minister of state, and one of the two ships had already been delivered. I think it goes to show just how disjointed and ineffective the government of the Shogunate had become, for their envoys to make the assumption that the American government would be the same.
@@torrent But there was a war in America at the time, and when a government suddenly becomes replaces rules could change well.
@@torrent You can ask native americans what promises from American government are worthed(even on paper) as you clearly are clueless in the topic of American history in this matter.
Or just read the constitution and some history of black americans or Chinese imigrants that were invited to USA to do the work and after they did the work... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_massacre_of_1871
You clearly are clueless of all the empty promises U.S government has made I've the years. The only reason why they kept this promise was because they needed Japan as a trading partner against the English and Russians (and to offset the Chinese).
@@Bialy_1 this massacre doesn't seem to directly involve the US government
Such a vivid account of such an interesting time in Japanese (and world) history
Fukuzawa was such a cool guy!
Great video. It is fascinating to hear the perspective of other cultures. This man's was very enlightened and I felt that he was almost prophetic of the problems an emperor would bring when you look at WW2.
Your videos about this man are fascinating! Well done sir, well done.
Yukichi seems like such a good and decent chap, I would have liked to have known him. I have greatly enjoyed your two videos about him.
This grants such vital clarity into a strange, chaotic time. Lovely stuff.
Japanese first ironclad arriving at tbe meiji era how fitting