How Did Fukuzawa Yukizawa Influence Western Culture

Fukuzawa Yukichi was a lower station samurai from Nakatsu, Japan. He wanted to rise vertically on the class rank ladder, which was seemingly impossible in Japan. He thought that Japan was stuck in it’s traditional roots. During the time period western countries and the rest of the world were passing Japan by with new innovations and knowledge. The solution he proposed to solve this issue was education on Western society to create a national independence through personal independence for Japan and it’s citizens (Wikipedia). Fukuzawa wanted Japan to be great alongside those countries, so he sought after western knowledge. Fukuzawa started his personal independence by diving into his studies. He first set off for Nagasaki to learn Dutch (Rangaku), so that he could read and study Western works. He made great progress in Nagasaki, but was soon asked to leave because he began to do much better than his host, …show more content…
In this scenario Japanese people can start to learn about Western society as young as elementary school. He said that the current Confucian teaching was lacking two things; number and reason studies and independence in spiritual culture (Fukuzawa, pg. 215). He also believed that Japan’s shortcomings stem from the old Chinese Confucian teachings. Fukuzawa’s modern type of schooling began soon after his first volume of his book was released. The Fundamental Code of Education (Gakusei) was issued by Japan in 1872 and it laid out the outline of the new national school system. The goal of the new schools was to create independent citizens that would serve as the foundation of a strong nation (Theodore, 2005, pg. 95). Fukuzawa was a highly revered scholar and teacher. His studies and publications greatly influenced the modern day Japan. Fukuzawa spent much his life trying to improve his home country of Japan and break it free from is traditional