21St Century Edition of Fukuzawa Yukichi's Geography Textbook
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Volume 18 | Issue 20 | Number 5 | Article ID 5500 | Oct 15, 2020 The Asia-Pacific Journal | Japan Focus Recycled Images: 21st Century Edition of Fukuzawa Yukichi’s Geography Textbook Elena Baibikov hierarchy-based discussions of race and civilization (Baxter 2007, Uchiyama 2009, Abstract: This essay takes a constructionist Takezawa 2015). However, these researchers approach to Representation Studies, examining pay little attention to how Japan’s past social Fukuzawa Yukichi’s elementary geography and geopolitical positions correspond to the textbook Sekai kunizukushi (1869) and its contemporary Japanese palette of varying hierarchical images of the West, juxtaposed ideological states-of-mind, in the 21st century. against representations of Japan as framed by concepts of race and civilization. Furthermore, One of the most influential Meiji textbooks was it compares these images to their “recycled” an elementary geography book Sekai versions as constructed in the vast extra-textual kunizukushi (世界国盡, All the Countries of apparatus of Fukuzawa Yukichi no Sekai the World), which was composed by Fukuzawa kunizukushi de sekai wo manabu(2017), a Yukichi and published in 1869, the second year recent translation of Fukuzawa’s textbook into of the Meiji period. In 2017, some 150 years modern Japanese. The move to reintroduce after Sekai kunizukushi's initial publication, a older textbooks is here examined as an “image- new edition was published under the title building” strategy, one that allows the (re-) Fukuzawa Yukichi no Sekai kunizukushi de construction of influential images in support of sekai wo manabu(『世界国尽 』で世界を学 an ideological agenda. ぶ, Learning about the World through Fukuzawa Yukichi’s Sekai kunizukushi). This Keywords: Elementary school textbooks, edition included commentary, “translation into Fukuzawa Yukichi, Meiji period, race, textbook modern language” (gendaigoyaku), and other revision, textbook translation, image-building extra-textual features. This essay takes a constructionist approach to the hierarchical images of the West, juxtaposed against representations of Japan in terms of race and Introduction civilization, introduced in the original publication. It compares these images and In the field of textbook research, it is a long- representations to their more recent, held view that schoolbooks are culturally “recycled” versions, in order to reach a broader defined, so their function is both pedagogical understanding of contemporary Japanese and cultural (Hong, 2009:87, Makarevich conditions, to provide further insights into 2012:12). Recent socio-historical scholarship of image-building strategies in contemporary early Meiji school textbooks provides insights Japan, particularly in relation to Others. It into the formation of social consciousness and argues that the republication of Fukuzawa's the transformation of Japan’s political,Sekai kunizukushi serves as an “image- economic and educational positions vis-à-vis its building” strategy that promotes certain geopolitical Others at the time, with these ideological and political agendas, even if some changes ushered ininter alia through of these views are considered controversial or 1 18 | 20 | 5 APJ | JF problematic to a large part of the population. all studied together. Gradually, age-based divisions were introduced and the style of education changed (from the Anglo-Dutch style). In 1868, a children's dormitory was Fukuzawa’s Textbook created for junior boarders, and in 1874, the Keiō Yochisha Elementary School was Fukuzawa Yukichi (1835 - 1901) was a established, a full 16 years before Keiō Gijuku journalist, author, philosopher, translator, added university faculties in 1890. modernizer and, according to historian Alan Macfarlane, "an analyst of modernity"Eventually, Fukuzawa composed, or more (Macfarlane, 2013: 83). In his monumental accurately, compiled and translated Japan’s work, The Making of Modern Japan, historian first modern school textbooks. His 1868 Marius Jansen claimed that Fukuzawa’stextbook on science, Kinmō kyūri zukai (訓蒙窮 “influence permeated every aspect of Meiji life” 理圖解, The Illustrated Study of Natural Laws (Jansen 2002:322). The man, indeed, has for Beginners), was based on Western sources, become an iconic figure in Japanese culture, and introduced phenomena as explained by especially after his portrait appeared in 1984 thermal, solid, and fluid mechanics. The on Japan’s 10,000 yen note, the country’s following year, the geography textbookSekai largest banknote denomination. kunizukushi was released as the first publication under Fukuzawaya Yukichi’s publishing business (owned by Fukuzawa), which he had established in November 1869 (Hiasa 2009:4). Both textbooks were used in Keiō Gijuku. The first of its kind to introduce the lifestyles and temperaments of five races, Sekai kunizukushi soon became a bestseller. Some sources estimate that it sold as many as a million copies (Minamoto 1997: 2). The text was very effective in spreading general geographical knowledge across Japan at the time and proved to be very popular among children (Nakagawa 2002: 409). Figure 1: Front side of 10,000 yen Many historians and scholars of Japanese banknote with Fukuzawa’s portrait, 2004. children’s literature consider these two textbooks as the beginning of modern children’s literature in Japan (Torigoe 2001). Fukuzawa is also known as a passionate and In 1872, three years after the publication of his talented educator.1 In 1858, he founded the second book, the newly established Ministry of Keiō Gijuku school, which was destined to Education announced the Fundamental Code of become Japan’s first private university.Education, which made elementary education However, his educational projects extended far compulsory. At the same time, Fukuzawa’s beyond the university level. At its foundation, textbooks were adopted under the national Keiō Gijuku became renowned as a school of curriculum and taught in schools all over Japan. Western knowledge in the Anglo-Dutch style, This suggests that the nascent Meiji and as a place where students of different ages government shared Fukuzawa’s images and 2 18 | 20 | 5 APJ | JF ideas of countries and regions (including the that described Japan’s situation as lacking West) as introduced in the latter’s textbook. technological knowledge and the inability in the English language at that time) are scattered throughout the text, rendering the work as something more than a “mere translation.” Textbook: Content Analysis Arguably, exploiting the binary opposition between Self and Others, Fukuzawa’s text The Textbook as a Set of Representations generates a foreign-centered viewpoint from and Locus of Evaluation which his readers might evaluate Japan’s Elementary school textbooks introduce children domestic culture at this point in history. to new insights into their world; they are a gateway to a wider socio-cultural context that transcends family and school. At the same time, Structure of Sekai Kunizukushi Compared textbooks transmit culture-specific values, to Mitchell’s School Geography (MSG) models and stereotypical images (Baxter 2007). By embodying socio-cultural perceptions and Let us look first into the principles behind the perspectives peculiar to a given nation at a materials’ selection. Fukuzawa’s textbook given time “they may serve as indicators of the consists of six volumes. He devoted one volume formation of cultural, social and national each to five of the continents (Asia, Africa, identity/consciousness” (ibid). Close Europe, North and South America), presenting examination of Fukuzawa’s geographical information on nations, geographical textbook demonstrates that despite being a conditions, history, race and lifestyles; the sixth collection of selected translations from volume introduced and explained a variety of different Western geography books,Sekai geographical disciplines, such as physical and kunizukushi still functioned as the record, the human geography. indicator of formation, and the marker of cultural determination. The first five volumes are structurally According to Fukuzawa’s explanatoryinterconnected, presented as the route of a trip note, Sekai kunizukushi was a collection of around the world, going from East to West, and 2 selected translations from different books onstarting with Japan as the departure point. geography and history from the United States However, the order of volumes differed in the and Great Britain (Fukuzawa 1869, folio 5). He MSG. Mitchell’s textbook ordered the subjects didn’t name his sources,2 however as follows: Geographical definitions – previous research onSekai Descriptive geography of North America – kunizukushi suggests convincingly thatA Descriptive geography of South America – System of Modern Geography by the American Descriptive geography of Europe – Descriptive author S. Augustus Mitchell (also knowngeography of Asia – Descriptive geography of as Mitchell’s School Geography;hereafter Africa. In contrast, Fukuzawa ordered his referred to as MSG) was the main source of volumes differently: Descriptive geography of Fukuzawa’s geography textbook (see Uchiyama Asia – Descriptive geography of Africa – 2009:68). In his introductory explanation, Descriptive geography of Europe – Historical Fukuzawa emphasizes that his “ideas sakui( ) and cultural account on North America – are not included at all” (Sekai kunizukushi, v.1 Descriptive geography of South America. The 1869: 5 right). However, his selection of central point and the keyword here is the materials, his